In the all-important discovery phase, our aim is to learn as much as we can about your needs and goals as we start to conceptualize your video or video series. We'll bring together our account, strategy and creative teams and sit down with you to learn and collaborate. We will explore the unique value proposition of your product or service, discuss competitors and strategize about the type of video options available. Ultimately, the discovery meeting ensures we start off on the right foot, with all parties weighing in and shaping the video marketing mission.

The creative brief is your project’s north star.  This will include the project's background and objectives, key differentiators, main hurdles, target audience,  brand values, market positioning, competitors, as well as the channels that the campaign will be distributed. From this point on every team member will be referring back to this document to assure we are accomplishing the project’s goals.

The process starts by throwing out a slew of concept ideas from mild to wild, debating the merits of each, and envisioning how they’d play out. During this phase, we’ll incorporate the details from the Discovery meeting and creative brief, craft and conceptualize concepts that lead towards the client's goals. After we settle on a solid direction, our team will go back to work to refine and tweak the variables until it's perfect. Depending on the project and scope, the creative concept could be very straightforward or may require a few weeks to flush out more complex storylines. Regardless, the goal is to refine a concept that will accomplish your goals.

Once the concept for your video is solidified, our creative team develops the mood board — a more in-depth project summary that integrates the following elements:

• Video Concept Style Boards (graphical interpretations of your video's flow)
• Music Style
• Graphic Styles
• Cast Description
• VO Description
• Wardrobe Style
• Cinematic Look & Feel
• Location

This will be the main reference for most of the creative team moving forward to assure we stick to the overall tone and feel outlined in the mood board.

Whether your video is interview-based, animation or a narrative commercial with a voice-over, we need to start with a solid foundation — the video script. The script could have several versions as we move closer to the shoot date and will be shared with your team for input and collaboration via Google Docs.

Once the script is locked in, Sparkhouse will get to work on the following:

• Casting Voiceover Talent – With many years of experience vetting local talent, we'll select the best voiceover artist for the job and consult your team for the final hire.  

• Casting Actors – In casting hundreds of videos, we know the local talent pools well. Whether we pull from our existing actor base or hold a casting session to audition new talent, we'll find the perfect fit for your video and collaborate with your team on final selections.

• Searching for Locations – Our location scouts will search for the optimal background to tell your story — whether it be an in-studio or on-location shoot, we'll figure out a solution that lends credibility to your message and also respects your budget.

With your video script locked down, the Sparkhouse team will get to work creating the AV script, a two-column table that includes the script copy on the left side and descriptions/ references of the visual aspects of the video on the right side. The AV script is essentially your video's blueprint. This will also be shared with your team for input and collaboration via Google Docs.

Props – A prop, short for "property," refers any of the physical materials that will be included in the video for specific effects. "Set props" are larger items that work to build a cohesive scene, such as furniture, while props generally include items that the characters will interact with during the video — like a pen, bike, bottle of water, product, etc. Wardrobe – "Wardrobe" refers to the clothing and accessories the principal actors and background artists wear to add depth and believability to the messaging. Wardrobe design involves in-depth knowledge of how colors translate on screen, how certain colors interact with the environment and skin tone, and what styles and fabrics complement various body types.  

A visual outline of the story about to be told, the storyboard is the closest we are going to get before heading out to film a video. Depending on the project, the storyboards could be full-size sketches, thumbnail illustrations, or visual composites of mixed media such as still photographs, text and other reference types. At this phase, we'll double check everything to be sure we're ready to roll — confirming location, actors, products, props and shot angles — so that when production day arrives, everything runs smoothly. Ideally, at this phase, there are no last-minute changes or adjustments and we can proceed confidently with a successful shoot. We'll be sure to share the storyboard with your team via Google Docs.