How this brewery is using video to announce its re-opening

Suze runs social media at Vimeo. She loves coming up with visual ways to tell stories. She also loves eating good food and taking care of her houseplants.
Suze Kaufman
Mouth-watering pour shots. Dynamic behind-the-scenes action. Drool-worthy food footage. We'll drink to that.

Zakk Heaps has built his career making engaging video for clients large and small. So when a networking opportunity connected him with one of his favorite local breweries, Spoonwood Brewing Co., he jumped at the chance to make a video for them. 

Zakk’s crew at 321Blink, a small full-service marketing agency, created this promo video as well as a series of other deliverables for the brewery over the course of a few months. 

In light of COVID-19, Spoonwood has yet to release any of the videos Zakk and his team made for them, but they’re eager to use them once they’re ready for reopening. Spoonwood knows that nothing generates buzz quite like video.

To get a better sense of Zakk’s goals for the video as well as how he and his team use Vimeo, we sat down with him (virtually, of course).

What inspired the video for Spoonwood?

The project with Spoonwood was born from a desire to create something different from other projects we were working on. Creating commercial video is a wonderful way to make a living with so many opportunities to work with new clients and crews. However, you sometimes find yourself re-creating similar video styles over and over because of industry trends and client desires.

My team wanted to break the cycle and do something where we could push ourselves and our creative boundaries. Spoonwood was a great fit for our ambitions. They wanted a video that stimulated the senses, so we went all-in on extreme close-ups, one-point perspective, and sound design to convey a full sensory experience. 

What was the biggest challenge you faced while making the video?

We didn’t have a food (or drink) stylist on the shoot. All food prep was done by the chef and all styling was done by a crew member — director, gaffer, DP, whoever had a good eye and a free hand. 

I would actually consider this more documentary filmmaking in the food and beverage visuals than commercial production because we really did capture the essence of what you get when you go to Spoonwood.

How do you and your team use Vimeo’s tools?

I like to be organized, so I’m a big fan of the organization and management features on Vimeo.  The video management aspect — where I can create folder structures and even make bulk changes — is awesome.  Additionally, the version history feature where I can upload a new version of a video while still having reference to previous versions is a huge help.

What should small businesses look for when hiring a team for a project like this one?

There are a few important things you should look for. 
  1. Seek out a team that has experience. The experience does not have to be in the same ‘space’ as your business, but the team should have a proven track record with previous clients of all shapes and sizes. (Pro-tip: you can peruse Vimeo For Hire to find hyper-qualified candidates in an instant.) 
  2. Look at the creative team’s samples of work. Are they engaging and do they tell a story that resonates with you? If so, have a conversation with them — you’ll be entering into a partnership with this team and it’s very important that you’re compatible! Ask a lot of questions and prepare to answer their questions in return. Open and honest communication is key.
  3. Be upfront about your budget. If you have a set budget, share it with the creative team from the start. The producer, director, or account manager should be able to tell you right away if your budget is in the right ballpark, so you can adjust expectations accordingly (or choose to work with a less expensive team). 
Finding the right creative team is a quest in finding the right partner to bring your message to life. Get to know them and share your story. Good things will follow.

Any other advice for better creative collaborations? 

Finding the right production partner is everything. Ideally, as a small business, you would have had multiple conversations with the production team as the project started to build momentum. You asked questions, shared your vision, and learned a little about the video production process. In turn, the production company answered questions, asked their own, learned about your business, and developed a creative approach that was born with a collaborative effort between you and their team. 

Mood boards, style frames, scripts, and storyboards can all help visualize the final product. It’s critical that you give these types of creative development your full attention — they are the roadmap for the production team. (Vimeo note: creators and clients can easily streamline the collaboration process using Vimeo review tools, which gives you the tools to seamlessly share video, get feedback, and save time.) 

Once you approve them, sit back and relax. Remember that you made a good choice in hiring this team. You like their work and respect their process. So, let them take the lead and create something that you’re going to love.

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