Sparkhouse

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Coordinator at a Global WiFi company named Skyroam. Our business unit is located in San Francisco, California and deals primarily with selling Skyroam hotspot hardware, accessories and WiFi services.

I am responsible for helping our marketing managers organize and execute campaigns across all channels, maintain healthy lead generation, generate creative assets with our creative partners, and assist our sales team with new partner onboarding and marketing materials.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparkhouse?

We hired Sparkhouse to create a new promotional video for our flagship product, Skyroam Solis X, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

As an international travel brand originally, our marketing team had to make a major pivot after covid turned the world upside down and international travel completely stopped in its tracks.

The Sparkhouse video project was initiated to help our team'd efforts of telling a new story for Skyroam hotspots.

What were your goals for this project?

We hoped to touch a new audience with this video and secure our place in the domestic, everyday connectivity space that we were not necessarily focused on before.

We plan to promote this video through organic and paid social, add to our website as a hero promotional video, and drive more traffic through connected TV advertisements.

SOLUTION

How did you select Sparkhouse?

We had worked with Sparkhouse on another video in 2019 and the rest of our marketing team had nothing but good things to say about the production crew at Sparkhouse.

It was clear that Sparkhouse wanted to be heavily involved in the creation process and promoted themselves as a marketing production company that provided more brainpower than just a regular production company, which made them stand out to us.

In a time like covid, with so much uncertainty, we wanted a production company that would help us navigate the project piece by piece and provide constructive opinions and feedback as we progressed.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

We started by writing a brief for the Sparkhouse team, including the project objectives, requirements and overall message. From there, Sparkhouse drew up a proposal for us with more details around timeline, shoot dates, and pricing, which we accepted and got the project rolling.

We worked with Sparkhouse on the video script, mood board and AV script, and then scheduled the shoot date. In post-production, Sparkhouse sent over 3 versions of the video for approval - first for cut, second for UI screen recordings, and third for color correction.

At every step of the way, we were asked to give feedback and approve what was being created!

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Sparkhouse provided us a project manager, creative director and editor to work with throughout the process.

There were definitely more team members working on the project that we would see acknowledge our feedback on certain assets, but the three mentioned above were the main team members we were in direct contact with throughout the process.

There was opportunity for feedback at every step of the process - script, mood board, talent choice, AV script, video cut edits, video coloring edits - sometimes multiple rounds of each.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our executives are very impressed with how much this video was able to communicate in such a short amount of time and are happy to see our marketing pivot being activated through such a positive creative asset.

Our broader, global team in China and Berlin are blown away by how fast the Sparkhouse team was able to pull this together! With time, I'm sure we will have more successful metrics to share as a result of this video!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We were assigned a project manager that gave us weekly updates of what we could expect for the work week. He provided ever-present calendar links to schedule calls with him if we needed to.

Every creative piece of the project that we needed to approve was sent through a platform that allowed for easy feedback and streamlined communication, making our lives at Skyroam much easier.

Every member of the team was quick to respond to our notes and emails.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Sparkhouse really is who they say they are - strategy focused video marketers. They will dig deep into the goals of your campaign or project to help you arrive at the best visual communication for your message.

Their team will help you through every phase of the video-creation process starting from concept development and script writing, all the way through post-production and final delivery of the video.

They are well organized, effective communicators, and inspiring creatives that will deliver your next best video.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nope. Sparkhouse was very professional and kept us in the loop for every decision. They were a fantastic crew to work with and we will definitely recommend them in the future!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Consumer product brand in the fitness industry. I am the inventor and co-founder

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparkhouse?

We hired Sparkhouse to produce a kickstarter video for us

What were your goals for this project?

we needed a 2-3 minute video that was fully edited with sound design and 3D animation to convey the value proposition for our crowdfunding campaign

SOLUTION

How did you select Sparkhouse?

we found them online and simply based on previous work along with a sense of trust and confidence during the interview process, we chose them

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

they walked us through the creative process to help conceptualize the product and break it down in a way the conveys the message clearly and concisely to the consumer. The most professional onset experience I've had. Stuck to the schedule to the T. Post production was collaborative and needed very few edits to complete the final cut

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We had access to our vendors through email, phone and management portals. Very easy to get a hold of them through any of these channels

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We've already started testing their videos for our ads and getting incredible feedback and market validation

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow was incredible. Sparkhouse was extremely flexible and open minded. they stepped in when they felt their expertise called for a better solution and stepped back when our vision needed to be conveyed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their level of adaptability and to move quickly was impressive. There were times we needed edits on the fly and they were always quick to deliver.

Are there any areas for improvement?

none! they nailed it. i'd use them again all day

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the chief growth officer at a cannabis company, overseeing sales and marketing. Our products are distributed in over 150 dispensaries throughout the state of California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparkhouse?

During the pandemic, our company had an urgent need for a training video that could be used remotely to educate staff on our products.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to create a professional video utilizing only current imagery and video assets in order to get a training video out to market very quickly!

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found Sparkhouse through an online search. They were incredibly responsive, thorough and able to meet my budget and timeline needs.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

Sparkhouse provided a scope of work, budget and timeline for approval. Once everything was approved, we jumped in to the briefing process. Through phone calls and digital communication, I provided the needs for the project.

Sparkhouse was able to take that information and deliver a brief, mood board, script and concept. From there we went in to production, a couple rounds of editing and finished product.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

The project management was incredible. We had one primary point of contact who communicated proactively and timely. He coordinated all internal communication to ensure everything was completely accurately and on time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

This video will be used to educate staff in many shops throughout California, resulting in touch free education and increased sales.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication was seamless. Timely, accurate and proactive.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to take feedback and deliver the vision set them apart.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a pop-up museum, called the Donut Life Museum. It’s similar to other interactive exhibit museums. It’s very immersive and each room illustrates a significant moment of life. It’s donut-themed and utilizes donut puns.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkhouse?

They helped me piecemeal some of the images I had to create a branding video.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

It was a one-minute video. To get started, they just needed graphics or images of the exhibit. I sent that over in a folder. We’re an interactive exhibit, but are trying to adapt because of COVID-19. We were also looking to produce hand sanitizer and face masks once the museum is reopened. I sent them those images, and they embedded that into the branding video for us. They implemented those images, text overlays, and come music behind it.

What is the team composition?

In addition to our main point of contact, there were three other people on the team who were copied on emails.

How did you come to work with Sparkhouse?

One of my classmates from college reached out because they were helping small businesses record branding and promotional videos. Then I applied through the application for the complementary video and explained how our business was impacted by COVID-19.

How much have you invested with them?

It was a pro-bono project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The turnaround time was pretty quick. It started at the end of April 2020, and I got the video back about three days later.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

They did a pretty good job. I liked that the turnaround time was pretty quick and they did a very professional job. I also really liked their music selection. They worked with me to make minor tweaks at the end, and they were very helpful with that. The video turned out very well. They did a really good job, especially since it was just a few days long.

How did Sparkhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

They were really responsive. From our first email communication, they responded within a few hours. Whenever I had a question, they responded right away. It was really easy to work with them. The application helped them prepopulate a lot of the information they needed to get started. Overall, the process was seamless.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really like how they included the text overlays and they chose the perfect soundtrack for the video. It looks very professional and their transitions are very well. done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear about what you want and the message you want to send across. On top of that, being prepared with all of your materials. I had all of my archived images, logos, graphics, and fonts ready to go, so it was easy to share with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of FYZCIAL Therapy & Balance Centers - Lake Forest, a physical therapy practice serving clients with orthopedic, spine, pelvic health and balance issues.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparkhouse?

Producing a video updating our community as to our adapted approach to clinical care during this time.

What were your goals for this project?

To get the word out that we are open for business, our adapted approach to in clinic care, and the addition of Telehealth services in a professional way.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Referral from a business Sparkhouse had worked with in the past.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

We filled out a form online and corresponded via email regarding the contents of the videos. We then sent videos of our clinic business practices and they did the rest. It was truley a breeze.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We had corresponded via email and had a zoom chat to discuss our needs for this project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

I have only recently shared this video, but so far, I have had great response and interest from other business owners in the Laguna Hills Chamber of Commerce.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very easy and quick! I could not believe I submitted all the content and videos on Friday and had the video downloaded on my computer by Monday night.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

This company definitely values excellent communication and work ethic. They make a great product in a timely manner. Couldn't ask for anything more.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I have seen yet.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own a professional detailing service for cars called Swanky Mobile Detailing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkhouse?

My marketing needed attention and Sparkhouse was willing to help out.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sparkhouse first asked for information about my business. They followed up a day later to dive deeper. Their team asked about my previous efforts and how I plan to navigate Covid-19. They asked about the value of my services too. From there, they got the idea to create a video that I helped to fine-tune. Lastly, their team created a 30-second video that I launched on all of my social media channels.

What is the team composition?

I communicated with Jonathan (Producer) who followed up the same day that I filled out the form. I talked with another person who asked for my feedback about the video.

How did you come to work with Sparkhouse?

I had a prior relationship with Jonathan and knew that he worked for Sparkhouse. I reached out because of my marketing needs.

How much have you invested with them?

The video was free.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project in April 2020. We’re not currently working on other projects, but I’m interested in working with them again.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The video received a lot of engagement on Instagram and brought in tons of new clients. There was a 12%–15% increase in the number of bookings based on my tracking of the post's engagement. Sparkhouse did a good job, so I’m interested in creating more videos with them.

How did Sparkhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated by e-mail and text messages. Their team was responsive to any edits or changes that I requested. They were amazing, so Ioved working with Sparkhouse.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication skills were great. Their ability to create value was their most impressive quality. It was a free video, but their team gave me amazing content to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I was satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open. Let them know exactly what you want. If you don’t, you won’t be happy with the final product.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Artist.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparkhouse?

To create a video for social media marketing.

What were your goals for this project?

To highlight my artwork in an engaging way and to advertise my services and artwork for sale.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Sparkhouse has a great portfolio and has completed amazing work for other companies so it was an easy choice to want their company to create my video.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The goal was to create a video that highlighted services I offer as an artist. I supplies images and ideas for the highlighted text in the video. I gave them full creative liberty to do what they felt would be the most successful.

What was the team composition?

I worked closely with Torrey and Spencer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

After posting the video on my social media platforms I did get responses back from interested customers. I got a lot of positive reviews about the video and many people were reaching out to inquire more about my services.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication between me and the team was very efficient and timely. They replied quickly and were able to answer any questions I may have had about the process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was blown away by the speed and quality of their work! The total time from start to finish on the project was excellent and they kept me updated via email about status of the project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None- product was exactly how I had imaged it!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Tortuga Del mar and our company sells women's beach cover ups and beach tote bags.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparkhouse?

We hired Sparkhouse to create a lifestyle video for us that we can use for marketing purposes!

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to create a video that showcases our brand and product and explains to the consumer why our company is different and unique!

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My team did research and ended up going with Sparkhouse as they seemed like the best fit for our needs!

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

After we selected Sparkhouse, they took the time to understand our needs and go through the discovery process. They were very patient and professional. They also gave us good tips and advice along the way. They were a pleasure to work with!

What was the team composition?

I worked closely with the Sparkhouse team to get this video created.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We look forward to using this video across our social media platforms and spread brand awareness.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was very effective! They were quick to respond and everything was done easily over email communication and google spreadsheets.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They understood my vision from the start and were able to execute!

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am employed as the Health Communications Manager for the OC Health Care Agency. The Health Care Agency's ultimate client is the entire County population. While providing direct services to individual clients or patients, the Agency’s primary focus is to protect and promote the health and safety of the community as a whole.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparkhouse?

Sparkhouse was originally contracted to work on a training video to support the Environmental Health Department in communicating licensing and permitting process related to temporary food facilities. When the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, those plans were postponed and we used Sparkhouse to help communicate an important message to the public regarding resiliency.

What were your goals for this project?

The objective of our Resiliency video is to encourage the residents of Orange County to feel hopeful and empowered in an uncertain time by focus on strenghthening our resiliency and adapting to our new circumstances.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We reviewed some of our prior partner agencies as well as specialized video production companies. We chose Sparkhouse because felt their approach to the project demonstrated they understood our business and knew how to breakdown the steps of a complex project into manageable parts.

They also showed work experience similar to the look and feel of what we envisioned for our project. The selection was made by the communications team in collaboration with the program leadership executives.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

The Resiliency project Sparkhouse created for us wasn't the original ask. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, our agency's priorities have shifted to a singular goal of supporting public health.

We asked Sparkhouse if they could produce a supportive video to communicate hope to the population during challenging times. They were given top line objectives regarding the video project, after which they wrote the script, created the storyboard, sourced stock footage and voice talent, and producted and edited the video. All the work was done within seven days.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Sparkhouse used a solid management and feedback process, establishing iitial goals with the communications and program teams to set up timelines and understand our vision.

They kept us up to date on each step of the process, establishing reasonable time for feedback and responding with professional design consultations to keep the project on track for achieving objectives and not straying too far into details that might have detracted from the end product. They demonstrated agility when responding to revisions and still met the deadlines.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

While this is still an ongoing situation in Orange County (and the World), the content Sparkhouse created has been well received with great comments and lots of sharing within social media platforms. It has also been shared by County providers and partners to their followers and clients.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our interactive workflow has been terrific. In VERY unusual and demanding times, Sparkhouse has kept us on track, giving appropriate prompting to help us meet our deadlines while allowing for executive approvals. Our ask for get this done asap, and they delivered on time, met objectives and delivered a beautifully created product.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Flexibility, professionalism, agility and in the face of lots of challenges, they created an excellent product for us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Next time, I hope we aren't creating something in a pandemic!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Founder and CEO of Eruditely (https://eruditely.com), a groundbreaking knowledge and networking platform for content creators, writers, artists, musicians, educators, learners, and more!

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparkhouse?

We hired Sparkhouse to produce a marketing video that would demonstrate our platform in detail to a variety of audiences, including new members, crowdfunding, investors, and the general public.

What were your goals for this project?

The main goal of our project was to produce an inspiring and informative video that would fully demonstrate our platform and its features using a variety of different use-cases. Knowing that we had a lot of information to convey, we wanted to tell a story for each set of features to keep the video interesting and the viewer engaged. This video had to be appealing and compelling to many audiences ranging from future members to potential investors.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I spent about two days researching and evaluating various video production companies that I found online. I ultimately found Clutch and started to review the top video companies there. I was trying to find a video company that had a wide degree of capabilities and styles. Eventually I found Sparkhouse and reviewed their portfolio which was very impressive. Ultimately I reached out to them and had an initial conversation with their CEO Torrey Tayenaka. That conversation went very well, and lead to me choosing them.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

It was evident from the very beginning that Sparkhouse had an extremely organized planning and production process. Before the project started they had me fill out a Creative Brief so that I could fully explain our goals and requirements. Their entire production team read that brief in preparation for our first conference call. At every phase of the project the team made sure they fully understood our requirements and feedback, and adjusted the plans accordingly. What I found most impressive about Sparkhouse was that they really stuck to their production phases. Some of those phases included a script outline, script copywriting, AV script, black and white storyboards, colored storyboards, animation production and many phases of corrections. By breaking down the process in this way and really following it forced us to clearly think out every step and detail, and ultimately resulted in better decisions and superior results.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Sparkhouse has an amazing team, and people who specialize in every part of the project. This includes a dedicated Account Manager, Producer, Creative Director, Copywriter, Voice-over Artist, and animation team, among others. Their Founder and CEO Torrey Tayenaka was very hands on, especially in the earlier phases of the project which I felt was very important. Their project management style is rooted in their well-organized production phases, but also complimented by their extremely fast response times. Earlier in the project we had a lot of conference calls with multiple team members so everyone was on the same page. Individual team members would often reach out via email for specific purposes, and their response times were extremely fast. Sparkhouse also uses Frame.io to help coordinate the entire team with the client during review phases. Our video in particular went through many phases of review and corrections, and using Frame.io really helped to keep that process efficient. I should also mention that the entire team at Sparkhouse is extremely patient, and is willing to go the extra mile to make the customer happy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We finished our video recently, so it's a little early to speak about overall success. But I can say with confidence that every single person who has seen our video thus far was blown away by it. We all had certain expectations of what this video would like when the project started, and the end results have far exceeded all those expectations. The video Sparkhouse made for us is visually stunning, captivating, and inspiring. It checks off all the boxes we needed to make a video for all audiences. I have no doubt that it will help us to bring attention to Eruditely for many years to come!

I think these results speak for themselves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzceBgnNn0U

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Over the months that we worked with Sparkhouse I got to know every single member of their team very well. Their Founder and CEO Torrey Tayenaka is extremely professional and easy to talk with. If there was ever a problem he quickly stepped in to remedy it. Our Account Manager, Spencer, was always there with lightning fast response times over email. Having those fast response times is so critical on a large production project. The Creative Director, John N, was really key to our video's success because he was willing to work on all the details and multiple phases of corrections. I pushed John hard to get every single detail right in our video, and he was always up to the challenge. I also enjoyed working with the Producer, Jonny, who was very helpful in the end phases of our project. Every single member of Sparkhouse has different responsibilities, but they all work together extremely well to produce superior results. I honestly enjoyed working with every single person!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

There are many things that I found impressive about Sparkhouse, but one thing stands out beyond all others. I'm not the easiest of customers to have. I'm a detail-oriented perfectionist who has very high standards. I expect the best out of everyone I work with, and I push people hard to achieve amazing goals. This kind of work ethic can produce great results when working with the right people. In the case of Sparkhouse they were always willing to go the extra mile for me. Our video was extremely detailed, and I wanted to really get it as perfect as possible. This meant going through many phases of review and corrections. There were times when I thought I'd drive the Sparkhouse team crazy, and I probably did. But despite this they always remained professional and were willing to put in the extra time to get every detail right. I have great respect for them because of this. The team at Sparkhouse is talented, capable, and diligent! They have exactly the right mix of qualities to produce incredible results. I'm so grateful that I found them and for all the time and hard work they put into making our video the best it could be!

Are there any areas for improvement?

Our video did take a lot longer to produce than originally planned, but that is not due to Sparkhouse. This is mainly because I pushed to make the video as perfect as possible, resulting in many extra phases of review and corrections. I think the only real issues we had with Sparkhouse were in the earlier phases of production while working on the script outline. There were definitely some miscommunications during that stage, but we were able to resolve those problems with the help of Torrey. While I can't say this entire project went flawlessly, the end results were flawless because Sparkhouse was always willing to go above and beyond.