TopLine Film

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of marketing at Cambridge Online Education, which is a business unit of Cambridge University Press.

What challenge were you trying to address with TopLine Film?

We were launching brand new online courses for professionals, and we partnered with TopLine Film to provide all of our promotional videos.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The TopLine Film team produced an amazing brand video for us, which we used to launch our new courses. They then assisted with filming academics on-site at Cambridge University and edited the footage to create trailer videos for our courses. Their team also produced shorter versions of those trailers suitable for our social media promotion.

What is the team composition?

Our primary contact is Jamie (Managing Director). He has a full crew that helps with the on-site filming.

How did you come to work with TopLine Film?

It was a recommendation from a colleague who works in our brand and communications team for other projects that we’ve launched at Cambridge University Press. He had a positive experience collaborating with TopLine Film and recommended them to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around £50,000 for the entirety of the project (approximately $70,500 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2021, and we’ll continue to collaborate for the next 12 months.

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

We successfully launched our brand video, and some senior stakeholders loved it. In terms of specific metrics, the video has been watched over 4,600 times on YouTube alone, so we’re looking at over 6,000 views across all platforms. The course trailers are still in process; therefore, we don’t have any metrics yet.

From my perspective, Jamie brought our ideas to life perfectly. We trusted them to come up with something cool and creative, and they did exactly that. Jamie impressed us with his immediate understanding of what we were looking for.

How did TopLine Film perform from a project management standpoint?

We have quite an aggressive timeline, but they’ve been amazing at meeting deadlines every time. In the beginning, we had a few meetings to discuss deadlines and all of the creative aspects. We’re not in touch over email due to the time difference, but we call Jamie whenever we need to speak to him. He’s been very proactive and responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their creativity impresses me. Also, the level of professionalism of the editing and production values is impeccable. They listened to our thoughts and collected them into professional videos. We only have praise for them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything; we’re happy with the results.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be intimidated by approaching a video production company. We had some reservations at first, but they were extremely flexible and managed to produce something according to our budget. Just reach out and be proactive in contacting them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We have an inspection app and web platform that enables your teams to deliver any inspection, survey or questionnaire digitally. It is owned and managed by the company - the data-driven solutions provider for the UK housing sector.

I am the company's Communications Manager and am responsible for delivering our external and internal communications, including promotional campaigns.

For what projects/services did your company hire TopLine Film?

We approached Topline to create an ‘explainer’ demonstration to sell in the operational and strategic benefits of the app, as well as outline its key features and how they work.

What were your goals for this project?

The aim of the project was to support lead generation for our inhouse app team. The video sells the product concept to gauge interest so that those who liaise directly with the team understand the product and what it could help their organisation to deliver, so that they are ‘warmer’ leads.

How did you select TopLine Film?

I approached a total of 8 companies to provide proposals with a brief to include the following:

• Why your agency is the right fit for this project
• Relevant portfolio work
• Production plan and timeline
• Detailed budget breakdown
• Client revision process

The four shortlisted companies were then scored against our criteria. We chose TopLine as they met all our requirements, but what clinched it against others was their understanding of our brief, the quality of the proposal and the strong initial communication.

We were real blown away by their approach. Additionally they provided fantastic portfolio of work including UI elements which was important to us and the success of the project.

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

Once we appointed TopLine, a full schedule of work was provided. We worked with them to develop the concept and script and they worked on the initial look and feel of the animation.

When the script was agreed, we were sent a selection of professional voice over artists to choose the right fit for us as well as a selection of music. Topline worked with the technical product owner to capture the required graphics for the UI elements.

TopLine provided the first draft of the storyboard, and after some small revisions we gave the go ahead for animation to start. We had several clear opportunities to feed back changes and were delighted with the finished result.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We were provided with a clear schedule of work when we appointed TopLine, this included the sign off timeframes/requirements from us. During the project delivery we were in regular contact.

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

We are yet to do a full launch of the video to our targeted audience, but the initial reaction has been extremely positive and it was well received internally.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was clear throughout including a detailed schedule and single point of contact. I felt well informed, confident about delivery and in good hands!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was really blown away by their understanding of the brief, the detail of their proposal and just the quality of their work. Communication throughout has been clear and responsive and it was an enjoyable process. They've been helpful, flexible and professional.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing to add!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Alacrity Law. We’re a legal relationship management platform that helps organizations get more value from their legal service providers.

What challenge were you trying to address with TopLine Film?

We had a couple of challenges when we decided to bring TopLine on board. We needed content for an exhibition and our website to explain to people what we do.

What was the scope of their involvement?

TopLine created a 90-second explainer video. It was an animated video that we published on our website. They also helped us hire voice talent.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project lead, an animator, and a voice actor.

How did you come to work with TopLine Film?

My director of operations found TopLine.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $7,500 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We kicked off the project in September and finished it in October 2020.

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

We haven’t tracked quantitative results yet. Those will come a bit later. However, we’ve asked people if they enjoyed the video, and they do. That’s the key result.

How did TopLine Film perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly communicated via phone calls and emails. They were knowledgeable and took charge of the process. When we were stuck, their team gave us sage advice. Ultimately, TopLine got the project over the finish line.

What did you find most impressive about them?

TopLine took a disparate set of ideas and gave them cohesion. They used their experience to talk through what did and didn’t work in animation. To start, we had a grandiose plan. They helped us pare it back to make sure we had a good product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we were happy with our experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be afraid to throw ideas at the wall and be creative. TopLine will guide you.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the project manager for Something More Near. It’s a creative agency based in London.

What challenge were you trying to address with TopLine Film?

We needed help producing a demo video to describe and promote a CRM for our client.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave them some illustrations we had done for another client.
They made suggestions, such as voice-overs for certain parts of the video. They produced a demo video.

What is the team composition?

Jamie (Managing Director) was my main point of contact. I also interacted with an editor briefly.

How did you come to work with TopLine Film?

They were a top result of my Google search for video companies with demo video experience. I liked the work I saw on their website, and reached out to them. 

How much have you invested with them?

A little more than £6,000 (approximately $8,000).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July–September 2020.

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

The client was very pleased with the quality of the video, that the brief was nailed, and that it was delivered early. Overall, we were very happy with the quality of the final product.

How did TopLine Film perform from a project management standpoint?

They were available and responsive and finished ahead of schedule. We communicated via phone, email, and text. They were very collaborative, discussing the project with our client and making improvement suggestions to them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They quickly understood the brief, and gave good feedback. They produced a high-quality product that we were very happy to deliver to our client.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clearly present your brief at the beginning. That will help them give an accurate cost.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Senior Marketing Executive at BSI. My team works for a standards subscription-based product named BSOL.

For what projects/services did your company hire TopLine Film?

An animated explainer/educational video about corporate governance standards. Which ones are good to apply across an organization departments.

What were your goals for this project?

Lead generation.

How did you select this vendor?

Found them online. Good quality of work and proactive.

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

TopLine film generated a 3minutes second and a short one for social media. The process was organized, they had a lot of patience and made the right changed proactively.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Good and friendly.

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

We just launched the campaign, but so far numbers are good. The video is on a landing page which has a pretty decent bounce rate and a good number of leads have been generated. The campaign will keep running for 3 more weeks.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Good and easy.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were very happy to answer all my questions and do all the requested amends. Very patient with the client.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It would be great to get more updates on the "next steps" delivery dates. But it was not an issue.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the operations manager for the Central Bedfordshire Council. The council maintains a housing registry and deals with rehousing, homelessness, and property care.

What challenge were you trying to address with TopLine Film?

We were looking to produce short explainer videos. We thought that videos would be a good format to convey the information we wanted to share.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I’ve only been involved for the last six months (and not from the beginning) because I took over for my manager. Once we collected information from our different internal divisions, we got in touch with TopLine and sent them a script. What followed was a conversation about how to further sharpen the script. We communicated to them which parts were essential and which could be scrapped.

We then moved into storyboarding to determine the best animations and voices. They provided us with robust industry guidance. For instance, although we wanted to maintain a lot of our information, they kindly reminded us that the usual attention span preferred something short. We went back and forth between our teams until we finalized the content of each video.

What is the team composition?

20–30 people worked with us to produce six videos.

How did you come to work with TopLine Film?

I believe we found them through a tender. They had already been selected when I entered the scene.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent somewhere around $90,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I worked with them from May 2017–January 2020.

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

TopLine Film successfully produced the films, which are now live on our YouTube account. The views on each video vary depending on their relevance—for instance, a video about domestic tensions has fewer views than the video explaining housing application procedures. Overall, we’ve received great feedback about how professional the videos are, and our internal teams are also happy.

The videos have visualized much of the information that was previously displayed in text on our site, so the website looks much cleaner. We’re curious to see if the enlightening videos will reduce call volume, but it’s too early to tell.

How did TopLine Film perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. If there were any delays, they were on our side, because our organization is segmented into teams that have to communicate with one another. We didn’t experience any issues otherwise. When we requested a change, they were quick to implement and bring in a new version. They also kept us in the loop for all developments.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very professional and transparent. The team patiently explained why some of the information had to be cut down, due to audience expectations. They also had their own suggestions and were easy to work with all around.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so. They’re a great company, and working with them has been a breeze. They kept us involved and informed, so there were no problems at all.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d trust their knowledge and processes. They work to discern the client’s goals and delineate the client’s target audience. They’re experts in their field, so I’d urge you to go ahead and work with them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a Marketing Manager for a leading publisher. We publish scientific and scholarly journals, books and reference works, as well as offering a range of educational solutions.

What challenge were you trying to address with TopLine Film?

We wanted to produce 14 videos showcasing leading journals across an array of subject areas and locations.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Topline was thoroughly briefed about the requirements of the videos and how they would be used to strengthen the journal brands, along with the details that we needed to capture. 

In addition, our team wanted to showcase our company, presenting us as a leading publisher alongside presenting the 14 journals in the spotlight. Their team came back with an initial concept that demonstrated the best way to accomplish our goals within our budget, suggesting some of the styles and the format.

The pieces were not scripted, they were Q&A based. The producer worked with us to build on the questions and content we wanted to capture based on our brief to form a solid narrative for each. Their team took the time to talk with each Editor featured in the video about their journal to gain insight and identify ways to steer the conversation on the day of filming, tailoring their approach and style to accommodate each individual and make them 'shine' and capture our key messages for each.

What is the team composition?

The original project was kicked-off with Jamie Field (Managing Director) and Sian Evans (Senior Producer). I also worked with Tim Phillips who helped with Editing etc. On each shoot, Sian and 2 other crew members were present.

How did you come to work with TopLine Film?

The partnership was arranged before the project was handed over to me.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost £45,000 (approximately $58,100 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–September 2019.

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

It has been fantastic to draw out and capture the information needed to complete the project and get the best message across. All the immediate stakeholders who have seen the videos have been happy with the finished pieces. They really went out of their way to make sure we had what we needed. Everyone has been impressed with the videos. They delivered everything originally requested and more within budget. 

How did TopLine Film perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via email and calls. TopLine Films followed the agendas and met all the deadlines that we needed to hit. Their team was fantastic at making sure we met benchmarks, which made me feel comfortable handing over elements of the project. They were handled well and professionally.

I was happy with their project management. There were times we needed over and above what we’d initially asked for and they were more than happy to oblige by that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

TopLine Films was enthusiastic. Their team was able to take our brief and roll with it.

At times when our visions weren’t aligned, they stepped back and listened to us as the customer. They interpreted and implemented our feedback, adhering to our goals for the videos.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend working with them. Take their experience and what they do. They have some really great suggestions. Make sure you’re clear what you want as well. It was a learning curve for me, but they were fantastic at bringing me through that.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the client director for SK financial. We focus on helping clients build a financial plan to achieve their financial and personal goals, and then we monitor that plan.

What challenge were you trying to address with TopLine Film?

We wanted to invest in showing our key clients, contacts, and others more about our company in a video.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve been engaged with the project from the start. We wanted the film to be from a client’s perspective on why they use our services, what they like about us, and what our culture is like. Our goal was to build a relationship with our partners. We filmed on location at a vineyard in Kent.

What is the team composition?

Sian (Senior Producer, TopLine Film) was our main point of contact, but we also worked with Jamie (Managing Director, TopLine Film) and a few freelancers.

How did you come to work with TopLine Film?

One of my colleagues researched film companies and came up with a shortlist. We were impressed by TopLine Film’s content. They’ve also worked with our accountancy service and one of our competitors. Visually, we felt like they could deliver what we wanted even though they were more expensive.

How much have you invested with them?

£5,000 (approx. $6,500)

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from July–August 2019.

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

Internally, everyone loved the video, and we’ve received positive feedback from clients. I was very impressed with the quality of the film and thought it was the perfect length. They delivered what we wanted and demonstrated how we wanted to come across as a brand. If we were going to do another shoot, the only thing I would change would be to feature people from our own team so we would be more recognizable for our clients.

How did TopLine Film perform from a project management standpoint?

Management was tip-top. We generally communicated via email. We were impressed by Jamie’s tenacity. He was hungry, yet approachable, and always swift to respond to emails. They stuck to our budget without compromising quality. I have nothing but good stuff to say about their team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by the quality of their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Again, I would like to include someone from our company just to help with familiarity.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared but remain adaptable. They know what they’re doing and will guide you. You just need to brief them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing manager at a home servicing company.

What challenge were you trying to address with TopLine Film?

We needed to create a digital video for our social media marketing activities.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created digital campaign videos and supported our social media accounts, including YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. The videos are lifestyle videos. One of them is showcasing the brand concept, and the second one was an extension of the branding concept that presents a special offer for our prospective clients. TopLine comes up with everything from the creative concept to scripting, filming, casting, and securing a location.

What is the team composition?

There were 12–15 people. My main point of contact was Sian (Senior Producer, TopLine Film), but my first point of contact was Jamie (Managing Director, TopLine Film).

How did you come to work with TopLine Film?

We did a basic search and looked through company portfolios. We liked most of the videos that TopLine Film created. They took part in a pitch, and they created an excellent sample for us. We liked their creative concept and idea and eventually chose to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September until October 2019.

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

The video has only been up for two days, and we’re just observing. It’s hard to measure the direct impact when it comes to brand awareness. We run all of the available measurements, like Google Surveys. 

We don’t have a final result yet, but everybody loved the videos. It’s our first creative asset of this kind. We’re very happy with the work and the level of support we received throughout the project. We plan to work with TopLine for future projects.  

How did TopLine Film perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management is great. They’re very responsive and patient. We’re in the compliance business, and everything has to be compliant by FCA, which can be frustrating for vendors. They’re very cooperative and good about working within tight deadlines. We communicated mostly via email and sometimes over the phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re professional, and they deliver high-quality work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There wasn’t a single thing I had reason to complain about.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I don’t have any advice.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing officer at Foothold, a worldwide nonprofit. We’re known as a benevolence fund for the IT world. The company caters to engineers if they ever need legal help, well-being support, assistance with adapting to new living situations, etc.

What challenge were you trying to address with TopLine Film?

Our senior management team realized we needed to rebrand because we didn’t really connect with the people we were helping. The services were only reaching our existing membership. We wanted to open it up to more engineers. We needed a strategy that was punchy, lively and usable to consistently promote our new brand. Eventually, we decided to create a new video to tell people who we are.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They made our animated brand video. The marketing manager determined it had to be less than a minute and contain certain keywords. We didn’t use any still images or additional videos. It was created purely through graphic design elements, mainly consisting of kinetic typography and the inclusion of icons and graphics.

The video is intended for our website, which is currently under construction. We’re displaying it on our interim landing page.

What is the team composition?

I worked with 2–3 people. My primary contact went back and forth between our team and theirs I don’t know how many people worked on the video in total.

How did you come to work with TopLine Film?

TopLine Film was shortlisted before I joined the organization. We went with them because we saw their previous work and knew it was in line with what we wanted to do. When we spoke to them, they really listened to what we were saying.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May until October 2019.

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

The video is being shown to a lot of our trustees and stakeholders on our website and on social media. We wanted it to showcase who we are, and it does that well.

It’s been very well received internally. There were a few people that weren’t really fond of the new identity, but they really got a sense of everything coming together once the video went live. The reviews have all been positive. The video had a big impact in convincing people the rebranding project was worth it.

We’ve shared it on different mediums so that when people find our pages, it's the first thing that they see. The video has been well-received on social media. It gives a concise snapshot of who we are and what we do. From our name alone, you wouldn’t understand who we are, but the video successfully conveys our message to the viewer.

How did TopLine Film perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management was brilliant. Although we try to have firm deadlines, sometimes things can’t be accounted for. For example, there was one occasion where we needed an update and one of the team members was on holiday. They moved back the deadline from Friday to Monday.

However, for the most part, they were punctual, responsive, and understanding of what we wanted. Even when we got their drafts back and said we went something changed, they said it was brilliant. They’d also give us suggestions to consider. They’re really responsive and made the whole experience quite easy. We communicated by email in the latter stages. In the middle stages, we talked via phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re professional. They don’t sell you dreams and embellish. Their team won’t create scenarios for you that make your life a lot difficult. Tell them what you’re after and they’ll give you suggestions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they did exactly what we needed. They were brilliant.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as detailed as possible. The more detail you provide, the better the process will be.