Welcome!
Thank you for partnering with Stories Inc. We’re a recruitment marketing and employer branding content agency, and we are excited to help bring your culture to life through digital content.
Please see below for more information on our process and contact your account manager for questions!
Our methodology
At Stories Inc., we’ve developed a facilitated process that produces high-quality content that’s engaging and on-brand, and we create it in large quantities that allow you to reach your audience consistently and across many channels. We create content (videos, photos, blogs) inspired by employee experiences we uncover.
Stories provide the proof that a company is who they say they are in their marketing material.
Our process is designed to make it as easy on you as possible. We handle all of the scheduling and logistics throughout the process. We do this for two reasons:
1) we like to take the work off your plate (we know you are busy!)
2) as an additional touch-point for our storytellers, so they are comfortable with our team before we meet them onsite. “
Our production schedules are busy, and we plan your entire interview day from start to finish – down to the minute – to make sure we help you tell your team’s stories in the most effective and efficient way possible.
Timelines
Below gives you a general sense for timelines, and your Account Manager will share a more detailed timeline for the project. We work as fast as you do, and will adhere to any hard deadlines that you’ve outlined at the beginning of the project.
Onboarding/kickoff call: Our kickoff call with your dedicated Stories account manager. We’ll ask you to send your brand guidelines, logos and release form following this call.
Creative discovery: A week after onboarding/kickoff call
Storytellers identified: At least three weeks in advance of interview day
Storyteller prep call: A week before interview day. We’ll go over what to expect, what to wear, share sample interview questions, and answer any questions!
Onsite interview day(s)!
Photo library delivered (if applicable): 10-12 business days after onsite day
First draft of written script (if applicable): 3 weeks after interview day
First drafts of video content: 4-5 weeks after final interview
Iterative draft review
Final content: 1 week after content approved, delivered on a rolling basis. All final videos are captioned and color-graded.
Storyteller selection
We ask for your help in selecting storytellers (we call your employee participants “storytellers” to get them in the frame of mind to tell stories).
We recommend selecting a variety of individuals who share their experiences working at your organization. The goal with storyteller selection is to identify a group of employees who represent various backgrounds and have potential stories to share. When you start thinking about storytellers, we recommend selecting individuals who:
- Thrive in your culture
- Represent different perspectives
- Reflect the diversity of your organization
- Communicate clearly
If you know people who have a particularly compelling story, include them! But it is not a requirement. Everyone has stories worth sharing, and it’s our job to uncover them.
Don’t stack the storyteller list with only those who you think will tell a good story (in fact, introverts can share some of the best stories!).
We adapt our interview approach to every storyteller and we get great stories from every person, every time.
Once you select storytellers, your hard work is done! You introduce us to them through an email template we’ll share, and then we take over from there with all the scheduling and logistics. Not only does this alleviate you having to do this, it helps us get to know the storytellers in advance so they’re comfortable with us when we sit down for our interview.
Creative discovery and conversation guide
Ahead of filming, we’ll host a Creative Discovery call with our Stories creative team where we will listen to your needs and uncover project themes.
If you have any examples of videos you’ve seen from other brands that resonated with you, please share with us for creative inspiration!
We’ll discuss:
- Important content themes
- The audience you want to reach
- How you’ll share the content once it’s created
- Style, tone and creative elements that are important to you / your brand
After our creative discovery call, we’ll create a conversation guide that includes interview questions focused on the themes you want to uncover. We’ll share those with you for your feedback. We keep our interviews very conversational and natural to follow the best stories. The questions are just a guide.
Onsite filming
During your onsite day, we interview storytellers, film b-roll, and capture photography (if applicable). We’ll:
- Help identify a location for filming (location scouting and set-up takes approx. 90 minutes)
- Keep a light footprint while filming at your location
- Manage the schedule and all logistics
Filming location
We build in time for the Stories team to scout filming locations so rest assured, we’ll help identify the right location for our interview day together. If you can help reserve any visually interesting space or a “home base” (such as a conference room) that would be helpful.
Ideal filming locations include:
- A quiet area with minimal foot traffic, like a conference room that is adjacent to a visually interesting space.
- An area with pops of color and depth in the background.
Some things you can do to help in advance:
- Reserve a small room as a home base for the day and as a location where storytellers can meet us.
- Tentatively reserve any locations in the office that you think could be possible filming areas.
- Notify relevant office team members and/or security of the filming day so they’re aware we’ll be on site.
- Let us know if high stools are available (we typically need three).
Equipment and set-up
We’ll come onsite with all of the necessary tools for the job. Our team is well-equipped with state-of-the-art lighting, sound, and camera equipment required for filming. We stay up-to-date with the latest industry standards and invest in high-quality gear to ensure optimal results. During the set-up and tear-down phases, we work diligently to ensure a smooth transition. Our crew members are trained to work swiftly and efficiently, minimizing the time required for these tasks. We respect your space and schedule.
Your role onsite
Many of our clients ask about their role onsite. Our crew needs a brief tour (which is included in the schedule) but from there we are self-sufficient throughout the day. Some clients even forget we are there! Of course in some instances, we are required to be escorted throughout the building, and will follow all protocols required.
We’ll handle all of the day of logistics, including printing the schedule, communicating with storytellers, setting-up and tearing down, and we’ll put up “filming in progress signs” to remind others in the office that we’re recording.
Minimal disruption
We prioritize being mindful of your workflow and daily routines. Our team is trained to work with precision and efficiency, allowing your team to carry out their tasks without unnecessary interruptions or distractions. Creating a comfortable and unobtrusive filming environment is our goal. Our crew is skilled at capturing compelling footage while maintaining a light footprint and not interrupting work that’s happening.
Safety precautions
We recognize that each filming location may have specific safety considerations. If there are any health/safety protocols or requirements in place at the client’s site, our crew will fully comply with them. Our team is well-versed in adapting to different environments and following safety guidelines to ensure a secure working atmosphere.
Video drafts/sharing feedback
Notes as you review drafts:
Color-correction: The video footage may seem muted while the videos are in “draft” form. We color correct all footage in the final videos, so all coloring will be addressed when we finalize each video.
Captions: We will provide you with final videos that include a closed captioned version, as well as an .srt caption file.
Video names: The titles below the Vimeo videos are just placeholders (you’ll be able to name the videos anything you’d like when you upload the videos to your channels).
Defining the terms: A-roll is the main footage of the storyteller during the interview. B-roll is what we use to make the video more visually interesting (the storyteller “in action”), which you’ll see while you hear the storyteller speaking. A group of people walking around the office or working together is b-roll.
Sharing feedback
We recommend meeting internally and consolidating feedback before sharing with us – it’s best for one or two people to communicate agreed upon feedback so we can be most efficient in getting the next version to you.
Our video drafts allow you to leave timestamped feedback in the actual Vimeo video link by clicking on the clip where you’d like to provide feedback. If you have additional thoughts you’d like to share, you are welcome to send over email or your account manager can schedule a call.
Final videos
Once you’ve seen and approved all of the content, the final step in our process is to finalize, color-correct, and caption all videos. Finalization means there are no other changes needed (or minor changes that have already been agreed upon in the final edit). Ahead of finalizing content, we’ll confirm that you’ve received all necessary approvals, such as from your legal or comms team. Please note we can finalize on a rolling basis, so we can finalize some videos while others are still in the editing phase.
From there, it’s time for you to launch the new content! You can download the videos directly from Vimeo. Below the videos in Vimeo, you’ll see the “download” button on the right side. Download the highest resolution file. You can then rename the video to anything you’d like before uploading them to your own channels. Here are some tips to repurpose the content for social media!
Thank you for partnering with us! It was a pleasure working with you to bring your culture to life through stories. Please contact us with any questions. We look forward to the opportunity to partner with you again in the future!