Sparkhouse

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Search Business Group in a marketing agency focusing on Search Engine Optimization, Web Design, and Branding. I'm the President

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparkhouse?

We hire Sparkhouse to make an introduction video of the services we provide to a specific niche we work with.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to generate traffic, create awareness and final goal to generate leads from our website and marketing campaigns

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I research local companies, I visit their websites and I could not find nothing like Sparkhouse. After checking their portfolio and the types of clients they have work in the past. I knew it was going to be the one.

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

Everything started after I click the red button on their website "Get Started", this form was very effective, they ask me specific questions about my project. Right after I receive a phone call from Torrey, where he explains the video process in detail. Areas where their team needs to involve to create the impact I was looking for.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

These guys know exactly what they are doing. My main point of contact was Torrey and he was extremely responsive over the phone and email. The round of revisions was simple and they were open to making the necessary changes to accomplish our goal.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching the video we start seeing our website traffic increase, we generate interest and we use the same video to promote it in other marketing channels.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very smooth. I'm particularly very picky for the creative world and my team knows also how I operate. Working with Sparkhouse was a perfect match, their team cares about the final result and that's the type of video marketing agency I love to work with

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What impressed the most was the video production process and the attention to the smallest details.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I did not find areas where I can make a recommendation to improve. They know exactly what they are doing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Teracube is the only phone you'll ever need for the next 4 years and beyond. Better for your pocket, better for the planet. My name is Anthony Tsim, I am the co-founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparkhouse?

We have hired Sparkhouse on several occasions. Sparkhouse helped us developed our grand Kickstarter video and that was a wild success. It contributed to our overall success in our crowdfunding campaign in 2019.

What were your goals for this project?

To create several short videos for social media and digital marketing use.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were referred to Sparkhouse by our marketing trusted advisor.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

For this project, we wanted to create a shorter version of the videos for social media and digital marketing purposes.

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with the account manager and producer as the main point of contact, which is great it is always good to work with a single point of contact. Communication is super crisp with quick responsiveness. I can't praise enough for this kind of customer service.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As usual, Sparkhouse delivered the videos on budget, on time, and with great quality.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow with Sparkhouse was very effective. Their communication and responsiveness is second to none.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Everything!! Everyone in the team are friendly, professional, patient and most importantly, understands what the clients are looking for. They listen to our request and then turnaround and produced a very effective script to convey our message. They work very hard within our budget and scope. They delivered above and beyond what we expected.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None other than please keep up the good work and continue to be adaptive and flexible working with small businesses like us.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was updated by the client on October 12, 2020. New content is below:

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparkhouse?

We hired them to do a video for us to promote a new phone release.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted an engaging 3-minute video to help establish the brand and introduce the new product.

SOLUTION

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

This was a rush project done during the Coronavirus pandemic. They were able to pull this off in less than 2 months with social distancing and remote management. They did everything from storyboarding to hiring the actress, to shooting and editing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Last year's video won a marketing award. This year we received another compelling video that definitely awards worthy. So far the video has been well received by the public.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

This was a rush project done during the Coronavirus pandemic. They were able to pull this off in less than 2 months with social distancing and remote management. They did everything from storyboarding to hiring the actress, to shooting and editing. Very effective collaboration, regular meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They've got a great creative vision for any project. All around the best video production company we've ever worked with. Their attention to detail, their level of effort, and professionalism are second to none.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

New start up dietary supplement company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparkhouse?

Promo Videos

What were your goals for this project?

Brand awareness

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Through word of mouth

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

We brought our own director on board and they accepted working with him on the project.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

They made many insightful suggestions while working well within our budget for everything, from initial designs to actors and voice-overs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Video well received (just launched)

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They graciously accommodated all the numerous requested changes and we made plenty, down to the very last minute. There was clear communication at all times with everyone on both teams. Everyone who was involved throughout the entire process communicated by email and they were available to conference call when needed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They asked important questions that showed a clear interest in our product and made sure it was communicated well in the final outcome. Most importantly, they made our vision a reality!

Are there any areas for improvement?

Delivery timeline could be improved.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Program Coordinator for the Merage Institute, an education-focused non-profit which aims to stimulate the establishment and growth of Israeli technology-based startup companies. The Merage Institute is committed to promoting trade as a vehicle to economic growth between Israel and the United States.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparkhouse?

We looked to Sparkhouse for support building an introductory video on this year's participating startup companies, and looked for Sparkhouse to take ownership of the project from start to finish.

They researched our participating companies, condensed company mission statements, scripted and recorded voiceovers, added graphics and audio, and in the end gave us a finished product that wove together 18 different startup companies into one cohesive video.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to introduce each startup company, and simplify each company's mission down to the core basics. We wanted the video to be attention-grabbing, informative, and visually appealing/memorable for the audience. We wanted our startup executives to feel proud when seeing their company's mission on sceen.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Sparkhouse was recommended to us by trusted branding and production experts. They were an easy choice.

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

I was most impressed by Sparkhouse's communication throughout the entire video production process. We were kept in the loop at every step, and were given the opportunity to provide feedback and suggestions at every stage.

We could choose the voice that would be our voiceover, choose the background music and transitions, edit the scripting and switch around the visuals. Sparkhouse was very collaborative throughout, and worked with us to meet a very tight deadline.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Extremely open. I thought Frameio worked great for group suggestions and edits to the video drafts, and shared Google docs kept us all on the same page at the same time (literally). Weekly emails were sent with milestones, so there was never a point where I felt like we didn't know what was going on with the project. The entire team was great to work with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our CEO and Founder thought this was one of the best videos we'd put together in years. Now that we know the general workflow, we're excited to work with Sparkhouse again in the future!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Extremely - Sparkhouse was always quick to respond, and never left us hanging for an answer.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their professionalism and responsiveness. Even after the project ended, Sparkhouse went out of their way (above and beyond) to make one last edit for us, and it was extremely appreciated. It's those kinds of personal touches and small details that let you know how much the Sparkhouse team cares about their work, and their relationship with customers.

Are there any areas for improvement?

For our next video, WE will come to the project more prepared with audio-visuals and media to bring more to the collaborative process. I think Sparkhouse did a great job - wouldn't change a thing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Zupo is a SEO consulting agency helping construct powerful long term SEO strategies for our clients. We develop close relationships with our clients to leverage their industry experience with our own intimate knowledge of the search landscape to create truly competitive SEO strategies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparkhouse?

We needed a video marketing strategy to start kicking off the company's launch. We knew SEO, we knew written content, but we did not understand video. Sparkhouse came in and gave us a clearer direction with incorporating video into the ultimate goals we had set for the business.

What were your goals for this project?

Wanted evergreen videos that would help convert prospects and leads who were interacting with the business. Wanted a video that stood out and represented the quality and characteristics of the brand.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Sparkhouse came very heavily recommended. Many agencies and owners of those agencies talked about Sparkhouse before. Ultimately I chose them due to their work in the community. I worked alongside them, saw their work and pulled the trigger.

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

I had the idea, Sparkhouse did everything else. They helped come up with the script, storyboard and the ultimate production. I honestly came in a little unprepared, but Sparkhouse took care of the entire production process. They kept me in line with updates and scheduling. Ultimately they really quarterbacked the project well.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Updated on a weekly basis and hopped on calls for major updates. Worked with their producer and their CEO. Both were involved throughout the process and really facilitated the structure of the engagaement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The marketing for Zupo is just launching and with the videos we have received we have the assets to really go all out with our marketing. The videos have become the central point of our funnels and have really carried the rest of our marketing efforts.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

These guys are productive and efficient. It made me really take a step back and look at my own workflow. Their communication was quick and always responsive.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

You'd think that someone of Sparkhouse's level would only care about ginormous Fortune 500 budgets, but I really felt treated like a big time client with them. They understood my budget, worked with it and treated the budget like it was their own money. Coming into these engagements you are always a little nervous about how the agency will deal with budgets. Sparkhouse really has that empathy and their processes and results really show it.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nope, they are awesome!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the global marketing and public relations manager for IBS Electronics, Inc. An international electronic component distributor and supply chain solution provider. We focus on reducing our customers supply chain complexity while delivering the most innovative products and services on time, every time.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparkhouse?

We hired Sparkhouse to produce and shoot 8 different videos for a few of our team members so our customers and partners could get to know us better.

What were your goals for this project?

To produce high quality professional videos for each team member which Sparkhouse executed perfectly!

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found this vendor online researching local video production companies. We met with them and determined it was a perfect match - appreciated the kind professionalism from their team.

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

We started with an idea and they helped us develop a story and engaging video content that viewers would find interesting and fun to watch. They were very prompt to reply to any questions and always provided excellent feedback. Additionally, on the day of the shoot they were very hospitable to those waiting their turn and were very quick to shoot and complete the project, thank you!

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Weekly goals for them to achieve as milestones and updates along the way, quick response time within hours always. The use of their online video portal that allows us to provide feedback on the clips was excellent and extremely efficient.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All 8 videos were completed within under 2 weeks from the date we filmed them. They were always providing ideas and solutions to improve the video.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Extremely effective, essentially seamless operations.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Quick and professional response time, and dedication to making us comfortable and ensure quality production.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of an early-stage startup. We’re in the first quarter of operations with only five people on staff.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkhouse?

We hired Sparkhouse to create a video presentation that would help us pitch to potential investors, partners, and market players. We needed a short video that would articulate what our startup and product would look like in the future. They say a picture tells a thousand words, but a video can tell a million.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We engaged with Sparkhouse from start to finish to create our video. We had initial sketches and PowerPoints that documented our story. Their team was involved in storyboarding, scriptwriting, and then developing the video itself. They made an animated video that was a little over two minutes.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Spencer (Account Manager & Producer, Sparkhouse), and to some degree, we engaged with Torrey (Founder, Sparkhouse). Directly, I would say between 4–5 people were working on the project.

How did you come to work with Sparkhouse?

We’re tied to an incubator here in Irvine that recommended Sparkhouse. They had worked with them a long time ago, but we selected them because of their proximity. When it comes to creative engagements, I don’t want to work with a company across the country. It’s challenging to meet with them and go over work when there is a significant distance.

How much have you invested with them?

Roughly, we spent between $15,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We kicked off at the end of August 2019. The video was finished within the first week of October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The animation turned out great. Some areas need improvement, but that’s out of their control. We’re thinking about adding voiceovers. The execution and story they created were spot-on. Early on, we didn’t see a lot because of storyboarding and script work. When we saw the first version of the video, we were impressed that Sparkhouse was able to capture the essence of what we intended to do.

Their team put in a lot of effort. I was pleased with the deliverable. Torrey and Spencer’s level of attentiveness and detail were excellent. I’ve worked with other firms where I’ve spent a lot of money, and they didn’t get anywhere close to the work that Sparkhouse delivered.

How did Sparkhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

I much appreciate Sparkhouse’s team. Compared to other firms, they’re top-tier when it comes to the level of transparency and attentiveness.

We had regular communications. Spencer checked in multiple times a week, pushing our end for logo and branding assets, our initial storyboard, and feedback. Even though our offices are 10 miles from each other, we only met once in person for the kickoff meeting. Frequent meetings weren’t necessary because they delivered work and communicated well enough.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was constantly impressed with their ability to execute and their attention to transparency. I also appreciated the frequent communication. As an operations guy, I like timelines. The team at Sparkhouse kept them tight, keeping the project moving. Typically, a lot of firms don’t chase down their clients because they don’t want to bother them. I felt Spencer displayed the perfect balance. Because of that, the deliverable was finished on time and within budget. The results are just great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really can’t see anything. Their communication style is excellent. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with them again in the near future. Ideally, we will work with them next year for the next round of video production. Overall, Sparkhouse did an excellent job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clients need to be prepared and have a vision of what they want. We did a lot of homework on our end, mocking and sketching things out quite a bit. We put in the proper level of investment, and their team responded accordingly, delivering a great product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Teracube. We produce sustainable smartphones and just launched our product on Kickstarter.

Our product reduces the carbon footprint of cellular devices. They come with a four-year warranty. Our thought was, by making them last longer, we reduce the waste of producing new phones at the volumes we do now.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkhouse?

For our launch on Kickstarter, we needed a high-quality video that envisions the value of Teracube. We wanted a creative, funny, professional video that would bring our concept to life.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we asked them to write a humorous script that captures our environmental mission and warranty offering. From there, they were responsible for finding actors, a shooting site, and selecting the crew. After the shoot, they were in charge of editing as well. The team was fully responsible for the creation of the script and the several edits of the final video.

How did you come to work with Sparkhouse?

We received several proposals for the work and looked over many portfolios. After reaching out to Sparkhouse based on the professional quality of their past work, we had a chat with their CEO. Creating a humorous, high-quality video is not an easy task. But, their portfolio combined with our conversation convinced us that they could deliver on it.  

How much have you invested with them?

We paid $25,000 for the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from July–September 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our Kickstarter page has close to 11,000 views and we’re nearing $100,000. People are pre-ordering the phone. While this can’t be directly attributed to the video in full, we feel that they’ve delivered tremendous value, especially because we’re a new brand. Our internal team is also a big fan of the final product. We’ve received great feedback. 

How did Sparkhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

The project window was very short. They pulled the project together super quickly, taking all of our feedback into account. We were super impressed with their team, as well as the actor and staff they hired to be part of the production. They produced something that met our expectations on an accelerated timeline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were super impressed with their casting skills and selections. They auditioned about 30 actors, and they ended up with a great team. My co-founder and I visited the shoot, and we were blown away with the quality of the equipment and the meticulousness of the site. Because of all of that, the final video came out great. Each aspect of the project was managed superbly.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind. We were super impressed with the quality they delivered on such a short timeline. Even if we had more time, I can’t imagine having a better product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of content and creative services in the marketing department at TBC Corporation, a tire industry leader. We have 28 wholesale brands and also own a technology company. We have a portfolio of brands that are all across the United States, some parts of South America, and Europe. TBC Corporation is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkhouse?

We were looking to create an SEO targeted video that would reinforce our Sumitomo brand of tires but could also be used across our brand as a whole. A lot of our companies share a product catalog, so we wanted it to be appropriate across our brands while positioning Sumitomo as a leading brand name.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sparkhouse developed a series of videos for us, a master Sumitomo brand promise video and 10 independent videos. Their team provided us with recommendations, such as created branded channels on YouTube. Our teams went through the somewhat arduous task of laying out all of the content beforehand, so the preproduction work was very extensive.

This ended up streamlining the actual production process, and they’ve completed seven of the videos so far. Sparkhouse animated the master video and created the series of explainer videos, which feature an expert walking the viewer through our products with spliced in product shots. The videos range from explanations of winter, summer, and all-season tires to what tires are best for different vehicles to the anatomy of a tire and how to store them.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Torrey (CEO & Founder, Sparkhouse) and Spencer (Graphic Design, Sparkhouse).

How did you come to work with Sparkhouse?

I worked within my network to figure out if there were any production companies that folks who do what I do would recommend. We ended up looking on Clutch as well, going through the reviews of companies that met the criteria on paper. We sent an RFP to about seven companies, got down to three we really liked, and ultimately decided Sparkhouse was the right way to go.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with Sparkhouse began in December 2018. We anticipated it would take a full year because of the kind of content we’re producing and the number of entities in the industry it has to be vetted by due to safety factors. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While the videos have not yet been published, an internal soft launch has yielded positive feedback. Sparkhouse is right on track with the production schedule and scope laid out at the beginning. It’s one of the smoothest video projects we’ve had, with no scope creep or deadline changes.

Our Sumitomo brand does not have content like this yet so this is a brand new kind of foray into content marketing for them. When we were writing the scripts and going back and forth, they were very thorough. We’re expecting it to be very successful. I’m very pleased with how everything is coming out so far.

How did Sparkhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly Wednesday meetings with the Sparkhouse team. They’re very organized, at times they keep me on schedule. It’s been really easy to work with them from that standpoint. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The tires and automotive industry is often seen as being one-dimensional and it really isn’t. Sometimes that’s hard for people outside of the industry to see until they’re in the market for tires themselves. We needed something outside of the traditional kind of video content because of the amount of competition within the industry, and Sparkhouse understood that. 

They came to us with very unique ideas. It was clear Sparkhouse had spent time looking into our industry and I was very impressed by that. They took a lot of time upfront to really understand our business and our end goal. Even with taking all that time, they’re still right on target schedule-wise.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I think any challenges came from our end. We’ve been impressed by them the entire way. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of 800 Kamerman, a video production company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparkhouse?

My company needed support for various video production projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve done several projects with Sparkhouse, the most recent of which was a commercial. They came up with the idea for the commercial.

What is the team composition?

We work with 7–8 Sparkhouse team members, including a director, a producer, and an executive producer.

How did you come to work with Sparkhouse?

We’ve known each other for a while.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership began in 2013, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They offer the highest quality out there.

How did Sparkhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

Sparkhouse’s team is always super helpful, professional, and personable. They’re knowledgeable about what we’re doing. The team does what they say they’re going to and often outpaces the deadline. They’re organized and easy to work with, and they make these projects fun.

Communication is very good; they let us know what’s going on. We communicate via email, texts, and phone calls. They’re good about getting back to us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Sparkhouse is very reasonably priced in relation to the high quality that they deliver. They’re an excellent partner that we trust completely; there’s nobody I’d rather work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any I can think of.

Any advice for potential customers?

They’re very accommodating of first-time clients who haven’t done any video production or marketing work. They provide guidance and let your ideas flourish. The team does an excellent job translating the client’s idea into the final product.