Questions We Actually Get Asked.

We start with a discovery call - usually 30 minutes - where we learn about your goals, your audience, and what success looks like. From there we put together a creative brief and budget range for your approval. Once we're aligned, we move into pre-production: scripting, location scouting, casting, crew assembly, and scheduling. We don't show up on shoot day winging it.

For most projects, 3–4 weeks of lead time gives us room to do pre-production properly. Larger shoots - multi-day, multi-location, or projects requiring union crews or elaborate logistics - benefit from 6–8 weeks. That said, we've turned around tight requests faster when the project allows it. If you're on a short timeline, reach out and we'll tell you honestly what's possible.

Yes. We regularly shoot in markets outside Chicago - New York, LA, Nashville, and throughout the Midwest. We can mobilize our Chicago-based crew or tap into trusted local crews in other markets through our production network. Travel costs are factored into the estimate upfront - no surprises.

We build revision rounds into every post-production engagement. Typically that's two rounds of editorial notes, one round of color and sound notes. We scope it clearly at the start so there are no ambiguities. Additional rounds beyond scope are billed at a reasonable hourly rate.

Absolutely. We routinely execute NDAs for corporate clients, pharmaceutical clients, and agency partners. Send yours over - we'll review it with our standard turnaround.

Honestly, it depends on what you're making. A single talking-head testimonial video is a very different project than a two-day commercial shoot with talent, locations, and motion graphics. We work across a wide range of budgets - from focused single-day productions in the $5K–$15K range to multi-spot campaigns in the $100K+ range. What we can always tell you is what your budget gets you and where we'd make trade-offs. We'd rather have that conversation early than waste your time.

Our minimum engagement is typically $3,500. Below that threshold, the overhead of a proper production process doesn't serve you or us well. If you're working with a tighter budget, we're happy to talk through what a focused, no-frills version of your project looks like.

Our quotes are itemized - you'll see crew, equipment, location fees, talent, post-production, and deliverables broken out separately. No mystery line items. We include a contingency for unforeseen production costs and call that out explicitly. You should never open an invoice and be surprised.

Our standard structure is 50% upon project kickoff and 50% upon final delivery. For larger engagements, we can structure a milestone-based payment schedule. We accept wire transfer, ACH, and credit card (a processing fee applies to card payments).

Yes. We work with both union (IATSE, SAG-AFTRA) and non-union crews depending on project requirements, client contracts, and location. If your project requires a union shoot, we know how to run one properly - rate cards, call sheets, turnaround rules, and all.

That's part of the job. We manage location scouting, location agreements, city film permits, and insurance certificates. In Chicago we know the permitting process cold. In other markets we work with local fixers and production coordinators who do too. You don't have to figure any of that out.

We own and operate a range of cinema cameras, lenses, lighting, and grip equipment. For larger productions we supplement with rental house packages as needed. We're format-agnostic - we'll spec the right tools for the look you're after, not just whatever's sitting in our cage.

Yes. We work with a roster of trusted on-camera talent, actors, and voice-over artists, and we manage the casting process. For scripted commercial work we run a formal casting session. For corporate and testimonial work we can pull from our preferred talent roster or cast against your brief.

Yes - including stop motion animation (one of our signature capabilities) and 2D/3D motion graphics for broadcast and digital. We have in-house motion designers and collaborate with animation studios for larger projects. If you need a logo animated or a full explainer built from scratch, we can scope it.

Yes. If you have existing footage - from another shoot, a live event, archival material - we can take it through editorial, color grade, sound design and mix, and deliver broadcast or digital masters. You don't have to hire us to shoot in order to use our post team.

Standard delivery includes broadcast-ready masters (ProRes or H.264/H.265 depending on use), plus any format-specific cuts you need - 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, :15, :30, :60. We also deliver project files upon request. Everything goes through a QC pass before it leaves our hands.

A single-piece editorial with two rounds of revisions typically takes 2–3 weeks from picture lock to final delivery. More complex projects - multi-cut campaigns, color-intensive work, projects with heavy VFX or animation - take longer and we scope that explicitly. Rush delivery is available for an additional fee.

Yes. We produce SRT files and burn-in captions on request. For accessibility compliance or multilingual needs, we work with vetted subtitle and localization vendors to handle any language.

Yes. We are a credentialed and approved production vendor for several major healthcare systems and pharmaceutical companies. If you're an HCP communications team or a pharma agency, we're likely already familiar with your procurement process - or we can walk through yours quickly.

Yes. We've worked extensively with Medical, Legal, and Regulatory review teams. We know how to structure scripts and storyboards for MLR submission, how to document source claims for annotation review, and how to manage rounds of compliance feedback without blowing the production timeline.

Yes. We've produced consumer-directed pharmaceutical ads with full fair-balance requirements, including the audio and on-screen ISI (Important Safety Information) integration that DTC spots require. We understand the format standards and work closely with your regulatory team.

Yes. We manage the full compliance chain - HIPAA-appropriate release forms, substantiation documentation, claim support for regulatory use. We've produced both patient journey films and HCP testimonials for use in promotional, educational, and internal communications.

Yes - and we're good at it. We show up as part of your team, respect your client relationships, and don't take meetings or conversations your client wasn't meant to be in. Your name stays on the work. Our name stays off the invoice they see. We've been the invisible production arm for some of Chicago's best shops for years.

Usually we're brought in at the creative development phase, provide production input on what's shootable and at what cost, then execute through delivery. Some agencies hand us a locked script and need execution only - we can do that too. We flex to your process.

Absolutely. Reach out through our contact form and we'll provide whatever documentation your procurement team needs - insurance certificates, W-9, vendor questionnaire responses, references. We're used to the process.