Creative and collaborative with Simon Fraser University
***Please note: Case Studies may refer to See Together Media, Rheanna’s former business alias.***
An Epic Task
Simon Fraser University’s Lifelong Learning department had 10 hours of footage they’d captured for promotional videos. 10 hours! It’s like you’ve watched the entire Lord of the Rings extended-cut trilogy and then needed to make all that footage into just a few, short, concise videos…The task was daunting!
Luckily, we were recommended to Jennifer Reddy, Associate Director of Leadership & Community Building Programs. Together we were able to solve the barriers they faced: how to boil down the message, how to make each video stand-out, and how to make them effective for their goals. “I felt a sense of relief…” Jennifer shared over a phone call, “We were able to actually follow through with what we had set out to do.”
That’s the one benefit of hiring experienced filmmakers…10 hours of footage: piece of cake! Well, it’s still tons of work, but we definitely weren’t afraid of lots of cake; we knew just how to take one little bite at a time.
“I felt relieved that we were able to actually follow through with what we set out to do, and within in a short timeframe as well.”
Goals and Game Plans
After hearing SFU’s specific goal (to generate new interest in their programs) we discussed the feeling they wanted viewers to take away from the videos. From there we designed a content package that would utilize the footage they had already gathered, so nothing went to waste.
“It was really helpful to talk it through with STM in terms of what the final videos would look like. Consistent and unique were exactly what we were looking for, and they helped us understand what we needed to tell these stories. I hadn’t thought about 30-second storytelling before, so it was exciting to explore together.”
Each of the alumni testimonials we had footage of (15 in total) had completely different professional and personal insights into SFU’s Lifelong Learning programs. STM and SFU both wanted their individuality to shine through: it was a top priority!
“[STM] really was trying to help us find what we needed…” Jennifer says. This is flattering to hear because we pride ourselves on being good listeners and collaborators. Jennifer and the other SFU staff were wonderful to collaborate with as well. They could clearly communicate the differences between what they needed vs what they wanted. They welcomed our expertise to help them best achieve what they needed and were happy to hear our creative ideas about what they wanted—we eventually found the answers together.
Based on their marketing strategy, we planned to make 7 longer videos (60-90 seconds) for website pages and 8 shorter videos (25-45 seconds) for promotional ads on social media. The short videos would act as the hook on social media ads and the longer videos would continue to enthral interested future students.
“[STM] made it easier for us to find the right thing and just felt confident that they were willing to do that with us.”
Style
When we asked Jennifer, “What is See Together Media’s work style?” She said, “Collaborative, but that doesn’t quite capture the values base that STM comes from, where you’re so clear about “here’s what we do and here’s why. STM showed us examples that helped us understand what we were getting into, and how and why we were going to do it. Their passion was also contagious. We know it can be boring to sift through 10 hours of footage, but STM’s excitement for the work was clear, and they brought fresh ideas that fit within our new branding scheme. They are creative and unique, and I am sure our paths will cross again.”