How do we create compelling, high-level work at a reasonable price?


We do this in three ways:
1. With detailed scripting and pre-planning, our shoots are highly creative and cost-effective.
2. Working with small but experienced crews, we guarantee quality productions while keeping costs down.
3. Editing focusing on the human experience creates emotionally compelling stories.


Steps in our process include:

Creating a Solid Brief
We work with clients to create a brief that defines the audience, the project’s goals, strategic needs, and scope.
A solid brief is the first step in building a lasting story that can be expressed across media types.

Researching to Fuel Creativity
Research involves background reading, absorbing brand strategies, and a competitive review to understand the marketplace and context fully.
This information fuels creative thinking for concepts and story outlines.

Interviewing to Identify Subjects
An essential part of the process is identifying suitable subjects for documentary or interview videos.
We get on the phone with prospects armed with a list of questions to investigate the story and build rapport in preparation for filming.
Transcriptions from these interviews provide the raw material for scripting.

Story Building
After the research and interview stages, we identify strategic concepts that best answer the brief.
But we don’t stop there; we explore how to express these concepts as emotionally engaging stories. 

Writing Scripts
Impactful imagery engages viewers, so we write the visuals first, then weave in narration and interview dialogue to fill out the story.
We craft every line of dialogue to sound natural when narrated and check every line of visuals for feasibility.
We are experts on story structure, so our scripts build intrigue, wonder, and emotional impact.

Location Scouting
Location scouting early in the process leads to better creative and cost-effective shoots. We never just turn up and shoot.
We plan in detail ahead of time, bringing only the equipment and crew we need.

 Creative Shot Listing
We find creating illustrated storyboards expensive and unnecessary. We prefer to go into shoots with just a tight shot list.
For the intended look and feel, we present mood boards and photographic samples of how keyframes will look.
At this stage, we also design how the graphics will appear.

Casting
We partner with the industry’s best casting directors to find union and non-union acting talent.
We actively direct the casting process and only recommend talent we know can perform to the highest standard.

High-Quality Shooting
SPH Films have honed proprietary techniques to shoot high-end cinematic footage with minimal equipment and crew.
We partner with seasoned cinematographers from the feature film community and rent the best cameras, lenses, and lighting.

Controlling Logistics
SPH Films is a fully insured production company that shoots on location and in studios.
Documentary crews are typically 2-3 people, while studio crews range from 5 to 15.
We scale to whatever the shoot requires.

Editing & Music
We only need one round of editing and polishing if we shoot a tight script. Everything should drop into place quickly.
We fuss over finding the right music to establish the emotional tone and pace of the piece.
Ideally, we compose a custom score, but stock music often works well and at an affordable price.

Finishing
We include basic color correction and sound mixing in our editing process for online projects.
However, we bring expert color correction artists and partner with industry-standard sound mixers for broadcast projects.

Designing and Animating
Stephen Hutchinson’s expertise in graphic design elevates the creativity and precision of all our animated graphics.

 

Get in touch for a free consultation on how best to approach your project.