We've got answers
Fear not! The Gorilla has answers. In the spirit of efficiency, we compiled a list of our frequently asked questions.
Who hires Gorilla Creative?
We work with funded startups, industry giants, and everyone in between. Most of our clients work on internal brand and product marketing, recruiting and people ops, and investor relations teams. We enjoy collaborating with other agencies, but that’s less common.
The one thing they all have in common is that they understand the power of video to drive action and deliver the business results they need. They value our experience and collaboration and want to work with a partner that is going to challenge their ideas, lead them through the creation process, and help them push the envelope to create, test, and iterate measurably effective video.
You say Gorilla Creative is a full service creative video agency. What does that mean?
Gorilla Creative started out as a full service video production company. We made videos. It seemed simple enough. We produce, cast, and film original video and handle everything in post production from editing, animation and motion graphics animation to sound design, color grading, and 3D product animation.
After a while, we started to notice a trend. More and more of our clients came to us knowing what results they needed, but unsure of what type of video would deliver those results. Our experience producing hundreds of videos gave us a unique perspective in guiding them through this decision process.
And this is where the creative agency side comes into play. We don’t just make videos. We help our clients figure out what video to make, how to get the most value out of their video budget, and then we guide them through the entire process of making videos that actually deliver the results they need.
How long does it take to make a video?
Small projects typically take 4-6 weeks, while larger more complex projects can take anywhere from 6-8 weeks up to several months.
It’s not common, but we’ve also written, filmed, edited, and delivered projects in as little as a few days – so while more time is always better, it’s never too late to reach out and talk. Our goal is to always find a way to make it happen!
The most common variables that add time to projects are script writing, complex animation, and lengthy review processes. We’ll walk you through each of these things when we talk so that we can give you an accurate timeline for your project.
What measures do you have in place to make sure our project isn’t delayed?
More often than not, this question comes up because the video we are creating is part of a larger project or event, like a product launch, trade show, SKO, or other major event, like an IPO roadshow. Projects like this genuinely do have immoveable deadlines, and no reason – no matter how legitimate or serious – from us is an acceptable excuse for not delivering a project on time.
Everything about our process and workflow are designed with redundancy and security top of mind, including multiple layers of media and project files, stored in multiple physical locations, with no single points of failure or loss opportunity. We take the concept of backups to an extreme level to ensure that our team never skips a beat.
The bottom line? We take deadlines seriously and have implemented robust systems, policies, and procedures to ensure that we deliver projects on time. We continue to monitor and evaluate these, and when necessary, make changes and updates to our systems and workflows. If you have any questions, shoot us a message. We’d love to chat!
Why do you ask so many questions?
High quality video is expensive and takes time to produce. We don’t want to waste your time or your money. Simply put, we ask questions to ensure that the videos we create deliver the specific business outcomes that you need. The more we understand about those outcomes, the more effective our writers, strategists, directors, and editors can be.
Think of it this way. If you told us you wanted to make a video to sell ice cream, we could make a snazzy video that looks pretty and racks up views on YouTube.
But, if we kept asking questions and later found out that you actually wanted to increase sales of non-dairy ice cream to restaurant owners in the Pacific Northwest…well, now we know the details we need to sell the right product to the right people (and rack up lots of views on YouTube!) .
The difference between videos and effective videos that deliver results are in the details.
Can you really fix it in post?
Ideally, post production is a time to put the boat together before it sets off on her maiden voyage, not patch holes in the boat or redesign the sails because they weren’t ready when the boat was being designed in the first place. Ok, maybe we took that analogy too far, but you get the idea.
We hear from clients all the time that they are shocked with the things our editors, motion graphic designers, and colorists can do in post production. We can remove logos, hide things on walls, and make the grass greener and the sky blue-er, but it’s typically faster (which translates to cheaper) and better to get it right during production. This is why we seem a little neurotic and focus on the details during pre production and production. See question above for why we ask so many questions.
Can we meet up for a beer? Coffee? Tea?
Absolutely. Most of our team is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Drop us a line and we’ll set it up.
What’s with the name?
Gorilla Creative was founded in 2017 by partners Eric Stracke and Matt Townley. Prior to founding Gorilla Creative, Eric ran Stracke Visuals (est. 2009), where he helped tech companies leverage video for brand and product marketing. Matt ran MST Productions (est. 2008), where he successfully pivoted the company from CD and DVD manufacturing into a full service production and live streaming company.
Matt and Eric spent almost a year brainstorming their vision for a newly minted company. They envisioned a company that attracted world class creatives who wanted to work with industry leading clients that saw video for the incredible tool that it was and weren’t afraid to push the boundaries. To experiment. To learn.
From the very beginning, they knew they wanted the company to be bigger than themselves. And they wanted this reflected in the name itself. Eric and Matt’s Video Magic wouldn’t cut it.
They wanted a name that could become a brand. A brand that employees and clients alike could feel unified by – even passionate about. They liked the idea of a mascot. Something that could convey personality before you talked to anyone at the company. An animal was a natural fit.
They also wanted the name to reflect their desire to provide strategic and creative value to their clients and be more than “just a production company.” Gorilla Studio implied a location. Gorilla Productions implied a more narrow scope. Gorilla Video felt limiting. Gorilla Creative felt just right.
Oh, and the domain name was available.