About Us | FAQs
Some frequently asked questions concerning SMC.
- What makes Staylor-Made Communications so special?
- Where is Staylor-Made Communications based?
- Why should I hire Staylor-Made Communications?
- What is Staylor-Made Communications’ philosophy?
- What is the typical process for working with SMC?
- What does it cost and how long does it take?
- Who has benefited from Staylor-Made services?
What makes SMC so special?
How do you pick a communications professional such as a video producer or marketing consultant? With a unique combination of creative talents, organizational skills and business background, Staylor-Made Communications provides the vision and leadership to drive your projects to success. We hand-pick and lead a team of professionals (researchers, writers, videographers, editors, designers, artists, etc.). With the right technology tools, we give you exactly what you need – not what we have to sell.
Where is SMC based and where do we work?
Staylor-Made Communications is based in San Diego. Come see us. We have friends in the local hospitality industry and can help find you a nice place to stay. We serve clients throughout the United States and internationally. Wherever you need us, we can go there or access our network of associates and professional affiliates. When traveling for projects, we use optimal local resources to meet each client’s needs. One more reason to have your projects "Staylor-Made"... A custom fit, just right for you.
Why should I hire Staylor-Made Communications?
We could describe our experience, education and expertise; our commitment to quality through customization; or, how we specialize in bringing together the right team at the right time to do the right job. But why talk about it when we can show you. To get high-quality media projects, products, and presentations -- at just about any budget -- contact SMC. Use the right medium – and management team – to maximize your messages.
What is Staylor-Made Communications' philosophy?
Training involves marketing and marketing involves training and either must be entertaining in order to be effective. When it's time to teach people how and why they should buy your products, or sell people on the idea of learning, move them and entertain them with some Staylor-Made messages.
What is the typical process for working with SMC?
We will: Meet to discuss your project, determine your needs, and help you define your objectives; Prepare a creative strategy, draft a plan and gather just the right resources; Present our recommendations; then, Involve you throughout the process to whatever extent you desire.
Projects usually occur in five phases:
PLANNING
Knowing exactly what you want and need before jumping in to action, saves a lot of time, grief, energy and money. We use a proprietary process to analyze your situation to determine how best to help.
PRE-PRODUCTION
Once needs and feasibility are verified, and the plan and specifications are in place, pre-production involves scriptwriting, designing, prototyping and coordinating all logistics required to commence and complete the project.
PRODUCTION
Production includes video shoot days – from a single half-day up. For multimedia projects, it is creating the raw elements – graphics, copy, animation – then authoring, programming, testing, etc.
POST-PRODUCTION
The marriage of video, graphics, text, narration, music, and sound effects occurs during post-production. Clients have an opportunity to review rough cut edits or beta versions of other media before signing off on completed projects.
PRESENTATION
Once the project is mastered to tape or disk, we can help make more copies. We also offer encoding for all available web media formats (QuickTime, Windows Media Player, Real Player, Flash) and bandwidth speeds, as well as for CD, DVD, handheld devices, etc.
How long does it take and what does it cost?
Each project is unique, yet trends emerge. Corporate video can take several weeks to produce. We have worked in TV news and can turnaround some projects in one day. Client availability and approval times affect the schedule.
Staylor-made projects have ranged from $200 to $200,000 plus. A formula for estimating cost prior to looking at any variables: Start with $5,000 and add $1,000 to $1,500 per finished minute. A professional 10-minute corporate video, could cost $15,000 to $20,000. Adding helicopter aerial shots –starting at $4,000– is optional. Animated graphics can cost from hundreds to thousands of dollars per second. Dozens of other factors will affect the budget, such as: locations, talent, deadlines, weather, stock footage, etc. The principle of production priorities –speed, quality or price…pick two– rings true in these two examples:
A new client needed a corporate video in time for a product launch in less than a month. After our initial meeting, we scheduled video shoots (building exteriors, product shots, interviews, engineering, manufacturing, and clients using products) for the following week, started scriptwriting, began graphic design, determined the duplication order and initiated printing of labels (which required the most time). In three weeks and about $40,000, SMC managed to take this project from concept to completion… "Hey let’s do a video…" to "Here are your 2,000 tapes –labeled, packaged and boxed." This video won several awards and contributed to a rise in the company’s sales, revenue, and stock price.
Another not-for-profit client had a limited budget, but they were not in a hurry. By spreading out the work –writing, shooting, editing– they got what they needed the way they wanted it. SMC was able to still provide good quality video with less money and more time –around $10,000 and 5 months. The client was very pleased with the project, the process and the results.
In each case, we started by defining the client’s exact needs. We gave them just the right Staylor-Made services. Contact Staylor-Made Communications to let us custom fit you with a media project suited exactly to your audience, goals, objectives, budget and schedule.
Like anything else in life, you get what you pay for. When you buy a car, you have options. Your selection may fall somewhere between a Hyundai and a Mercedes. Cars and communications come with different sizes, styles, features, colors and costs. What do you want to drive?
Who has benefited from Staylor-Made services?
Visit the Portfolio Section of our website to see lists of our clients by industry.
Featured Clients
