Emily Cooke, Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing
Working with Alesi and Rob exceeded our expectations. Our engagement with The Film Guys was a bit different because we actually held it as a 2-week intensive course for Upper Schoolers. The final product (a truly showstopping video) was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our partnership with Alesi and Rob. Not only did they serve as filmmakers, but also as phenomenal teachers and mentors for our students. They developed bonds with our students and created memories that will last a lifetime. One of our students summed it up perfectly when introducing the video to all employees: "this course taught us that it's not the final product that matters but the journey and friendships along the way." Not only did we end up with an end product that exceeded our expectations, but we were given a truly meaningful experience for the students involved.
From an enrollment marketing perspective, this video shakes things up for us in the best way possible. It delivers the viewer a feeling versus facts or numbers about our facilities. It is very unexpected for Pingry, and for that reason gets peoples' attention. Pingry is known for being very serious and buttoned up. This video shows a side of our students that is rarely seen--the fun side! Viewers walk away with a feeling that Pingry students are fun, approachable, and confident.
We expect to see record numbers in our upcoming enrollment cycle.
Sung Chu, Vice President and Director of Enrollment Management
Working with The Film Guys was an unforgettable experience. I'm thankful for their expertise, professionalism and creative ability to weave a compelling story. Perhaps their greatest strength is their mastery in developing videos that prove to be timeless and yet resilient enough for brand sustainability through a variety of interesting societal times today.
Steve Murray, Head Master
I have never had so much fun, or laughed so hard, working on a project! Robert and Alesi are highly organized, wonderfully spontaneous, and bring a creative flair to everything they touch. And the final product? They nailed it!
Alixe Callen, Former Head of School
Working with The Film Guys was a blast! From collaborating on the script to filming the scenes to screening the final product, our school community loved every moment. We cannot thank The Film Guys enough for their great work.
Ryan Waterfield, Director of Communications and Marketing
I had been an admirer of The Film Guys' work for a few years before reaching out to them about the possibility of working together. After my initial call with TFG, I was even more excited about the possibility of working with them. And I was not disappointed. They bring organization, creativity, insight, and professionalism to the project AND they are a blast to work with. They connect with kids and bring a fresh perspective that comes across in each of their films. I highly recommend working with TFG if you have a chance!
Suzanne Buck, Head of School
The Film Guys are remarkable in their uncanny ability to understand, transmit, and foster the culture of a school community. While they reflect that which they see, there is a magical quality to their production process from which consensus is conjured. It results in the joyful affirmation of "this is what and who we are." At a time and in a market where consumers crave authenticity, The Film Guys not only deliver that which is real, they do so in a way that is also really fun.
Scott Brown, Head of School
Hiring the Film Guys was the easiest and best marketing decision I've made for our school. Their ability to listen, create and work with our community to capture our story and tell it so beautifully was exactly what we needed. I'd hire them again, and again, and again!
Meg Colafella, Director of Communications & Marketing
In our second year of knowing The Film Guys, how could we not have invited them back to Western Reserve Academy? We couldn't wait for them to arrive on campus and immerse again into a community where they have become like family after our first project together, the "Second Home" musical. Our project list this year was bold and long, and Rob and Alesi delivered beautifully. We are especially proud of a new series of videos called the WRAps, which The Film Guys produced in close partnership with our students. No one amplifies student voice like The Film Guys and this delivers an impact and authenticity essential to a breakthrough Admission marketing strategy.
Ian Johnson, Chairman of the Art Department
I really appreciated how they crafted this story with us and through us. Ideas were generated, articulated, circulated and honed with the community’s integral involvement. We all owned a part of the creative process. That in itself assured a vision of our school exactly as we live it. The finished product paints a picture as the warm vibrant place, fun charming and comfortable school that it is. At the same time it hits on all the important elements of “doing everything right for boys” and it does that in a way that isn’t obvious or cliché.
Karen Joostema, Director of Marketing and Communications
Thank you so much for the amazing way you captured the Madeira spirit and community. You took who we are and crafted a fun story that portrays what makes Madeira…Madeira. Your brilliant filmmaking and editing brought it all to life, and we are thrilled to share it with the world. You have blended seamlessly with our community --we appreciate the great care you have taken to get to know us.
Ryan Mulhern, Director of Admissions
Working with the Film Guys was the highlight of our year. Their creative energy and ability to tell our story made this collaboration an amazing experience for our students, faculty, and alumni. We look forward to future projects with the Film Guys as we feel they are able to highlight the best of St. George's School.
Peter Gilbert, Assistant Head of School for Enrollment and Marketing
The most amazing part of this process is how well The Film Guys partnered with our community. They are super approachable and professional. In the end, they made our boys feel pride for their school and energized by the final product.
Will Richardson, Director of Admission
The FIlm Guys were a pleasure to work with. They truly listened and sought to understand the culture behind Lawrenceville before picking up a camera. Because of this approach they brought a different level of thoughtfulness, creativity and enthusiasm to this project. They truly learned what being a Lawrentian is all about and captured the essence of our school in a way that only they could. We could not be happier with the finished product...and it was also a lot of fun!
Christine Ding, Associate Dean of Admission
Our production process took us from biking through the halls of the oldest building on campus to our Head Master swinging like a pendulum on our Ropes Course to our students showcasing their passions as artists, athletes, leaders, and scholars. There was never a dull moment as we pieced together a video suite that showcased just what makes Lawrenceville so different from our competitors. We received rave reviews from alumni from the class of '56, secondary school placement directors from all over the world, and a standing ovation from our students at the on-campus premiere. The Film Guys did an impeccable job of showing casing just how happy are students are to be at Lawrenceville.
Chis Chandler, Former Headmaster
Working with The Film Guys was an awesome experience. The team is engaging and super-bright, and the way they connected with different members of the school community demonstrated their deep commitment to telling a story in a unique way. The whole process infused our school with great energy and spirit that lifted us all for weeks following their visit. We will be calling on them again soon!
Maj. Joe Claburn, Commandant of Cadets
A couple days after meeting The Film Guys I approached them with an idea I had for a video. I wanted to do a one-take that introduced kids to all the elements of the Corps of Cadets. Immediately ideas were being bounced across the room and only a few days later we were firing our 18th century cannon as the climax in our sixty-second one-take video.
Working with The Film Guys was a flawless process. Their unique way of looking at the dynamics of our program and bringing a fresh and energetic way to represent who we are and what we do. The end product will help to recruit and inspire for many years to come and I could not be happier with what was produced by their team.
Matthias Krusch, Director of Admissions and Enrollment
"Working with the Film Guys has been a wonderful experience for our students and staff. We hired Rob and Alesi to capture what our smaller Sindeflingen Campus is all about, contributing to our strategic goal to tell the Sindelfingen campus story. The way they worked and the result have impressed all of us. Rob and Alesi got to know the campus, the students and teachers and, most of all, they observed all of the little details which make this campus so special. As a result the multi-cultural element of the campus comes through just as well as the warmth and kindness, the mindfulness and the inter-lingual programme. We love the images of the children, how the interaction between younger and older children is portrayed and how it all fits so very well with the vision for the campus.
I feel this was a challenging project since it is a small campus which houses children from early years through to tenth grade and Rob and Alesi were able to work with children of all ages, producing a video which represents beautifully who we are and wat we do."
Jessica Klass, Associate Director of Admission
In the short period of time that the Film Guys spent on our campus, they really connected with our students and learned exactly who we are. It was amazing to watch their creative minds work and we couldn't have been more pleased with the final video. Hardest part about hiring them, was having to say goodbye as we loved having them in our community.
Thomas Arnold, CFO
Our partnership with The Film Guys is so much more than that of vendor/client. Thanks to their creative and submersive process when it comes to the delivery of both video and print content, their team has become an integral part of our organization and the messaging of our story. Because they have invested the time and energy to understand what makes Western Reserve Academy a unique school, they are able to design materials that are anything but off the shelf, cookie cutter productions. Instead, they show why we are a Second Home to our students in ways that are both exciting and authentic. We will always have a seat at our table for our extended family members of The Film Guys team.
Alex Heiberger, CFO
Madeira’s experience with The Film Guys exceeded our expectations in many unanticipated ways. They immediately enculturated themselves into our school community, creating an internal buzz and excitement about our project long before the swell of recognition we have received since the release of Madeira Unexpected. They worked effectively and efficiently, capturing our school in a unique yet genuine way. Our investment in this project, while aimed at external recognition and promotion of our school to prospective students, has also buoyed engagement of alumna, parents, and donors. Internally, it is a proud representation of our school and our vibrant students, and they are proud of their work with The Film Guys making it happen. This is more than an admissions video, it is our brand personified and brought to life. Its impact has carried far beyond the traditional admissions audience.
Kudos to The Film Guys for delivering this to Madeira.