The point?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wait, we can help folks save money, be prepared for emergencies, and boost energy efficiency in their homes? Who wouldn\u2019t be into that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The kicker was figuring out how Ambient Skies could add our creative spice and production chops to the mix. The quality needed to be commercial but with the organic feeling of an HGTV show, the talent needed to be like-able but a bit authoritative, and we needed to capture a sizable number of deliverables on a tight schedule. Not to mention in an out-of-state location. Not to mention within a few weeks. Were we game? Of course we were!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read on to find out how it all went down\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FROM THE BIZ TO THE DEV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n From a business development perspective, it can be both exciting and challenging to figure out an outbound strategy. Should our prospects be local, regional, or beyond? How much of our efforts should go towards \u201cdirect-to-client\u201d partnerships versus creative marketing and advertising agencies? What verticals and industries should we target?<\/p>\n\n\n\n With our team being mostly local to the Phoenix area, many of the agencies we work with hire us for production execution in the valley or wider Arizona area. As we considered our outbound strategy, we considered looking at agencies in the wider Southwestern region that could benefit from our expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One state we zeroed in on was Colorado. With vibrant metropolitan areas surrounded by natural beauty, there are more than a few parallels between Colorado and Arizona. We were lucky that our rockstar sales consultant Kelly Sells (yes, her last name is \u201cSells!\u201d) connected us to the awesome folks at Vladimir Jones, an innovative branding agency with offices in both Denver and Colorado Springs. (Here\u2019s a little secret: we are now SMITTEN with the folks over there\u2026it\u2019s not weird, we promise).<\/p>\n\n\n\n WHEN AMBIENT MET VLADIMIR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We had the pleasure of first meeting with Rachel Arther, an Integrated Producer over at VJ. At the time, she was new to the agency, but it was obvious that this lady was a true gem with a TON to bring to the table. Our initial capabilities are more of an intro, where we share a bit about Ambient Skies and explore whether we\u2019d be a good resource for a given prospect. We have the privilege of meeting brilliant business leaders and creatives on a regular basis. Occasionally we cross paths with a team that we really *vibe* with on a high level. Was Vladimir Jones<\/a> that kind of team? Spoiler alert: YES.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Several months later, Rachel introduced us to the creative team at VJ. Leading this merry team of artists is none other than Jim Morrissey. If having pretty much the same name as the Doors guy isn\u2019t next-level cool, we don\u2019t know what is. We were excited to be able to meet more of the Vladimir Jones team, and it was a sign of good things to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n GETTIN\u2019 READY FOR TEAM READY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s back it up a little bit. So as we mentioned, Jim, Rachel, and the team came to us with an amazing concept for Team Ready. They had previously done some outstanding work for Black Hills Energy, but that content was a lot more cinematic and elevated, requiring a pretty beefed up production approach. The client wanted a more grassroots, accessible approach for Team Ready. Team Ready was envisioned as \u201cMike and Maria\u201d – somewhat inspired by Chip and Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper\/Magnolia fame. Like-able, relatable, but a little authoritative and aspirational. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One key point of the campaign that Vladimir Jones put together was the content was \u201cLess How-To, and More Why-To\u201d. Team Ready was tasked with breaking down specific tips around the home (keep a generator on hand, adjust water heater temperatures, caulk your windows). But the aim was that the audience would be motivated and empowered to implement these simple changes with ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LET\u2019S GET CREATIVE\u2026AND FIND OUR TALENT DANGIT!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Vladimir Jones was eager to get some of the Ambient magic in on this project. It\u2019s okay, we\u2019re totally used to it. Our Director John Schaus and DP Trenton Massey had a meeting of the minds to conceive of how we could build on the agency deck and bring it to life. We started assembling a detailed Director\u2019s Treatment<\/a>.\u00a0 A big part of this was translating the messaging into visual language – camera moves, lighting setups, location attributes, all the good stuff. Not to mention: Wardrobe, Art Direction, Editorial, Sound, etc. This is where we shine, so we were happy to add our two cents. Well, maybe more like fifty cents.<\/p>\n\n\n After we turned to our highly esteemed storyboard artist Erik De Jong, we had our hearts set on creating an animatic for this spot. This is a rough version of the piece, and a way to start putting the pieces together before any real-life stuff happens. It helps with working out locations, camera angles, script, pacing, music, and all that. Ultimately, the animatic was a crowd-pleaser, but not only that. Roughing out these details during creative development ultimately helps with the budget and schedule down the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Ambient-Skies_Vladamir-Jones_Commercial-Production\"](\"https:\/\/ambientskies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/BHE_Team-Ready-11-1-1500x1001.jpg\")
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