What a Story

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Emilia Banea, Head of Content at OutThink.io , a UK based cybersecurity start-up building a revolutionary Human Risk Management Platform (SaaS) targeting the source of 90% of all data breaches: human behaviour.

For what projects/services did your company hire What a Story, and what were your goals?

We approached What a Story to create a video series for our security awareness training courses. We wanted to approach out target users and create awareness in an engaging and enjoyable manner.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

After shortlisting top business animation video production companies online, we selected ‘What a Story’, viewing their impressive portfolio on their website.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

We briefed WhataStory about our requirement. Soon, they created the storyboard, the design and animation. Their team ensured a headache free experience throughout the entire video-making process and kept us updated at every step.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

My initial source of contact was Vikas but I primarily coordinated with their creative director ‘Seshu’.

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

The project met all our expectations and helped us spread awareness on cybersecurity among our target groups. The developed video was well-received by our internal management, prospective clients, and stakeholders.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

It was a well-planned project. They were very responsive and flexible to work with. Our communication was clear at every step of the project mostly through emails and calls.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What a Story delivered a high-quality result. This was a very large project considering 7 videos at a stretch. That too in 2 variations which makes it a 14-video project. However, What a Story made it a seamless experience for us. They were professional yet friendly, economical, and creative.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Unable to suggest any based on this project as we had a good experience with both the deliverables & the communication. We are happy with their work, and we’ll contact them again in future.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Anand Inamdar. I am the CEO and Product Owner at Amoeboids. I generally take care of multiple things including marketing and sales projects.

For what projects/services did your company hire What a Story, and what were your goals?

We hired What a Story to create multiple explainer videos for our various IT products. Our products have many features and benefits and we wanted to communicate these in an engaging way to our end users. Through these videos, we wanted to increase the conversion rate and make potential clients book a demo and sign-up for our services.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We were introduced to What a Story through my colleague. I liked their work and their production process. Also, the prices were well within our budget so we hired them.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

First, we hired them to create one video which turned out to be good. Then we created a 2nd video with them and I really liked the outcome of it. So then we hired them to create 4 more videos for us. We have created a total of 6 videos with What a Story and overall it has been a smooth process.

I gave the walkthrough of each of our platforms to the assigned Creative Director. After understanding our product, they crafted a script accompanied by a storyboard that showed the visual idea of each scene. This gave us a clearer idea of the flow of the video. We were able to request changes to both the script and the storyboard till we got what we were expecting. They created Designboards where they designed all the frames to be used in the video. They also shared the audition tapes of multiple Voiceover artists for us to choose from.

Once the Designboard and voiceover were final, we received the first draft of the animation within the next few days with an opportunity to edit (I don't believe we made any edits.) Then we got our final copy of the animation, along with all the source files.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

Our primary point of contact was Vikas who was the Video Producer. Our first project was entirely taken care of by Vikas himself, who is also the CEO of the company. But, since we worked on multiple videos, they assigned 2 different Creative Directors, Kalpajit and Ruchi, to make sure that we get the video delivered fast and make the whole process more effective.

The most assuring part of this entire collaboration was the involvement of the CEO of this company throughout the project. He was overlooking all the communications and the quality of the products that were being delivered to us and jumped in to make improvements in what we were receiving even after getting a sign-off from our end.

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

The videos help us reduce the training time on the platforms. Previously, I had to spend a lot of time explaining our services to all of our potential clients by going on calls, giving online presentations, etc. But now our clients just watch the video and understand our services first. So it has become much easier for us to convince them to sign-up.

Because of these videos, the demo requests we received have increased significantly which has also improved the number of sign-ups we got and also the conversion rate. The videos are also uploaded to our YouTube channel and on Atlassian Marketplace. Everybody who saw the videos was very impressed and we’re excited to partner with What a Story again for similar future projects.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We were very happy with their collaborative process. Their team had strong communication skills and their turnaround time was very quick. We usually communicated over email, but their team was always ready to jump on a call whenever required.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

After our 2nd video took a longer time than the expected deadline due to some technical difficulties, I was very skeptical about getting the other 4 videos done with What a Story. I was very much determined to take these projects away. But then Vikas, the CEO, personally contacted me about this and he had so much confidence in his company’s process and his team that he assured me to deliver all 4 videos within a month’s deadline.

And to win back my trust in them, he guaranteed in writing to reduce a certain amount per day from the project cost for every day’s delay after the deadline. I was very impressed with this level of commitment and he kept his word by delivering all 4 videos by the end of the month. The collaboration was very positive, the process was very streamlined and that made this a seamless experience for us.

They were very open to suggestions and gave us all the freedom to share our honest opinions. Their process is transparent with fast and clear communication. They provided end-to-end services for video production. Overall, it was just very easy to work with them.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I honestly cannot think of anything. We will definitely partner with What a Story very soon. Their service is so impressive, I wish they could offer multiple other services too!

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Director of Marketing for a global inclusion & diversity consulting and training firm.

For what projects/services did your company hire What a Story, and what were your goals?

We hired What A Story to create an explainer video for our new product, an assessment tool devoted to measuring inclusivity at work.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We feel really lucky to have found What a Story. We've struggled with video vendors in the past who either didn't completely "get" our vision, or who did, but were way out of our budget. This was not the case for our experience with What a Story. They provided an incredibly creative, professional explainer video for our flagship software - and on a very fair budget.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

We began with a discovery meeting. We had some initial thoughts on what we were envisioning that we sent over - they took from there to provide a first draft. After a couple of round of feedback of the storyboard, they moved into the animation phase. We had one more round of feedback post-animation.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

We were assigned very responsive Project Manager who all communication went through. The team seemed very open to feedback throughout multiple rounds. Overall, very flexible and accommodating.

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

It's a bit too soon to say, but our executive team was incredibly impressed with the final outcome. Several clients have already expressed how much they like the video and have requested to embed it within their own LMS systems to promote usage of our software.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Our Project Manager was very professional and easy to work with. They used Google Slides to communicate storyboards and request feedback and Vimeo for the animation phase.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I expected our team would have had to do a bit more of the heavy lifting in terms of providing guidance, rounds of edits, etc. - but this simply wasn't the case. All timelines were met, and the team was very easy and flexible to work with. We will absolutely be working with them on more videos in the future!

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

None at this time.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Director for a company that offers two Salesforce AppExchange applications.

For what projects/services did your company hire What a Story?

We wanted to produce an updated version of one our application's explainer videos that involved less animation and more human imagery along with product screen shots.

What were your goals for this project?

Increase visibility to our solution and the use cases it offers users.

How did you select What a Story?

We researched a number of vendors who offer this type of service and found What A Story to not only fit our budget but had a video example that was exactly the type of video we were looking for.

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

We provided the script, screenshots as well as video to show how the application functions. At one point we hit a bit of a snag in the production as What a Story was not able to produce a video up to their own quality standard if they continued down the path they started.

Therefore, they took a bit of a turn to utilize a different type of animation to make sure the video was up to their standards.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Overall it was very good, there was a point, though, when we didn't hear from them for a few weeks and it took follow up from us to get an update on what was going on,

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

We are very happy with the video we were provided and have received numerous compliments on it from individuals both internal and external to our organization.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Overall very effective, just the instance where we didn't hear from them for a few weeks and had to follow up.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The end product they delivered was impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.

Please describe your company and your position there.

My name is Clev, and I'm the Principal Tech Consultant in CTARe.

CTARe is a Singapore based company, established to provide enterprise-level services like IT management & cyber security, IT training solutions, etc to entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs.

For what projects/services did your company hire What a Story?

We hired What A Story to realise our vision of our previously aging company logo.

What were your goals for this project?

We were looking for a new logo that could easily assist us to uplift our existing brand image within the tech style guidelines, and also to raise our presence in the market.

How did you select this vendor?

We selected What a Story through the recommendation of peer business persons, and we are satisfied with the results.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The What a Story team had proven themselves as monumental in assisting with our company’s branding needs. They were successful in conceptualizing the idea of our new logo for the new decade.

What was the team composition?

There were 2 to 3 members of the What A Story team involved in the whole project but we communicated with Raunak Hajela (CTO of the company) as our point of contact throughout the project.

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

The new logo designed by them was top quality, and sharp. It had the right message and appeal for the new era of technology. we have been receiving a praises from the company’s stakeholders, executives, and industry minds alike.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The entire project process has effectively reduced our stress levels to a professional extent. It was also completed smoothly, supportively, & timely on a priority basis.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We am pleased to work with What a Story. They have the ability to bring ideas into reality. They are responsive, sincere, and passionate about their clients' work and effective in achieving their vision.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not at all, these guys are cool enough to work with. Here's to another successful decide, join them and say What a Story!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of an education service company. We provide e-learning packages for education institutions, teachers, and students.

What challenge were you trying to address with What a Story?

I needed help rebranding. They helped with all the materials and running our marketing platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created a brand name, logo, brand values, stationary, and other marketing materials. It was a very collaborative process. I gave them a few ideas about what we wanted to represent and they came up with a few designs based on that. We wanted to appeal to students while maintain a professional appearance.

They then presented their solutions in a video format.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 3–4 people.

How did you come to work with What a Story?

I saw them on Clutch, and got their contact information there.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in January 2019 and it’s ongoing.

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

They created a targeted brand that stands out from the crowd. We’re still in the startup stage, but we’ve got positive feedback on what we’ve shown. When I give my business cards to clients, they’re often very interested in the logo and comment on the design’s uniqueness.

They captured our vision and company’s mission quite well. They definitely added more value than what we could have created ourselves.

How did What a Story perform from a project management standpoint?

We primarily communicated via email or WhatsApp. At first, we talked to their sales guy and then their director. The communication was solid.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provide really good service. They take a little more time than other companies to understand our vision and products. They want to make sure that we’re happy with their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I suppose the revision process could be a little quicker, but it is a creative process and it’s generally not an issue.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Definitely communicate what you’re looking for. If you can, I’d also suggest you meet with them. They’ll understand your vision better if you can meet with them at the beginning of your project.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Feedier is a feedback application. We make feedback less boring, more attractive and gamified.

For what projects/services did your company hire What a Story?

We hirerd What a Story to create a new explanatory video.

What were your goals for this project?

Feedier has been around for 2 years. We had initially created an explainer video in order to explain our mission and what the product was doing. We were only starting, the vision was only maturing, and it has evolved a lot. We wanted to update and upgrade the video. In order to convey who we are in simple and quick terms

How did you select this vendor?

We browse through a list of vendors on Envato and reached out to the top ones according to reviews. WAS were the most joyful and nice.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The vendor was responsible for validating our video script, giving us feedback, creating the draft of the custom illustrations and animating them afterwards.

What was the team composition?

We have mainly been dealing with the project manager.

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

We have been able to publish our video successfully on Youtube

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Vikas and the team at What a Story studio have been amazing. We have had smooth communication across the board. We have constantly received updates on the status of our video.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

As a Feedback tool provider, we are really keen on giving and receiving feedback (makes sense right?) We particularly appreciate the fact that Vikas was always looking for feedback from us on the footage and production. It was anything but a one-off job, and more so a regular back-and-forth and open conversation. They are also very knowledgeable and have not hesitated in giving us recommendations and feedback on our requirements/guidelines/initial work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work on the business development team at a German financial solutions firm. We offer an online platform that facilitates trade financing for small and medium-sized businesses.

For what projects/services did your company hire What a Story?

We wanted a partner to help us create an explainer video for one of our financial products. We needed something that would explain a fairly complicated topic to an audience with limited prior knowledge.

The video had to be dynamic and befitting of a FinTech company. We also required that What a Story match the strict branding and design criteria that we uphold as a company. This includes not having real people featured in our videos.

What were your goals for this project?

We hoped to educate our audience about our product and ultimately drive sales. Our end goal was to have a video that our sales team could use to explain our product to potential clients. We also planned to post the video on our website so that visitors could educate themselves.

How did you select this vendor?

We found Vikas (CEO, What a Story) on a freelancer platform and used him for a project in 2018. He was a very reliable partner and developed a solid understanding of our products, so it was a no-brainer to approach him again for this project.

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

We had an original call with Vikas, where he asked us to explain the product in detail. He also asked for examples of where he would fit in as a customer to better understand what was required. After the call, What a Story sketched out a provisional storyboard, and we were left to come up with a script.

Once we had finalized the script, Vikas got started on a more detailed storyboard. After he finished the final version of the storyboard, we had a few back-and-forth conversations where he offered suggestions for improvement. Once we came to an agreement, the What a Story team started working on animations, voice-overs, digital effects, and sound mixing.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

There was ample room for feedback at every single stage of the process. This was perfect for us, not only because we were very specific in our requirements, but also because we had to make a considerable change as the video was approaching the final stages. All feedback was accepted graciously, and there were no serious creative battles.

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

We published the video a few days ago, so it’s too soon to tell what the overall outcome will be. We’ve enjoyed the increased social media traffic and followers that have come during the short time that the video has been online.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We were in near constant communication via email throughout the project. We frequently spoke with Vikas and our designer, and they reached out to our finance department when they needed more information.

Feedback and iterations were typically quick and seamless. There were occasional gaps in communication during the main animation phase because we had little to contribute in that regard.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What a Story’s creative thinking was fantastic. It’s not always easy to take a step back and explain a design process, yet this is something Vikas can do easily.

We agreed with almost 80% of his original scenes because they aligned so well with our vision for the video. Vikas perfectly captured the other scenes, which were often complicated or technical, after only one round of feedback. We never had to explain anything twice.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Towards the end, the project dragged a little bit. There were a few trivial matters that we had to address before finalizing everything. Thankfully, we had a slightly flexible deadline. The video turned out great, and, overall, we’re very happy.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a co-founder of GitScrum, an open source application for managing day-to-day tasks of projects.

For what projects/services did your company hire What a Story?

I hired What a Story to create a tutorial demo video for my newly developed application, called GitScrum.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted to create an engaging and educational product demo video that would guide users through the functionality of my application.

How did you select this vendor?

I selected What a Story after being referred to them by a friend. I decided to work with them after seeing their previous work and reading reviews of their services.

Describe the project in detail.

We held an initial meeting over Skype to discuss our requirements. After I briefed them on my expectations, they began work on the video.

What was the team composition?

I worked with Vikas (CEO, What a Story), Naagendra (Project Manager, What a Story), and Raunak (CTO, What a Story).

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

I’m pleased with the video they produced, which has received praise from people in my community. As a result of What a Story's work, new users of my application can enjoy an informative overview of the available features.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I appreciated the friendly way they communicated with me throughout the entire project. They made me feel confident in their process and updated me before tackling each phase of video production.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The What a Story team impressed me with their work ethic, flexibility, creativity, and positive attitude. Also, they delivered a quality video in a short time and at a reasonable price.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of, I thoroughly enjoyed working with them, and I’m looking to assign them with more such work.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and CEO of GenericPlus Medicines. We sell affordable pharmaceuticals at unmatched quality and prices.

For what projects/services did your company hire What a Story?

We brought on What a Story to develop our branding, create promotional materials, and produce explainer videos.

What were your goals for this project?

As a new business on the market, we wanted to build a good reputation and increase awareness of our company.

How did you select this vendor?

Our COO discovered What a Story and suggested that we partner with them.

Describe the project in detail.

What a Story conducted industry research, and constructed a branding strategy based on our values. They use anecdotal content to create promotional materials, and they’ve produced videos to explain our business in a concise manner.

What was the team composition?

We've worked with five different people from What a Story, including their founder and CTO.

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

When we started working with them, our company was completely new. We now have a strong brand with eight different branches. We’ve become a significant player in the market, and we’ve received numerous inquiries about adding new franchises.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their enthusiasm and efficiency have made the project run smoothly. Also, their team is proactive and committed to meeting deadlines. Vikas (CEO, What a Story) and Raunak (CTO, What a Story) are available whenever we need them.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their initial research was thorough, and their execution is always seamless. They’ve been able to address challenges with a fresh approach, and they’re dedicated to supporting our business. Their team consistently makes us feel like a valued partner.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I haven’t seen any gaps in their work. They’ve been excellent.