COVID-19 was and still is tough on all of us. Actually, that’s an understatement. But as the saying goes “Necessity is the mother of invention”. For us, what started as a kicked-around idea became a necessity to FINALLY evolve the outdated and out-of-touch video company model into the future.
Here’s the first problem:
Good video isn’t accessible to everyone. It’s expensive, complicated, and disguised in the mystery of “art” and “creativity”. If you’re a small to midsize business, forget about using good video. It doesn’t make sense financially. It’s too much risk with too little return. You’ll either get a pretty video void of strategic messaging, or a dull video overloaded with information. For real.
Second Problem: Video is an “experts only” industry. I live in a city where the pinnacle of a successful video career is filming a commercial for laundry detergent. Yes, this is the highest achievement any aspiring filmmaker could obtain. But what about the other 90% of businesses that don’t have endlessly deep pockets? What about the other 90% of jobs for young creatives who now have a degree, no entry point (unless they’re a prodigy), and no way to build a stable career? Lame.
The video industry is clouded and confusing to say the least.
Much of the problems in the industry are influenced by 2 outdated schools of thought: Hollywood and Art. Viewing video through the lens of Hollywood has made expectations big, loud, and expensive. Viewing video as art has made it mysterious, personal, and “god-given”. Most expert video people can only see these 2 routes to take their career - Either Hollywood movie-making or artful expression. That means your business’s video experience will likely be fighting with one of these 2 types to create something useful for marketing. But what about the rest of us? Is there hope for businesses to use digital marketing effectively without the mess of the industry?
Yes.
Small and Midsize Businesses Deserve Access to Good Video.
The industry is overdue for a change, a refresh, a new approach. There’s a new need to fulfill. Businesses of any size now have multiple channels to display videos - multiple ways to reach new customers and grow their business.
During the COVID downtime, we broke the system and recreated it from the ground up. We’re here to help your business thrive using video.
Here’s What We Changed for You:
Process - Product - Pricing
The Process
Historically, the video-making process has been complicated, making it expensive. There are lots of reasons why, but in short - creating a video is like recreating the wheel...Every. Single. Project. At the highest pinnacle of video-making when billions are on the line, this works. For the rest of us, it’s completely unnecessary.
“Parameters are creativity’s best friend.”
We thought, “What if we simplified the process for our clients and created a proven structure for the message and visuals in a video?”
Well, we gave it a shot, and... It worked! Our videos became better because of it. “Recreating the wheel” each time we approached a video was actually hindering our creativity because it made the process more about us and less about our client’s business.
The structure doesn’t have to change, because it’s the businesses (and their people) that create the unique and wonderful aspects of the video. That’s what customers want to see.
The Product
Most client conversations begin as follows - “We have this idea for a video… ” and so we’ve created literally hundreds of types of videos over the years guided by this sentence. Some have been good, and some have been really, really bad...bad as in useless. The bad ones contributed absolutely nothing to growing the clients’ business, but hear me clearly, that’s not on you as a client. It’s on us as an industry for not making the decision process easier and leading you to the videos that work. It took me owning a business and being responsible for a team to feel the impact every dollar had on growing the business.
Wasted money on videos that don’t help the business grow is unacceptable.
We thought, “What if choosing a video was a simpler experience?”
We filtered through all the good and bad videos we had created and discovered a piece of truth. Out of the hundreds, there are really only 4 types that every business needs at the foundation of their marketing plan to thrive with customers.
Instead of approaching video like big-time Hollywood, we’ve simplified it to 4 clear goals and 4 clear ways to help your business thrive.
Oh and now for the really, really good part.
The Pricing
I believe there’s been a war between client and creative. To stay on the “winning-side”, most creative video people have had to keep the process and products in the disguise of “customization” to create an atmosphere where it’s acceptable to charge you the highest price you’re willing to pay. No matter the type of video.
Not everyone is malicious in this. Most video people just believe the bigger the budget, the more creativity they’re able to have. But realistically on some degree you’re dealing with a selfish motive, where it’s more about their demo reel and less about helping your business grow. How can this be fixed? With a fixed process and fixed products comes...you guessed it. A fixed price! No haggle or gimmicks. (Yes, my recent Carmax experience had quite the impact on me.)
You deserve better.
It’s no more nickel and dimed quotes that leave you nervously awaiting a video that may or may not do any good for your business. Instead, you should receive a creative, message-focused video that reflects the heart of your business so you can have peace of mind and feel excited about the potential of your new business growth.
How Are We Doing This?
We’re offering a 3-Tier Price Option:
Starter - Cinematic - Custom
No matter the video product (brand, customer, team, and explainer), the tier price is the same. For the first time you get to choose what’s best for your budget and your situation.
Each option gives you the choice for increased Messaging and Creativity.
Messaging - meaning the words (what you hear) underlying the visuals. The intention and focus for your unique approach to marketing your business to the people you want to reach.
Creativity - meaning the visual (what you see) expression of that message to make it as engaging and memorable as possible.
Want more time spent on the messaging and creativity? Choose the cinematic option. Have a unique spin to take on the video and want creative concepts? Choose the custom option.
Bottom Line:
We want to make good video accessible to you, and we want to give you the right options to thrive. If you’re uncertain about the video marketing process, or have painful memories of past experiences, there is a better way. Good video is now within reach.
Iron House Studios offers you the video experience you’ve always deserved.
We’re ready to serve. Are you ready to thrive?
Get started with us today.