Films made with passion, insight & artistry
Vermillion Films is an award-winning creative film production company that sits comfortably between being an agency where we do our own creative and a straight up production company bringing other people's ideas to life.
We make films for clients across a range of sectors with a particular focus on tech startups and scaleups, as well as more traditional work in sport, agriculture, the arts, defence, construction, energy, FMCG, professional services, rail and FTSE250 clients, as well as the advertising, marketing and digital agencies that support them.
2 Languages
- English
- French
5 Timezones
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headquarters
other locations
Video Production for Ads for Distillery
the project
"The videos are exactly what we were looking for."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder and CEO of a distillery that makes single malt whiskey and gin.
What challenge were you trying to address with Vermillion Films?
I had been looking for someone to be the video voice of our company. We were doing great print and social media work, but we didn’t have enough video content to support our marketing efforts.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They’ve produced several videos for us so far, but we’re working on forming a long term partnership with them. I shared my ideas with them and they came back with several fun and unique video concepts.
He’s produced three videos. One for our single malt whiskey, one for our gin, and one for a new product we haven’t launched yet. Our producer filmed the videos at his home since it was done during the COVID-19 shelter in place period.
What is the team composition?
Lee (Director) was my main point of contact. He has a larger team including voiceover artists, filmers, and editors.
How did you come to work with Vermillion Films?
I found them online and saw that they were located in the same area as us. I liked the idea of working with another local business.
How much have you invested with them?
So far, we’ve invested several thousand British pounds.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began our ongoing engagement with them at the end of March 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
It’s really important that we drive up online sales since our distilleries and brick-and-mortar stores are closed. We don’t have any specific success metrics yet, but we’re really happy with their work. The videos are exactly what we were looking for. I’m happy that I found the right team for me and I’m excited to continue our relationship.
How did Vermillion Films perform from a project management standpoint?
They have an excellent turnaround time. It took them less than a week to produce our first video.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They're the answer to what we were lacking as a firm. I feel that we’re going to have a great relationship with them for years to come.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I haven’t found anything that’s been lacking in the slightest.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I would tell other people not to settle for less when it comes to finding a vendor. This team is proof that there are amazing vendors out there.
Focus
Portfolio
AGCO, JCB, Polar, Jaguar Land Rover, MTR Elizabethline, London Overground, Govia Thameslink Railway, Glide, Javelin Block, Cisco, Jacobs, Gensler, Team Sky, Chivas Regal, Mailbox., Hipcamp, Future Foundry, GS-Yuasa
Lockdown Viral Ad
Cotswolds Distillery was initially set up to make whisky. However, to make whisky you need time and money. So they started making gin too. When the Coronavirus outbreak began to take hold and restaurants, bars and hotels the distillery decided that now was the time to sharpen their skills in online advertising direct to the consumer.
Our brief was to shoot some online adverts for them.
During a period when it was pretty hard to shoot adverts.
Gin advertising has really tended towards the quaint and safe. Fortunately, the people of the Cotswolds, and the distillery have a wry sense of humour and they were open to a slightly anarchic approach.
This link is one of three films that were variations on the same creative. They were different enough to be interesting. But also similar enough to be clearly from the same drinks advertising campaign. As online video was a new area for the distillery this was a test for them. So we were asked to see what results could be achieved from a relatively modest budget.
We’d be genuinely proud of these films if we’d made them under normal circumstances. But having come up with something that the client loves and has been so well received under lockdown conditions is a source of great pride for us.
These three films were shot in our studio in Birmingham. We had a crew of two. Lee Kemp was Creative Director, Copywriter, Producer, Director, First AD, Set Dresser and Catering. James Barnett was the Director of Photography, camera department, focus puller, grip and dolly grip.
We got the call from Dan to go ahead at about lunchtime on Wednesday 8th April. We shot on Thursday 9th April. Post production on Friday 10th. The first film was live on Saturday 11th April.
Sense of Wonder Commercial
There's nothing quite a child's curiousity and capacity for wonder. That was the key to this TV commercial for Japanese battery manufacturer GS-Yuasa. Although well-known in Japan the company wanted to increase brand awareness in the UK. Despite being mostly known for manufacturing car and motorbike batteries the brief was much broader as GS-Yuasa batteries can be found almost everywhere, including under the sea in submarines and in space on the International Space Station.
The ad and photography campaign was shot over 2 days across the West Midlands.
Co-op Membership App TVC
This TV commercial was produced for Co-op to help promote their Membership and app.
Working with creative provided by agency ITG we were able to develop the right approach to create a commercial that sold the benefits of the app and membership within the tight timeframe of a 30" TVC.
There are always some fun and interesting challenges with creating a commercial like this. As a production agency we took care of every aspect from story-boarding onwards through to final delivery, providing different versions for social media and online as well as managing the Clearcast process for TV to ensure it was fit and proper for television broadcast.
The location obviously needed to be a Co-op store but we couldn't close a store for a whole day. It's not just lost revenue but the stores are vital fixtures in the local community and Co-op takes this responsibility seriously. So we worked to a compressed time-frame with a very early start.
A particularly fun challenge here was getting the right performance. When it comes down to it looking at an app and picking things off shelves are things we tend to do without a lot of expression on our faces, which doesn't really work in a commercial. But conversely, weird amounts of delight when buying bread don't either. So finding a good middle ground, that pleased everyone, was a particularly nuanced trick and shout out to actress Charlene Tyler for nailing it.
High End Product Film
Samuel Heath manufacture very high quality bathroom fittings and they wanted a series of films that show the incredible high quality of their products and the process that goes into them. The end result was a series of short films for social media, 5 of which featured products and 3 showed the processes.
The shoot for the product films was ambitious and highly technically challenging with very high contrast, highly reflective surfaces, a long clean up time between takes and a seemingly infinite amount of dust. But it was also immense fun and exactly the sort of shoot that's incredible fun to do.
What is Innnovation?
"We were blown away by Vermillion's understanding of the brief, their creative approach, and pragmatism."
On top of those lovely words, Future Foundry, an innovation service for large organisations, explained to us that the film explains their value proposition so well that it's efficiently streamlined their prospecting so they're not wasting time on calls with people who would never buy.
We've received a number of recommendations off the back of this piece of work and it's been utilised internally at several large organisations as a way of explaining how innovation can be implemented.
Plus it was really good fun to make.
Better
To create a brand video that explains the brand positioning for brand Agency Orb. We need to use the word ‘brand’ in this case study a lot! Orb are a long standing client of ours. We’ve produced some of our favourite work for them that you'll find elsewhere on Clutch. They also did the brand work for our favourite startup film that we created for Future Foundry. Orb had been working on their new brand positioning for a while but the release schedule had to be moved up significantly when a marketing stunt they did on LinkedIn went seriously viral. After a brief on their new brand positioning we were tasked with creating a brand video that responded to that viral stunt and explained their new brand positioning. They gave us about a week.
Orb’s new brand positioning is as simple as it is elegant. It’s all based around the word ‘better’. Performance marketing is a strategy that allows you to test and adjust what works, consistently improving and refining. It is the ‘marginal gains‘ mentality of elite sport. Better may seem simple, even obvious, but since this model of ‘big ideas, continuously improved, has been articulated, adopted and embraced within the agency it has catapulted Orb’s growth.
Based on a presentation from the Orb team about their brand positioning we pitched a brand video that articulated and embraced ‘Better’ within the video itself. Working closely with their creative team we developed a concept where the film itself becames better over time. A little tongue in cheek and poking fun at agencies as a whole.
Love Sport?
Love sport?
Creating showreels gives us the opportunity to do something fast and fun. Winning the tender to create Sotic's sports showreel meant the gloves could come off and we could do something a little bit rambunctious and energetic.
Sotic are the #1 digital sports agency in the UK they drove us pretty hard to create something that reflected this, plus we had to navigate a lot of video licensing fun so check it out to see if you think we managed it.
Javelin Block
**WINNER** Royal Television Society - Best Promotional Film
As featured on the front page of www.adsoftheworld.com
This film, Holy Ground, was created for Javelin Block, the company leading Birmingham's rampaging renaissance, recycling corners of Birmingham's proud industrial heritage into authentic yet modern industrial property.
We're proud of all of our work, but every now and again a project comes along that reinforces all the reasons we got into making films in the first place.
Stuart Holt, principal of Javelin Block, gave us great freedom to create a film that celebrates the history of the original Comet Works buildings whilst retaining the spirit and ambition of a company that recently featured in a Wall Street Journal piece.
The buildings were previously a metal works, motorcycle factory then a munitions factory during WW2. The film features an original 1920s motorcycle that was actually manufactured in the building and genuine .303 calibre ammunition from the war. The cast included an owl called Alan and actor John Marquez bringing serious gravitas to the role of Narrator that's a world away from his PC Penhale in TV's Doc Martin.
Shot on Red Epic with Lomo Anamorphic lenses this was a real passion project and we're incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew.
Fullers London Pride - #RunWithPride Rugby
Fuller's London Prider was the official beer of the London Marathon. This is a particularly creative approach to the idea that even if you're not drinking much during the marathon, your supporters will be.
JCB Customer Support
This film was created to sit on JCB's huge stand at the 2019 Agritechnica Show in Germany. The screen had been designed to be incredibly wide. We decided to make the very wide aspect ratio a feature of the film. Shot on location in the UK and the USA.
Glide - Typical Student
A promotional film for Glide Utilities that explores the differences between outdated stereotypes of students and the modern reality of higher education.
This was a really fun shoot that we conceived in early December, shot on 3rd/4th January and signed off on 10th January. A very fast turnaround andwe're really happy with the result and grateful to the cast and crew for helping us turn this one around in double quick time.
Shot on Arri Alexa Mini with Ultraprimes care of Media Dog Manchester.
Mailbox Autumn Campaign
Short promotional film for the Mailbox, Birmingham's premiere shopping centre full of high end fashion and lifestyle brands. One of the most enjoyable shoots we've done in a long time.
A highly technical shoot to match different sets and movements between them.
Polar M400 Product Launch Film
Shot in San Francisco so promote the launch of the new Polar M400.
Let's Reinvent Childcare
tiney is a rapidly growing startup launched by the founders of Teach First and Graze that's reinventing early years childcare. This was one of a series of films used to educate audiences, raise awareness and to successfully raise venture capital funding.
A love letter to camping
A love letter to camping...
US Venture backed company Hipcamp "unlocks access to private land for camping and outdoor recreation" kind of like AirBnb for the outdoors. Following their acquisition of UK based Cool Camping, adding 25k new sites to their portfolio, we were asked to create a brand awareness film that celebrates camping.
Shot in beautiful Pembrokeshire we had a couple of days of absolutely glorious sunshine which presented its own problems because we couldn't sell camping in the UK without just a little bit of rain. We solved this with a bit of creative thinking and prep from a hardware store.
The result received fantastic feedback from the client and was key to the successful UK launch. The client review is available here on Clutch.
Reviews
the project
Video Production for Television Ad
“We got exactly what we needed for a reasonable cost.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the senior account director for an integrated creative agency.
What challenge were you trying to address with Vermillion Films?
We needed to produce a TV ad with a very tight turnaround, but our resources were at capacity. We hired Vermillion Films to take over some of the work to ensure that we met the client’s deadline.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They took over the production part of the project, so that included location scouting, casting, and director’s treatments. Organizing each of these elements, they handled the usage costs for talent. Before filming, they brought all of the teams together and provided a plan for the day. Then they directed and shot the ad.
What is the team composition?
We worked with three people.
How did you come to work with Vermillion Films?
Our head of production had an existing relationship with them and recommended them to me.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent about £25,000 (approximately $34,000 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
The project began in September 2020 and ended in November.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The ad was very successful. Vermillion Films absolutely nailed it. Working with them reduced our stress and ensured that the ad was delivered on-time. We got exactly what we needed for a reasonable cost.
How did Vermillion Films perform from a project management standpoint?
They generally responded quickly to our needs.
What did you find most impressive about them?
It was very easy to work with them. They integrated with our team very well; it felt like a natural partnership.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They don’t need to change anything.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
New clients should try to facilitate a collaborative relationship with them.
the project
Annual Video Campaigns for Shared Utilities Company
"We’re consistently impressed with Vermillion Film’s ability to take our concepts and bring them to life."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the marketing manager at Glide Utilities. We are a utility company that provides utilities for houses of multiple occupancies. We’ve been operating for around 13 years now and are one of the leaders in what we do.
What challenge were you trying to address with Vermillion Films?
We needed to create videos for our B2C promotional campaign. Throughout the year, we run integrated campaigns through both an awareness and conversion phase depending on the time of year.
What was the scope of their involvement?
When Vermillion Films starts a project, we give the team a brief idea of what we’re looking for, and what the theme of the campaign will be. They then create a few ideas of how we can best portray our message through that theme and bring them back to us for discussion. Each of our videos is scripted, and they include animation work. Their concepts match the theme of the current campaign. When the filming is complete, Vermillion Films handles all of the post-production work, including editing and formatting. In the end, each main video is around roughly two minutes long, and we get small clips taken from the main video.
What is the team composition?
We have two main contacts, though we interact with many people. Generally, we work with Alan (Creative Producer) who is our point person. We also work with Lee (Managing Director). The size of the rest of the team varies depending on what part of the project we’re in, though during shoots there are runners, cameramen, scriptwriters, and sound people involved.
How did you come to work with Vermillion Films?
One of our colleagues had worked with them in a previous role, and they referred Vermillion Films to us. After meeting with a few other production companies, we decided they were the best fit for us.
How much have you invested in them?
We’ve spent about £100,000 (approximately $124,000 USD) so far.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working with them in 2017, and our relationship is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
After our first campaign went extremely well, we decided to continue our relationship with Vermillion Films. The team was professional and easy to work with, and they produced an end result that was exactly what we wanted, which made the decision to continue collaborating easy.
All of the videos Vermillion Films produce receive excellent feedback. One of the videos, that we launched in January, has over 1,000,000 100% video views, which means people are watching it from start to end. Generally speaking, we see high engagement rates, which speaks volumes to the concept and audience interacting with it. We’re really pleased with the results we see from the team’s work. We’re consistently impressed with Vermillion Film’s ability to take our concepts and bring them to life.
How did Vermillion Films perform from a project management standpoint?
They’re always really clear. Having worked with them for the third year, they understand us, how we work, and what we want. They’re also really quick in terms of how quickly they come back with their proposal and, in turn, bring that proposal to fruition. I guess they have a good team behind the scenes.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They have clear communication, quick turnaround, and deliver quality work. We also appreciate that Vermillion Films allows us to get as involved as we want and invites us to the shoots so we can be there on production day.
In general, we’re really pleased with the quality and end result, and we’ve really enjoyed working with them.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t have any feedback on what they can do to improve because they have been really good for us.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I would definitely recommend Vermillion Films, and I have recommended them to other companies. They’re easy to work with and are extremely personable. They can talk to you on your level without having to talk about all the technical jargon behind video production.
Be really clear with the brief. The clearer you are, the better the proposal, and the better the interpretation that Vermillion Films can deliver.
the project
Video Production for Ads for Distillery
"The videos are exactly what we were looking for."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder and CEO of a distillery that makes single malt whiskey and gin.
What challenge were you trying to address with Vermillion Films?
I had been looking for someone to be the video voice of our company. We were doing great print and social media work, but we didn’t have enough video content to support our marketing efforts.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They’ve produced several videos for us so far, but we’re working on forming a long term partnership with them. I shared my ideas with them and they came back with several fun and unique video concepts.
He’s produced three videos. One for our single malt whiskey, one for our gin, and one for a new product we haven’t launched yet. Our producer filmed the videos at his home since it was done during the COVID-19 shelter in place period.
What is the team composition?
Lee (Director) was my main point of contact. He has a larger team including voiceover artists, filmers, and editors.
How did you come to work with Vermillion Films?
I found them online and saw that they were located in the same area as us. I liked the idea of working with another local business.
How much have you invested with them?
So far, we’ve invested several thousand British pounds.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began our ongoing engagement with them at the end of March 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
It’s really important that we drive up online sales since our distilleries and brick-and-mortar stores are closed. We don’t have any specific success metrics yet, but we’re really happy with their work. The videos are exactly what we were looking for. I’m happy that I found the right team for me and I’m excited to continue our relationship.
How did Vermillion Films perform from a project management standpoint?
They have an excellent turnaround time. It took them less than a week to produce our first video.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They're the answer to what we were lacking as a firm. I feel that we’re going to have a great relationship with them for years to come.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I haven’t found anything that’s been lacking in the slightest.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I would tell other people not to settle for less when it comes to finding a vendor. This team is proof that there are amazing vendors out there.
the project
Short Film for Recent University Applicants
“They listened to who we are and understood the message we wanted to get across.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I was the head of a university.
What challenge were you trying to address with Vermillion Films?
It was around trying to engage with students that were applying to University but hadn’t made their minds up about which institution they wanted to go to. We wanted to engage with those students by selling them on the experience through a video.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We focused on what our mission and vision. We have strong beliefs, and we knew exactly what we wanted our students to be like. We do things differently, we break things and put them together in a new way, we’re unique, and the film was about capturing that experience.
We took that to Vermillion Films, and they created an experience. It was all live action, and it was about two minutes long. They also handled all the post-production.
Some of our media students were able to help as well , which was a great experience for them. That was a big positive.
What is the team composition?
From Vermillion Films, there were about 5–6 team members.
How did you come to work with Vermillion Films?
I’ve been in media for a while, and I’ve always known good teams in the area.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent just under 10,000
What is the status of this engagement?
We started in January 2019 and we got the final product in March that year.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
I’ve been working in universities for about ten years now, and the first time I shared a film at an opening day and the audience clapped afterwards. I was a little bit shocked by that, but obviously it resonates with the message we were trying to sell. So, it went quite well.
How did Vermillion Films perform from a project management standpoint?
It was very smooth. We had no major problems. The team worked really well with the students—of course, that can pose challenges, but the arrangement went smoothly. We had a lot to do, but they got it all done.
We initially communicated over email throughout production, but then we had a viewing and we gave them a few comments. Then they did a final edit.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They listened to who we are and understood the message we wanted to get across. That was quite important. We had a clear view of what we wanted, and they knew that. The results were authentic, and I think that’s why the project was so well-received.
Are there any areas they could improve?
The one day of filming was very long. We just had so much to do. I could have said that we could leave things here and there, but I didn’t want to compromise on anything. So, I guess we can’t change too much.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Get them in really early at the start of that process. Communicate who you are, so if you can work with them, you can ensure that the film is authentic. That’s a great bonus.
the project
Video Production for Agricultural Machinery Manufacturer
"The amount of effort they go through to get the job done professionally, accurately, and within budget is impressive."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am responsible for the digital marketing of after-sales for AGCO, a global manufacturer of agricultural machinery, in the Europe and Middle East regions.
What challenge were you trying to address with Vermillion Films?
The central marketing team for one of our tractor brands is going around Europe for one to two weeks at a time where they will invite customers and dealers to try the machines. This will hopefully convert some of the competitor’s customers.
After-sales, as it is in the car industry, is very important to the customer when they are purchasing a machine. The backup and support they receive after making their purchase are incredibly important. It’s our job to get the message across to the customer about the services they will receive once they have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on new machinery.
I was tasked with coming up with a 20-minute presentation that will be presented to a relatively small group of customers, four times a day, five days a week across Europe in multiple languages in the middle of a field. We needed help with creating the video and presentation, which is why we hired Vermillion Films.
What was the scope of their involvement?
After giving them a brief, Vermillion Films came up with some great ideas for the project. They then filmed the entire service offering from after-sales in one journey. I gave the team a list of 2–3 farms that they could visit, and they contacted the farm managers themselves and organized the visits. Sometimes I accompanied them and other times, I didn’t. That’s because they had a very good understanding of what they needed from a visual point of view, whereas I have expertise in the brand.
On top of coming up with a great location, they liaised with our local dealers and organized the machinery, film crew, and scenery. They also recruited people to come and build elements when needed. The video covered the training of our apprentices and our technicians, extended warranty contracts and renovation of slightly older machines. The team also included information such as the dispatch, availability, and delivery of parts, as well as logistical aspects such as overnight delivery across Europe.
They split the film up into segments so that it would fit well into the PowerPoint presentation. In addition to creating the live-action film, Vermillion designed the presentation. They were able to develop a script and a storyboard because they knew our business very well. Our team then reviewed the materials and made suggestions, tweaking them to our liking it a little bit.
What is the team composition?
In addition to Lee (Managing Director), we worked with other directors, set builders, sound engineers, makeup artists, wardrobe specialists, editors, designers, and actors. All in all, there were about 40 people.
How did you come to work with Vermillion Films?
I’ve been working with them for so long that I can’t even remember. We’ve used Vermillion Films for quite a few years now for a multitude of projects.
How much have you invested in them?
We spent about $77,750 on this project.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked with them on this project from March–May 2019.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Vermillion Films conveyed everything we needed to get across to potential customers in the film they created, and we've received great verbal feedback. Our local, German, and French sales teams, who’ve all presented the video to customers, have all been really appreciative of the material because it has made their job so much easier.
They have all come back and said that it was very good. The quality of both the presentation and film is fantastic, and the information contained within the film is second to none. Our team has given presentations several times each day over the course of a week without any negative feedback whatsoever.
How did Vermillion Films perform from a project management standpoint?
Lee and I have a very good working relationship. We’ve traveled and filmed together, and he’s a practical guy. He is commanding and runs the team well. They are all very friendly and approachable. I know I can be difficult to work with sometimes, but they never let it show. Vermillion Films is a team of very professional people. After this year, we can all go down into a bar and have a beer together and have a good laugh. It’s a kind of “work hard, play hard” relationship.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The amount of effort they go through to get the job done professionally, accurately, and within budget is impressive. Unlike other agencies who are concerned with money, Vermillion Films’ main focus is quality. They are always willing to charge me a reasonable price
We had a shoot in France a couple of years ago where the camera equipment got stolen out of the back of the car the morning of the shoot. Lee spent hours on the phone and ran around for miles, picking up gear and making sure the shoot went on as if nothing had happened. The team’s flexibility and the way they react to incidents just makes them stand out from a lot of other companies that I have dealt with.
There was another occasion where I wasn’t getting on personally with one of their directors. We were working on a project and we had a bit of a clash because he wanted to do things one way, whereas I would've preferred to do them another way. We weren’t gelling so Lee stepped in, adjusted the process, and sorted the problem out for me. I couldn’t have asked for more than that.
This project was so last-minute because we didn’t have the budget signed off. They had to work very quickly to get everything organized, find the location, work on the script — everything that goes into making this type of project happen with very little notice. In spite of this, Lee and his team really pulled out all the stops. They worked overnight and on weekends, doing whatever needed to be done to complete the project on time.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, there’s nothing I can think of. We’ve worked together for a long time, and when there have been issues, we’ve talked about it. I’ve always been able to go to them and voice my opinion. Right now, there really isn’t anything to improve on because we’ve already been through that process over time.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
My advice to anyone considering Vermillion Films is to not even consider them; just work with them because they’re great.
the project
TV Ad Production for Marketing Agency
"Vermillion are willing to take on a brief with a strict timing to hit and budget to work with."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am a producer in the film and photography department at the agency that I work for. I produce film projects and will source and commission appropriate suppliers.
For what projects/services did your company hire Vermillion Films, and what were your goals?
We had a short turn around brief to get a highly effective TV advert produced and on aire within six weeks. The advert had to have a strong call to action to encourage Membership Sign ups and App downloads. We needed to work with a super efficient and super effective team to bring our advert concept to life.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
We have worked with Vermillion before and we trust their creativity, their efficiency and professionalism and their quaility. We knew they were the right team to work with on this project.
Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.
We had to produce a 30 second TV advert for broadcast in the UK. Not only did the advert have to meet strong creative requirements and production values it also needed to be done very quickly without a loss of quality and also the final deliverable needed to be delviered to a strict deadline and rigorous technical specification.
Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?
We worked with Lee the director, Pam the producer and Peter the editor and the associated shoot crew on the shoot day. We have a good relationship with the team as they are great to work with, friendly, responsive, helpful and professional at all times.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
The advert has first aired in mid Sept 2021 and will run until the end of Oct 2021. The full results are not in but at this stage the client is delighted as the targets set are currently being exceeded in membership sign ups and app downloads.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
The director, producer and editor were very easy to deal with. We primarily used BaseCamp as a project management tool so all aspects of the project can be monitored by all stakeholders in a straightforward and transparent way. This was supplemented by regular phone calls and teams meeting. Vermillion were always on the calls whenever they were put into the appropriate calendars.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Vermillion are willing to take on a brief with a strict timing to hit and budget to work with. This never means a drop in quality or delivery processes. The guys are super switched on and will never let you down. And they are really nice guys to work with - no egos in a pressured time frame.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
Not really - they just need to keep on what they are doing as they do it very well.
the project
TV Campaign & Video Production for Branding Agency
"They always seemed to use their experience to make each project creative and well-managed. "
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I’m Chief Marketing Officer for the agency and but also take a lead on many of our high profile accounts.
For what projects/services did your company hire Vermillion Films?
We were working with a large global client to increase brand awareness in the UK. As part of this broader campaign we needed a production company to execute a TV campaign.
How did you select this vendor?
Our relationship with Vermillion Films goes back a number of years and they were our first port of call for this. We like that they always bring a high level of creativity and ambition to any production but we know it’s grounded in solid project management skills so this was an easy choice for us to make.
Describe the scope of their work in detail.
The project kicked off with a collaborative creative session with the client team to agree potential creative directions. We briefed the team at Vermillion at an early stage and invited their creative input at this concept stage. The result was a concept that the client loved.
We developed it together until it hit all the client’s touchpoints before heading fully into pre-production. Casting and locations were vitally important, and the Vermillion team had people scouting evenings and weekends to find the right location following a last-minute change.
The shoot itself went brilliantly. We received amazing feedback from the client and were impressed with the contingency planning in place that became needed due to poor weather.
What was the team composition?
- Lee - Exec Producer
- Jennah - Producer
- Peter - Editor/Motion Graphics
Total team: 6 people
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
This was a multichannel brand awareness campaign, comprising TV, Radio, Outdoor and digital. Reach exceeded expectations and all KPI's delighted the client team, so we are now running the campaign across Europe and having a second burst later this year.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
A complex project like this needs a robust management style and we found them to be across all of the areas we needed them to be, keeping us up to date as much as we needed. It’s clear they have systems and processes in place to ensure nothing gets forgotten in the mad rush of production.
They were happy to take guidance from us in areas that are our strong point such as accommodating brand and strategic requirements and were happy to lead in areas that don’t usually fall to us.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Vermillion brought a lot of very wide-ranging expertise to projects in a range of sectors and always seemed to use their experience to make each project creative and well-managed.
This project required an intensely complicated set of usage options and the way they approached this was a particular highlight, but ultimately the finished ad is really good and the client loves it.
Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?
We’ve been using Vermillion for years now and have no intention of changing, so we’re very happy with the service we get.
the project
Video Editing Services for Medical Nonprofit
"I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone who needs any video content."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the Executive Director of a nonprofit dedicated to supporting people with Myhre syndrome.
For what projects/services did your company hire Vermillion Films, and what were your goals?
We had our team of doctors and professionals create their own video content for our virtual conference and needed Vermillion to help us edit the videos and also top and tail them with graphics.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
We are a repeat customer of Vermillion having worked with them for a number of years and are always extremely impressed by their quality and dedication to the client and our needs.
Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.
Vermillion created a project portal for us to upload the content and then they took the files and worked on them and returned them to the folder. It was a great system and worked well for us to have what we needed and all in a very timely manner.
Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?
We worked with a project manager, who was incredibly helpful and she checked in to keep us on track and communicated well when she needed our approval and when items were signed off.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
The videos are often the only way our international community of patients and caregivers can view content from experts. Feedback has been excellent and Vermillion enabled us to present these videos in a professional way.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
The project manager was very professional, set out the delivery timeline, always kept us informed on progress and made sure she kept the project on track, even when we were a little late with providing her the content. She would often work incredibly quickly to help us when the content hadn't come through from our side in a timely manner.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Vermillion always care, they put great care into the work they produce and take the time to understand the needs of the client. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone who needs any video content from storyboarding through to filming and post production.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
No, everything was excellent.
the project
Video Production for Source-Code Platform
"They had a fast turnaround and easy communication. Their pricing was much lower than expected."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I'm CEO of Invoice Ninja. https://www.invoiceninja.com/ Invoice Ninja is a leading source-code available platform for freelancers & SMB’s to invoice clients, accept payments, track expenses & time billable-tasks.
For what projects/services did your company hire Vermillion Films, and what were your goals?
We are launching a new marketing website, and wanted an original video produced for "above the fold" on our website homepage, to highlight our userbase as freelancers & SMB's.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
I contacted probably 20 companies. I chose Vermillion because the reply was professional & concise. It wasn't a boiler-plate reply, I saw that they read my inquiry and replied accordingly in detail.
Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.
Phone call with the owner Lee. Then Lee fine-tuned his proposal, which was well below my budget. He promised me that it was low because they have all the capabilities "in house", it was true! We discussed the application of the video, props to be uses (they had great ideas), and total tone of the finished product. Then they scheduled the video shoot date, and invited me to join via Zoom. The final product has several "versions" for me to choose from, they were very accommodating.
Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?
Lee connected me with "Jen" on his team. We emailed, used Basecamp, etc... easy communication. They also communicated directly with our web design firm to ensure they provided the finished video in the best size & format for easy use by the web design firm. I thought that was very professional.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
New video being implemented as our homepage header background.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
Email, Zoom, Basecamp.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
They had a fast turnaround and easy communication. Their pricing was much lower than expected.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
I thought they were great!
the project
Corporate Video Production for Financial Advisory Firm
"They had excellent knowledge and were pushing the boundaries to get the best result."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I'm the Managing Director at Tandem Financial Ltd. We are independent financial planners. We help our clients make smart choices with money.
For what projects/services did your company hire Vermillion Films, and what were your goals?
We wanted Vermillion Films to create a new corporate video for Tandem to show off our brand, our service and our core offering. This was to replace the existing video which was 6 years out of date. We wanted to havw our clients speak mostly about their experience.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
I knew Lee the MD at Vermillion but the deciding factor to use them was their excellent website, approach, ideas and service levels. They really made it easy and understood our brief very well.
Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.
The video was one that would involve interviewing my clients and epitomising our service proposition and client experience. The steps were logical. I called and explained what I wanted, Lee and his team conducted a fact find and asked a lot of questions and we tee'd up a date for my clients to attend that was mutually convenient. We used Base Camp, software to engage all parties and make sure everyone was in the loop. Worked a treat. The whole day went to plan and production times afterwards were stuck to.
Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?
Largely with the production manager Jen and Lee. Both are excellent at their job. The process was smooth as they were organised, asked the right questions and did what they said they would.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Yes, everyone I have shown the final cut to has said it is excellent. It gives a warm feeling to who Tandem is and what we stand for, how we make our clients feel and what the experience is. It encapsulates our service proposition.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
Excellent. Use of Basecamp, video chats and direct emails. Punctual timings. No delays.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Courtesy and professionalism. They had excellent knowledge and were pushing the boundaries to get the best result. Thinking outside the box and asking thought provoking questions to my clients, my team and I.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
No.
The client is very happy with Vermillion Films’ work. Their work is unique and fun, allowing the client to distinguish themselves from others in the industry. Customers can expect an excellent turnaround time and a longterm partner.