Richter was asked to create a series of 9 training videos, all needing to be scripted, cast, shot, edited and completed within a few short weeks. Oh, and they also needed to be in three languages.
The wild ride started at the end of May, as Richter was wrapping up another video project for Nature’s Sunshine. It had gone smoothly and our respective teams were working very well together. That’s when a Nature’s Sunshine executive contacted Ben (VP Sales) with a project in mind.Could we create a series of 9 training videos, each up to three minutes in length?No problem!Could we ensure they were consistent in branding and feel throughout the series, so as to flow one to the next?Absolutely - that's a Richter specialty!They also each needed to be translated from English to French and Spanish. We could take care of that.The final piece? The deadline for all videos was June 5 - less than 2 weeks away.Given the fact that the typical production time for one video is 4-6 weeks, this presented a challenge the likes of which we have rarely seen. A challenge the Richter team would relish.
Rather than cry “impossible,” Ben called a meeting with our creative team leaders. The challenge was laid before them, and the topic of that call was finding answers to two simple questions.Can we pull this off?Can we do it and not have any interruptions in service to our many other clients?Jessica (Richter’s VP Creative), Nick (lead animator), and Jodie (Client Liaison) put their heads together and came up with a plan. It would take all-nighters. It would mean a group effort of every person in our creative team working together, and it would literally have to go off like a Swiss watch…but it could be done.
We did it! The videos were completed in time, on budget, and more beautifully than anticipated. The truth is, the story of how it was pulled off isn’t one of a quick trick, a “bright idea” that would save time, or of cutting corners. It came down to detailed planning, impeccable cooperation from Nature’s Sunshine, and most of all the Richter creative team - every writer, animator and editor - lending their shoulder to the wheel and getting it done.
Richter's lead copywriter, Greg Ward, was the only man for the job and turned out the scripts required in record time. Our voiceover artists and audio editor, Cal Henry, worked all hours of the day to record voiceovers and turn around edits within hours of them being requested, and a team of six different animators worked as one to pull off the impossible.
"One of the biggest challenges was not only the time, but consistency. The animators did an amazing job - everyone was collaborating and sharing files. If one thing shows up in video one, they shared it to make sure it was consistent throughout the series. Between 6 different people, we created a series of videos that went together perfectly. You can watch them back-to-back and they flow seamlessly."
Nick Greenlee Richter Lead Animator
To say that, as a company, Richter is proud of the miracle our creative team worked would be a huge understatement. The takeaway of this project is a simple one: if you have a project, Richter will get it done. You can count on it.