SummaryDEI has been a topic on this podcast before, we’ve recorded 3 episodes on the topic with Jessica Lopez in episode 52, with Karen Williams in Episode 47, and way back in episode 8 with Clair Carter-Ginn. While we were recording the live the episode at the Henry Stewart Photo Studio ops event in New York, we heard again during the Q&A session that this topic is still top of mind for many studio professionals. After our recording session in NY, Marc Katzin of Straub Collaborative and told Daniel about an effort that Straub was undertaking, a cultural style guide and defines DEI for Straub. Marc put Daniel in contact with Anna Schaum and they sat down to discuss this document, and what Straub is doing support DEI efforts across the organization, and how it impacts each employees day to day. Key TakeawaysStraub Collaborative has been developing a "Culture Style Guide" since 2020 to help guide the cultural values of Straub and it's employees. The process truly started in 2016 with the presidential election in the United States. The result of that election was a significant departure for contemporary American politics and created a lot of feelings in people across the political spectrum. Straub noticed tensions in the workplace increasing, and experienced an uptick in negative interactions.Anna's background as a therapist helped her identify the need to give the team at Straub tools they could use to communicate and interact more effectively.As this was in progress, during the summer of 2020, George Floyd was murdered by police officers in Minneapolis. This event precipitated a long, global conversation about race and racism, and we saw many brands and retailers expressing support for black Americans. Following these events, Straub's customers were asking about DEI statements and to express their values. The project really took off when Elizabeth Semple joined the Straub team as VP of Human Resources. The culture team at Straub was developed out of interviews with employees around the mission and values of Straub. The Cultural Style Guide is in 3 parts - Part 1 outlines how straub defines DEI. Part 2 covers inclusive language and part 3 covers diversity in model casting. Links CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryRhea Pappas joins Daniel to talk about the benefits and pitfalls of remote retouching. We learned some valuable lessons during COVID about how to operate remote production teams and there is a lot of benefit to widening your available labor pool and use remote retouchers. Really it all boils down to developing relationships based on communication and trust. Key TakeawaysTrust and communication are critical for effective remote workflows. Defining standards and then automating everything possible. This is an excellent basis for reducing waste in any process, but when dealing with remote teams it becomes and absolute necessity. There are some challenges that need to be solved for: Color and Retouching Notes. Some notes and tasks can be standardized, but there are still one off requirements that need to be communicated IN CONTEXT.  Color requires a bit more finesse, hiring standards and training. We've set it before, and we'll say it again: include post teams in all phases of the production process or input and improvements. Daniel's Professional Tenet: Be aware of the work that you create for other people, and try to reduce it whenever possible. If you have to create extra work for someone you owe them an explanation. CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryWe talk a lot on this podcast about the current state of e-commerce product photography. In particular, the studio process, where we control everything. All or most variables are accounted for and we have all the tools we may need to get the job done. Sometimes though, we have to take the show on the road. While most of us creative production professionals are no stranger to the location shoot, taking a dialed in studio process on the road is a bit different. Guest Don Reed of Saks 5th Avenue and Daniel each have stories of situations where they needed to take the show on the road in order to get the job done. CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryThis is episode 64 of the e-commerce content creation podcast and Daniel is unpacking his terrible fear of changing technology with Conrad Sanderson. If there’s anyone who understands the relationship between change and fear, it’s probably Conrad, while he’s not a licensed therapist or anything, his career has spanned many changes in the technology that drives our industry and his job has taken him halfway around the world, moving back and forth across the US, and now across the Atlantic to Germany. We unpack the fears that creep up when we start to talk about what the future holds for creative production teams, and how we can meet them rationally, and see them for what they are, an opportunity.The instagram account Daniel reference's in the episode belongs to Peter Tarka, @petertarkaCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryIn this episode Daniel is joined by Larry Gerrard, studio leader at Gymshark. If you have a pulse and are active at all on Social Media, we're certain that you’ve heard of Gymshark. An absolute favorite brand amongst fitness influencers, Gymshark has experienced incredible growth over the last several years, and we connected with Larry to talk about his approach to building the right foundation to make sure his studio team is supported. CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryJoining Daniel for this episode is Ashley Snarski of Medline. At Medline, Ashley manages the post production teams but with a bit of a twist, as part of the e-comm content team, and not as part of the production process which is more typical in our industry. Ashley shares with us a bit about how this org structure came about, and what impact it has had on their workflow and speed to web. CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryOn May 4th 2022 The E-commerce Content Creation Podcast was recorded in front of a LIVE audience at Photo Studio Operations 2022 in New York City hosted by Henry Stewart Events. Recording an episode in front of a live audience is something we have wanted to do since virtually day one of this show, and this event in New York was the perfect opportunity. David Hice of Aritzia joins me for a second round as a guest and we dig a little deeper into some of the topics from his first episode as well as take audience questionsKey TakeawaysThis episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Henry Stewart Events Photo Studio Operations 2022.Daniel learned not to clip his lav mic to a name badge lanyard, sorry Calvin.Know you KPIs! A project managers mindset for the studio requires a deep understanding of the capabilities of your studio and how that capability impacts studio KPIs. Granularity in your metrics can be difficult to achieve, but provide deep value to studio leadership in order to forecast production throughput. This information can help inform the "Why." Why the studio can or can't do something, and help your cross functional partners understand the impact of the ask. Insulating your creatives (to an extent) can help protect their ability to create without getting bogged down in non-value added processes. We need to do a better job of learning what is creative and what is technical. Creatives sometimes get wrapped up in technical processes and mistaking it for a creative process. Anything we can do to reduce certain touch points, and remove the possibility for parts of the process to fail, can help enhance the creative parts of the process. CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummarySean Arbabi joins Daniel on the podcast to talk about the relationships and disconnects that can happen between the studio and adjacent stakeholders. Sometimes you need a "zoomed out" that can help build fluency between departments and allow for more effective communication and facilitate problem solving. Key TakeawaysIts all about inputs and outputs, and being aware of what impacts you have downstream, along with what upstream processes impact you. Saying "I don't know" is powerful. You don't need to know and you're doing a disservice by trying to knowThe "Fake it til you make it" attitude can exacerbate thisReal talk: The relationship between studio and merch team can sometimes be complicated. On this podcast we love our merch partners, but sometimes there is a lack of understanding of how a studio operates and that the approach to imaging requires the same type of project management as any other department. When you aren't willing to say "I don't know" you risk oversimplifying someone else's role, and that can lead to friction and problems. CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryProject Management as a discipline isn’t exactly second nature to many studio teams around the world, but employing a bit of project management thinking can help inform studio stakeholder relationships, and set your studio up for success. David Hice of Aritzia joins Daniel for this episode to talk about exactly this. ReminderYou can save $100 off your registration fee for the Henry Stewart Events Photo Studio Ops Forum 2022 in New York City on May 4 with discount code CONTENTPOD100. We will be recording a live episode of the show at the event. Hope to see you there!Register HereKey TakeawaysEven in 2022, the idea of the studio as a magic box persists. Project management thinking and communication can help alleviate this. A note on scaling - scaling can go both ways. Build process that can scale up AND down when the needs arise. A clear understanding of KPIs and how to measure them is critical to the project management mindset. The studio needs to know what it can and cannot do and articulate that clearly. Constructive feedback on the complexity of creative requests can be very helpful to stakeholders understanding what is or is not possible. This mindset can also lead to allowing creatives to CREATE more than they manage. The right tools can build fluency and unify the language in the studio. CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryThis episode features an event preview with Stacey Tyrell discussing her session at the Henry Stewart Photo Studio Operations 2022. Daniel runs down some select highlights in the agenda and then interviews Stacey about her session which will kick off the event. ReminderYou can save $100 off your registration fee for the Henry Stewart Events Photo Studio Ops Forum 2022 in New York City on May 4 with discount code CONTENTPOD100. We will be recording a live episode of the show at the event. Hope to see you there!Register Here CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryLast week our episode featured some high level discussion about automation in the studio with Marc Berenson. This week Marc is back and he brought friends! In a first for this show we had 4 guests, the team at Stanley Black and Decker that Marc worked with to find ways to automate their repetitive tasks, and save time and effort. As Dan Berzak, head of this efficiency team,  tells us, it’s about leveling not only the playing field, but your own expectations on what you can do. ReminderYou can save $100 off your registration fee for the Henry Stewart Events Photo Studio Ops Forum 2022 in New York City on May 4 with discount code CONTENTPOD100. We will be recording a live episode of the show at the event. Hope to see you there!Register HereKey TakeawaysBuilding off of episode 56, we talk to the team that built a useful and accessible automation system.One of the keys to success this team learned is to make scripts and actions as modular as possible.Level the playing field, find the lowest common denominator. Don't get too specific.If you can get 100 assets 50% of the way to completion with automation, thats better than getting 1 asset 100% of the way.Leveraging tools the studio had already, the team was able to improve accessibility to images, speed up the review process, and provide updates in real time.The team learned not to overuse tools in each platform, so as not to bake in to many changes.Thinking of the entire process as additive is a great way to prevent overcooking your images.Marc theorizes that the future of Photoshop actions may be actions that are triggered by keywords or other metadata.CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryWe’ve talked a lot on this podcast about agility, scalability and automation. It can sometimes sound like a huge undertaking to pivot a large in-house studio towards automated processes. Automation doesn’t have to be a huge project. Automation can begin with the tools any studio is using today. Marc Berenson joins Daniel on the podcast for this episode to talk about some of his learnings during his time at Stanley Black and Decker, and what he’s been working on since. ReminderYou can save $100 off your registration fee for the Henry Stewart Events Photo Studio Ops Forum 2022 in New York City on May 4 with discount code CONTENTPOD100. We will be recording a live episode of the show at the event. Hope to see you there!Register HereKey TakeawaysElevate the right people above the process, to assess the workflow, tools involved, and any existing scripts or automations being used ad hoc. Build your automation like bricks in a wall. Make a good foundation and build from there. It's possible to take automation too far, don't overdo it. If unexpected things are happening, you need a way out quickly. Leverage the possibilities you have today. Then you standardize and now it's beginning to scale. Stay tuned for part 2 with Marc where we meet the team involved in their scrappy automation efforts and talk about what they found. CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryOver the last year, we've learned a lot by doing this podcast. Discussing topics covering creation production, through all stages of the process and with key stakeholders, we've started to develop a better understanding of the evolution of creative production and that's helped us make some educated guesses about where the future might take the industry. Recently Daniel had the opportunity to discuss some of the history and future of e-commerce content creation with CBU Photography program's senior class, and in this solo episode of the show, he goes a little deeper on the industry of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Key TakeawaysCreative Production for the modern e-commerce company is just starting to mature.We are just now getting to the point where we have 10+ year veterans of these specific processes in the industry. Will we begin to see specific technical programs related to creative operations? Probably. Brands and Retailers have realized the strategic advantage that their production processes represent. We are shifting from cost center to having strategic value, even in some cases to profit driver. The future of e-commerce will be ushered in by the creative teams, the make up of the teams may look different, the titles may be different, but it will be todays photographers, stylists, digitechs, graphic designers and artists that usher in the next era.CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryHow much photoshop is too much? At one point does image retouching become dishonest or unethical? These questions in similar form have been around, since even well before digital took over photography. In todays world it can be hard to have a conversation on this topic that includes the kind of nuance required to really understand where the line is. Mercedes Castaneda joins Daniel for this episode and they do their best to deliver nuance and thoughtfulness in a roughly 30 minute episode. Key TakeawaysThere has been a persistent and passionate conversation about retouching in media and what it does to our senses. While it's hard to have a nuanced conversation about it sometimes, the answer isn't always the same, context is important. Mercedes' rule of thumb is "Is this thing temporary?" A temporary skin blemish, and out of place hair, these are temporary and become distractions in a still image. Consent plays a roll in how much change occurs in post, and what types of changes occur. When talking about celebrities, they may have a lot of control over the retouching and in some cases push for some extensive changes. Even if you want to present a natural beauty in your photography, there are many reasons why an image still needs to be retouched. There are technical limitations to what a camera can see or what it shows us, that needs to be corrected in post because of how can impact perception. Production constraints can also lead to an image requiring more post. A studio shooting a whole bunch of eye shadow colors, but only book 2 models and not every color may work. In this case you may want to adjust skin tones or eye colors to coordinate better with the product. One good rule of thumb may be "can you explain why you changed this?" If you can answer it, you're probably in the clear. Working with intention most likely means you will avoid being guilty of over-manipulation. ResourcesMercedes Castaneda on LinkedInHenry Stewart Photo Studio Ops New YorkFLOW New York - PixelzCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryChristopher Kern is Program Lead and Assistant Professor of Photography at CBU in Riverside, CA. Chris joins Daniel to discuss the program, the students, the studio he's built out for teaching and chat about their shared backgrounds growing up in Riverside. Key TakeawaysChris' passion for photographic education stems from his own background, pursuing an MFA in commercial photography.CBU photography focuses not only on teaching students how to be photographers, but how to maintain and relevant and impactful portfolio in order to enter the job market as competitive as possible."The magic is not in the medium [...] most of us are in love with photography because imagery that made us feel"Photography is a tool to investigate curiosities, build worlds, and  express ourselvesCBU's footprint is about the same as USC in Los AngelesCBU Photography lives off site in an industrial complex familiar to many photo studio prosThe program makes photography as accessible as possible to students from all overResourcesSupport the CBU Photography ProgramLearn about the programCBU Photography on InstagramCBU Photography on LinkedinCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryArt Director Jessica Lopez joins Daniel to go deep on inclusive casting for e-commerce. The discussion ranges from the current state of inclusiveness in e-commerce media, to the ground we have yet to cover, to what future technology might enable for shoppers of all shapes, sizes, abilities, and needs. Key TakeawaysInclusion has become a much bigger topic in recent years, but we can really expand and embrace a broader definition of inclusive.Some brands have been at the forefront of inclusion and going so far as to give the user a choice of what skin tone and body type they would like to see. While there are some agencies that specialize in adaptive model talent, they are few and there is an opportunity for new agencies in the industry that can advance this effort. Campaigns have often used non-traditional models, but sometimes it can be seen as tokenism, especially when the product offering is inaccessible to certain people or communities, or its used to generate buzz. Ecomm is still often left out of the diversity initiatives, sticking with a certain type and size of model. ResourcesJessica Lopez on LinkedInCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryIn this episode Daniel recaps the FLOW Event at Hudson Loft in Los Angeles. Creative Force sister company Pixelz hosted the event and organized an excellent slate of speakers. Daniel takes you through the day and includes brief interviews recorded onsite at the end of the event. Key TakeawaysAre you using technology for technologies sake, or is it truly adding value?TROVE believes that people, products, and brands have stories, and stories are culture. Brands can capitalize on this idea as well as billions of dollars in resale revenue by controlling more of the resale of their products. Sef Mccullough presented on the science of creativity and the effect that viewing imagery has on how our brains organize information. Daniel sat down with Sef for a few minutes after the event. Benjamin Grimes, past guest of this podcast, presented on new and emerging technologies for the e-commerce studio. Fascinating to hear from Ben what some of the trends have been in equipment purchases over the last few years. Ryan Roberts of Pixelz moderated an excellent round table discussion on planning from pre-pro to post.  Mercedes Castaneda, Erin Pederson, Jason Wheeler contributed. ResourcesFLOW New York - May 5, 2022 - Save the dateCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryMark Stock of The Very Group returns for a discussion on the future of relatable content in a post-covid world. Customers that were previously hesitant to shop online have become quite savvy over the last two years of almost exclusively shopping online, and our content has reflected the values that we all found solace in during a traumatic world event. Now that we seem to be moving past the COVID era, how do we as content creators respond?Key TakeawaysIn direct response to COVID, many retailers and their studios did what they could to keep commerce moving, shooting at home, letting go of the perfection of the merchandised studio shot and embracing an aesthetic that was more real.Relatable and authenticity could be here to stay for a while, as the world slowly begins to open up again.Focusing on the customer journey, and being authentic could be a trend that we see a lot in e-commerce.If there's one thing we've learned, it's to be forward facing. Expect everything.  Be brave and try things.Video is going to be BIG for the future of relatable content.Data can help drive some relatable content efforts, but you have to be careful because data can lead to content that lacks emotion.Daniel made too many movie references.ResourcesHenry Stewart - Creative Operations London 2022CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryUser generated content probably isn't going away, certainly not after it became a critical part of a content strategy for many retailers in the pandemic era. But the current state of gathering, processing, reviewing and approving UGC is manual, slow, and comes with risks sometimes. Vyrill aims to change that. Ajay Bam, CEO and co-founder of Vyrill joins the show today to talk about the platform they've developed that uses "in-video search" to tag user generated videos with the content thats in them, making the videos easily searchable for almost any enterprise or customer facing application. The implication of this technology are vast for the e-commerce world, so don't miss this episode. Key TakeawaysVideo isn't going anywhere. 700 million hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute. More video content is being uploaded in 30 days than what major television networks in the US have created in the past 30 years.Vyrill solves the problem of how to catalog the actual content of a video, and then makes it all searchable. Users can search from influencer or brand videos of a product they are thinking about buying, and search to find segments of the video that shows features they are interested it. Vyrill has capability to crawl videos to find videos that feature a brand or product, and can gain key insights about the video that brands can use to leverage for marketing, product development and content needs. Vyrill also has a platform that allows brands to license user generated videos for use on their website. Vyrill also provides meaningful and deep insights into engagement into videos For the record, we were not paid by Vyrill for this episode. This is genuinely a powerful tool with the possibility to dramatically improve your video marketing strategy and effectiveness. Vyrill can also provide competitive intelligence, and find out what people like or dislike about your competitors. ResourcesVyrill on the webVyrill at Tech CrunchCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryPositivity is a powerful tool. Keeping a positive attitude can make or break just about any situation we might find ourselves in. This is equally as true in a photo studio as anywhere else. Cathi Singh is one of the most positive people I know and as a result, is a beloved figure on every crew we've worked together (it also helps to be an extremely talented make up artist). Cathi and I discuss her approach to keeping a positive attitude on set, why its so important to protect our emotional state when creating content, and her go-to methods for keeping calm and carrying on. Key TakeawaysMakeup artists have a special skill, to create a bubble of calm in an otherwise chaotic situation. In a photo studio, this is a valuable resource that should be protected. Positivity isn't always being chipper and upbeat, a big part of developing this skill is to have incredible self-awareness and know how to read the room. Even for the most positive person, a bad day can be really bad. Have tools to help get you through, such as removing yourself momentarily from the situation. Expectation setting can go a long way toward protecting an attitude of positivity. Ask the right questions and feel confident that the answers are clear. Ego is one of the biggest killers of positivity on set. The crew must all work together to achieve their goals, there is no room for ego. ResourcesCathi Singh on the WebCathi Singh on InstagramCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryDiversity, Equity, and Inclusion in e-commerce has been a topic that we’ve wanted to explore on this podcast since almost day one. During and following the George Floyd protests in the summer of 2020, many brands and retailers acknowledged the events by posting imagery in support of our friends and neighbors who’d had enough of not being heard. When I met my guest for this episode, Photo Art Director Karen Williams, I thought the conversation would focus on that, how diverse and inclusive was the content itself. It quickly become apparent that we needed to talk about the diversity of the crews creating the content. From there, it’s really hard to have the conversation about team diversity if we aren’t talking about opportunity also. Specifically, how we can create more opportunities for a more diverse team that makes our content better. Key TakeawaysDEI (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion) are important in all facets of work, but with content creation, its important not to simply consider the diversity or inclusiveness of your model casting, or what appears in the media itself, but the diverse perspectives of the crew as well. This can be a challenge, because people tend to bond on shared experiences and common interests. People tend to want to be around others with those common connections. This can create a challenge when building a diverse team. The crew imparts a lot of itself on the content, and that can in and of itself create perspective issues when creating content. It's hard to talk about diversity without touching on opportunity. Do opportunities exist in your studio for a diverse set of people to excel and succeed? Or even get a shot at trying?Building a foundation that creates opportunity can be very difficult, especially at legacy retailers or brands that don't necessarily have DEI baked into their policies. Equipping managers to be effective moderators of conversation can be one way to ensure that diverse perspectives aren't being overlooked. ResourcesKaren Williams on LinkedInHow to Become a Diverse and Inclusive E-commerce BrandCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryIt might seem kind of unusual to have an episode about Customer Success for our podcast, after all this is a podcast about creative production, not sales or SaaS or some of the other things you might think of when you hear the term Customer Success. But think about it like this. At the end of the day, customer success is really about asking the right questions, expectation setting, and continuous improvement. Being the person or team that asks “Why?” in order to determine what is the root cause and what is a symptom. Our Guest for this episode is Ryan Roberts, Customer Success Director, North America for Pixelz. We talk about all of these ideas, and we discuss how Customer Success connects with and overlaps other customer touch points, and what their ongoing role is in ensuring customers keep coming back. Key TakeawaysWhat is Customer Success? In the modern age of SaaS style companies, customer success is about retaining customers beyond the initial sale, and making sure that your service is adding value to your customers, and retaining them for the long term.Definitions of success can change from day to day. It's about priorities and expectations.In a service business, success is deeply personalized by the customer.The modern take on customer success was born out of the rise of Salesforce. Salesforce realized that without retention, continually adding customers would eventually reach a dead end.It's not exclusive to software or SaaS. Anyone contract based business should concern themselves with the success of their customers.You're always in a sales position with a company like this.Customer Success is also about remembering to remove the bandaids. Use root cause analysis to drill down and uncover the why, to understand the correct solution.The goal for a customer success manager at Pixelz is to figure out how things can be better for a customer.ResourcesPixelz FLOW EventPixelz.comRyan Roberts on LinkedInCustomer SuccessCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryImagine a world where a creative director walks over to a workstations and says “We need a family, two parents and two kids, sitting down playing a game together.” The person at the workstation punches a few keys, adjusts a few things, and boom, out comes a unique image that is exactly what the creative director asked for. Not a mock up, not a set of casting photos. The complete image, ready for use because you already own the license. You paid to license the technology, the algorithm that uses an ever growing library of hundreds of thousands of images (which also have been properly licensed) to generate this unique imagery. Our guest for this episode, Mark Milstein is Chief Operating Officer of a company called vAIsual and with the tech they’ve developed you may not have to imagine this world much longer. Key TakeawaysvAIsual is a company that has created an algorithm and interface that creates entirely synthetic "models." These people do not exist in the real world, and are available for licensing without the legal considerations that come with hiring a real world model.This technology can and will manifest in a lot of ways - SaaS, PaaS, and white label services are all in the future of this technology.vAIsual shoots hundreds of thousands of images of real people every year. These individuals have signed model releases that release the rights of their biometrics to the company in order to be used as reference for the generations of synths.The e-commerce photographer of the future may become something more of a synthographer, able to leverage their skills to generate content exactly in line with the creative brief.This technology could allow for the extreme localization of content, allowing global brands to easily represent the various demographics they serve.ResourcesvAIsual on the webMark Milstein on LinkedInKoreas First Virtual InfluencerThese are the first 100% AI generated stock photos of peopleCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryKevin Mason of studio workflow is back for another round to discuss Process Improvement. We start at the beginning, how do we get the perspective we need to evaluate the process, and the how do we drill down from there. Spoiler alert, many recurring themes that you’ve heard on this show play into success process review. Not the least of which is how we set and communicate business, studio, and individual goals.Key TakeawaysA studio is an ecosystem of sorts, with a lot of different types of people and talent, and sometimes priorities compete. That's why leadership needs to sometimes make decisions that may impact parts of the team. Clear communication is key to understand and smooth improvement process. Individual goals that align with studio goals that align with business goals are vital to effective process improvement or change. Teams need to understand the "why."Get a birds eye view of the process. A process map is a great start, but be sure to also walk the floor, and compare what you see against the process map.If your studio doesn't have a process map, just start documenting what is currently happening. Follow the product. Offer opportunities to your team to Job Shadow. Your process benefits from everyone in the studio understanding what happens upstream and downstream. A powerful tool to determine how current processes are functioning is to ask each task what a successful day looks like for them individually. ResourcesStudio Workflow on the WebKevin Mason on LinkedinCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryThink back to 2015 and you may remember, The Dress. A viral phenomenon that taught us a lot about how we as humans perceive color. As a photographer during that time, it sort of felt like watching the world learn a lot about what we already knew. Color can be deceiving and you never know what someone else ACTUALLY sees. In e-commerce, color is a constant topic, partially for this exact reason. If we can’t control what devices people are using to shop, let alone how their eyes work, how much effort should we put into this? In this episode I’m joined by Jean Francois Ortiz and Jason Wheeler of Columbia Sportswear and we dig into color for e-commerceKey TakeawaysColor accuracy and fidelity has been a topic since the birth of e-commerce and digital photographyColor is so difficult to manage because of the sheet number of variables that are involved, both in terms of technology and how digital systems interpret colorEarly on in the modern e-commerce age, the available technology made color accuracy very difficult. Cameras were lower resolution and monitors couldn't display the full spectrum of color for web.As technology progresses, color accuracy gets easier to achieve but also becomes more important to pay attention to.There are stills issues even as technology streamlines, such as display brightness or features like night mode or blue light mode.The human eye only sees 3 colors of the spectrum and has to depend on our brains to interpret the colors. Who can say if we all see it exactly the same.A key goal of the studio teams shooting product photography is to help the customer trust that what we are showing them is true and accurate.For the studio, this becomes about simply having a consistent process that handles color the same way every time.Color accurate swatching - A step with special tools and teams that can take the time to create an image that is as color accurate as possible.Color is a headache that will never go away, but we can find a process that works and is repeatable in order to build consistency.ResourcesMetamerism - Two objects whose colors appear the same under a light sourceThe DressX-Rite Color TestCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryRob Regovich of Malouf Companies joins Daniel to take on the topic of planning for your studio in the face of disruption. We touch on the core challenges of planning for any studio, how your team and studio size impact the planning process, on how data and analytics plays a role in this. Key TakeawaysThe single biggest planning problem for a studio is getting the sample in the studio. Before any other factors caused further delays, simply knowing when the sample would be received was already difficult. Studio size also has an impact on planning. How much capacity does a studio have, how much can a studio produce. Balancing full time team, with the ability to expand with freelance talent can have an impact on planning and timing. Consider your samples teams the lynchpin of your studio. Effective sample or merchandise coordinators must be fluent in the languages of all stakeholders involved in getting samples to the studio. Experienced sample teams can get way ahead of problems before the issue hits the creative teams. Data collection and planning are critical to planning. And you need GOOD data, that spans long periods, because outliers in production are often and have outsized impactResourcesRob Regovich on LinkedinMalouf Companies on LinkedInCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryTejs Rasmussen, Chief Product Officer of Creative Force sits down to talk about the growth of the platform in the last year, and what 2022 may hold for the product and for the Creative Force team. Key TakeawaysCreative Force launched a brand new module for editorial production, built from the ground up and put the company right back in the chaos of learning what works and what doesn'tThere were many updates to Creative Force in 2021 that were intended to enhance the logic of the platform. A big workflow update to Creative Force is color reference logic, which is now best in class in creative production. Conditional Style Guides and Production Types was a big improvement over the previous iteration, that allows for much smarter construction of a studios production needs. Aside from the tech, Creative Force as a team and a company has grown a lot in 2021. The company was bought out by the founders, COVID impacted our ability to recruit so we had to pivot to growth in other ways. ResourcesCheck out past release notes from Creative Force hereTejs Rasmussen on LinkedInCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryFeedback is a gift. It can be scary, it can be hard, but when given in good faith it helps us learn, grow, and can make us feel good about the work that we’ve done. For this Christmas week episode of the e-commerce content creation podcast, Daniel is joined by Terence Mahone of Farfetch to discuss the gift of feedback. Even though it can be hard, if the goal of the team is growth, it is absolutely possible to have a culture where feedback is welcome and appreciated. Key TakeawaysFeedback is often thought to be exclusively negative, when in reality feedback can be a gift.Feedback at its core is information, and asking for more information to better form your opinion is valuable when giving and/or receiving feedback.Feedback should always be specific. Generic feedback amounts to a personal opinion and isn't always the best tool for growth.SBI - Situation Behavior Impact - A feedback format that encourages more meaningful information to help with giving GOOD feedback.Creating a culture that thrives on feedback changes how people approach cross functional projects or relationshipsTimeliness of feedback is crucial, if only because the more time passes, the harder it is to remember.Feedback can become a barometer for culture and communication in a team or org. If feedback is difficult, maybe there are some communication gaps that need to be filled.Like all things, we get better at feedback if we practice it. If you only give feedback a little bit once a year, you can't really expect to be good at it.we LIKE to hear things that tell us our colleagues believe in us, and want to see us grow.Difficult feedback needs to go through a manager, but peer to peer feedback can be really valuable provided the studio culture allows for it.Keeping a record of feedback can be important for a manager, to help facilitate growth, but also to give their next manager an idea of the accomplishments and areas of an improvement for a direct report.Keeping good records and meeting notes with your employees also eases the performance review process each year.ResourcesSBI FeedbackSTAR Feedback ModelTerence Mahone on LinkedInCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryPhillip Kirst, founder of Spice Media, joins Daniel to talk about efficiency. Everything from starting small to measuring and evaluating, to fostering process improvement from your team. Key TakeawaysEfficiency is ever-evolving. Experience and heuristics helps find efficiencies in your process.Low hanging fruit or big wins aren't the only way to get efficient. Small improvements in the aggregate can have huge impacts on overall savings.Seconds saved on several thousand pictures has a big return.Commercial studios have to balance many factors that dictate how efficient they can be. Client specific needs can change the calculus.There isn't ONE thing you need to do to achieve an efficient process. But it does start with selecting the right team. A curious team is a team that creatively solves problems to achieve shared goals.You cannot manage you do not measure.Getting data isn't only important, but how you collect the data makes a difference.CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryCreative Force senior product specialist James Lewis joins Daniel in this clip show style look back at a few topics from the past year on the podcast. We listen to and discuss clips on KPIs, strategic planning, continuous improvement, and more!Clip ListUnderstanding and Supporting your Creative Teams with Tony Baker of Stitch FixProcess vs Product with Scott Willson of PatagoniaMaking the Case for Continuous Improvement with Terence Mahone of FarfetchMetrics That Run Your Studio with Todd Schweikert of Rue Gilt GroupeCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryJoining Daniel for this episode is JR Curley, VP of Brand Marketing at Fab Fit Fun. We talk about what Social Media really means to e-commerce in the new era of selling online, how brands can leverage social listening to give their customers what they want, and why your Social Media teams need your support and investment. Key TakeawaysSocial Listening through data analysis and customer interactions can provide a lot of insight into what your customers value and what they want. In some cases, it can even replace more traditional methods of forecasting and merchandising. Interacting and having relationships with brands online has been and will continue to grow as the norm for e-commerce.The social media manager is a very important role with a lot of inherent risk. We need to shift our thinking away from someone who is younger and more digitally native, to a much more strategic role thats add a lot of value. Invest in this role accordingly.Social Media ties directly in to performance for a company.The analytics that we can derive from social is valuable and complex.In many ways, the social media team are spokespeople for your company.The various social media channels are sort of like different types of restaurants. They all serve food, and serve the same function, but there is a distinct tonal different between a high end restaurant and a fast casual eatery. You have to adjust your approach accordingly.Synergy amongst the departments that NEED content is critical. Marketing, including social, need to have a productive and collaborative relationship with the studio and creative teams.Links & ResourcesJR on LinkedInFab Fit Fun on LinkedInFab Fit Fun on the WebThe Evolution of Social Media - Maryville UniversitySocial Media is the Current State of the InternetCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryOver the last 35+ episodes of this podcast, we’ve had a handful of book recommendations come up over the course of an episode. As we approach the holiday shopping season and begin to think about gifts for our family and friends, here are some book recommendations that may be just the thing.Key TakeawaysRadical Candor by Kim Scott - Available at Amazon or Bookshop.org4DX by CHris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling - Available at Amazon or Bookshop.orgThe Phoenix Project by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford- Available at Amazon or Bookshop.orgScrum by Jeff Sutherland and JJ Sutherland - Available at AmazonCalifornia Field Atlas by Obi Kaufman - Available at Amazon or Bookshop.orgMedallion Status by John Hodgman - Available at Amazon or Bookshop.orgThe Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez Alt - Available at Amazon or Bookshop.orgCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryMark Stocker is Senior Creative Manager for The Very Group, a collection of high volume retail brands based in Liverpool England. Mark was a speaker at the Henry Stewart Photo Studios Ops Forum back in October of 2021 and we invited him on this episode to discuss how the proverbial pendulum needs to (and is!) swing away from the lowest cost per shot possible, to a true strategic consideration capable of driving revenue in a more direct way. After all, it is the creative teams and the solutions they develop that will change the way we buy and sell digitally. Key TakeawaysIf there were a pendulum, with one side being "Profit Center" and the other side was "Cost Center" for Creative Production at any brand or retailer, the pendulum is probably headed to profit center. That means more investment in creative teams  and creative strategy, and moving away from the pursuit of lowest cost per shot.The time is now to focus on investing quality of creative.  The pandemic has forced to embrace EXTREME change in our processes and goals. We can save money now with our eyes closed.The power of the creative mind doesn't need to actually click the button to create. It will be todays photographers and stylists that will enable the next revolution of media and e-commerce creative.Investing in spaces is important to investing increasing quality.Links & ResourcesMark on LinkedInThe Very Group on LinkedInCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryKevin Mason has been in photography for a long time working for organizations like Amazon, TopShop TopMan, and most recently consulting in creative production with his company Studio Workflow. Kevin also has a degree in interior architecture, and having consulting on some big studio builds, Daniel sat down to discuss with him his approach to building a new space. Key TakeawaysIdentifying the space: Key stakeholders and members of the business unit should be involved as much as possible in choosing a space. The space matters a lot when it comes to physical workflows.You need clarity on what you're trying to achieve. Do you need more space to store product? Are you building a flagship studio to attract talent or brands?Like many things in business, understand your goals and identify ways to achieve them with your physical space.Evaluating your entire workflow to understand output and how it may improved, will have an impact on how many sets you may need in the new space.Art direction also plays a role in space needs. How much light control do we need? How high should the ceilings be?Do what you can to extend the brand experience into your studio. This helps your talent feel engaged WITH the brand while creating content FOR the brand. Links & ResourcesKevin Mason on LinkedInStudio Workflow LimitedForbes Article on Workspace Impact to EmployeesCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryRick Allen of Hogarth Australia joins the show to talk about the current biggest segment of computational assets in use today, the 360 spin, and we explore some other things the future might bring with regards to AR, VR, GAN Generated Imagery, and we talk a bit about Rozy, Korea's virtual influencer. Key Takeaways360 rotational assets seem to stop and start as content that brands want to use, but in some segments, like shoes and appliances, there is a clear benefit. AR will develop into technology that allows us to virtual try on items, perhaps even becoming an instore shopping feature, where we can check out items virtually to decide if we want to try them on physically. LED technology that create large backdrops that are actually screens (like The Mandalorian Soundstage) could come down in price enough to be feasible for an e-comm studio, creating a significantly more sustainable way to capture editorial content. Studios today should be preparing their pipelines for the data and processing needs of AR. We have yet to see what this technology can do for e-comm, but it could be a seismic shift in how we create content. Links & ResourcesRick Allen on LinkedInHogarth Australia on LinkedInRozy Oh - Korean Virtual InfluencerGAN ImageryCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

This upcoming weekend is Halloween here in the United States, and while some of our listeners won’t celebrate by going door to door with their kids asking for candy, we thought we’d put together this special episode of the e-commerce content creation podcast that we call Studio Nightmares.While there aren’t too many spooky stories that take place in a photo studio, there are plenty of embarrassing, funny, and otherwise very cringeworthy stories out there. This episode is a collection of some of these stories from friends, colleagues, and past guests of the podcast. Story Guide:Adam Queen: Don't Sail AwayJen Bakija - Beware of FansElizabeth Seronko - Hannah and AbigaleKimmy Snow - I ManneCAN'TDaniel Jester - Shredded

SummaryDoug Wallstrom of Vera Bradley joins Daniel in this episode to share some stories that highlight the unique ability of the in-house editorial team to overcome the unexpected and get the shots they need to move the business forward. Key TakeawaysAgency relationships are quite important to businesses big and small. Similarly, the in-house team  has it's own strengths that can help a business achieve it's content goalsThe ability to pivot creative, try new things,  test an idea to have something to show the C-Suite, are all things the in-house team can help with. Being able to decentralize a production, specifically spreading out key elements of a production to overcome adverse weather, can help institutionalize some of our industry learnings from the pandemic. Doug plead guilty to the studio crime of changing the playlist mid shoot. Since he changed it to The Clash, he was lightly sentenced to time served. Links & ResourcesVera Bradley on LinkedInThe Clash - London CallingCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryIn this episode Daniel discusses some take-aways and ideas following the Henry Stewart Photo Studio Ops Forum event that took place on October 5, 2021.Key Takeaways Put more focus on hiring the right team, then focus on retention.The idea that creative full time roles only stick around for 1-2 years doesn't HAVE to be reality, find ways to keep your team onboard. Employee turnover is waste, and training to backfill doesn't add valueWhen it comes to process and workflow, our physical space has an impact. Use something like a spaghetti map to review this. Unnecessary movements are also waste, and physical studio layouts should also employ lean ideas to improve workflow. We need to institutionalize our learnings from COVID. Business interruptions will happen again, whether its another pandemic or increasingly adverse weather due to climate change. Links & ResourcesHenry Stewart on the web - Many upcoming events, both virtual and liveCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryDanny Rickard of Cella pulls from his experience in video production to discuss video strategy with Chief Moneybags of Brand X.  In past episode of this podcast we've discussed standing up video, and the need to have a plan behind it. In this episode Danny helps us understand that strategy doesn't have to be scary, and can leave room for flexibility and experimentation. Key TakeawaysYou can think of your video strategy as a tool for not getting lost. It doesn't have to be a map, but a way to get back from a dead endDon't be afraid of testing and iterating. Build in a way to learn from the work you're doingIdentify your audiences, then identify what you want to show themUse your  strategy to understand who to hire and when. Not only full time team members, but working with agencies or freelance teams as wellHonesty about this type of strategy can help ensure you're hiring the right team membersLinks & ResourcesDanny Rickard on LinkedInCella's WebsiteCella on LinkedinIn-House Agency Video’s Transformative Moment by Danny Rickard on the Cella BlogCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryIn this "Deep Cuts" episode of the E-commerce Content Creation Podcast, we're rounding up all of the past guests of this show who will be speaking a the upcoming Henry Stewart Events Photo Studio Ops Forum 2021, on October 5th. No less than 7 past guests of this podcast will be speakers at the event and you can hear from them in this episode where we compiled a selection of clips.Key TakeawaysClip 1 is Clair Carter-Ginn from Episode 8, Casting in the New Age of E-commerceClips 2 and 3 are Carrie Crow from Episode 10, Guiding a Studio Through Hyper GrowthClips 4, 5, and 6 are Curren Calhoun from Episode 15, a Lean Approach to Technology in your StudioClips 7 and 8 are Colleen Moore from Episode 12, the Adaptable and Agile StudioClips 9 and 10 are Ali McLeod from Episode 13, Trust, Transparency, and FluencyClip 11 is Brian Guidry from Episode 2, Successful Outsourcing for your Lean Creative StudioLinks & ResourcesPhoto Studio Ops Forum 2021 - See the agenda and register here. CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryThis week Daniel is joined by Todd Schweikert, VP of Studio Production for Rue Gilt Groupe to discuss metrics and how to use them to support your team in day-to-day operations. Granular category level data in production can help you plan more accurately, but give you the ability to load balance when bottlenecks arise. Key TakeawaysUnderstanding what comes through your studio and how long it takes is invaluable data to run.Touch bases that rely on this data help keep teams on the same page and prevent silos from developing.Many of the ways the studio uses data come from the bottom up, ensuring that studio teams understand the information and how it impacts the operation of the studio.It's not enough to understand the data, but also what goes into it and how it's collected. Context is vital.Remember that your perspective is limited, and you need to include other perspectives to ensure across-the-board accountability.Performance metrics are a reflection of employee satisfaction.Links & ResourcesTodd Schweikert on LinkedInRue Gilt GroupeRue Gilt Groupe on LinkedinOpen Roles at Rue Gilt GroupeCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryDavid Iscove, Creative Technology Practice Lead at Cella, joins Daniel to take a high level look at how editorial content production fits into the marketing landscape. From our bird's-eye view of editorial content production and it's interface with marketing at large, we talk about the current state of marketing. We touch on how our creative production specific technology should interface with our stakeholders, and what we can unlock when effective communication and technology are in place. Key TakeawaysCella is a creative production industry consultation firm, specializing in large scale brands and retailers.Cella surveys the industry regularly to learn about what challenges large scale brands are encountering with creative production and marketing at large.With the increase in need for content across the ever expanding landscape of marketing channels, the need for insight into any one specific content request is greater than ever. Technology to support this for the production teams is an absolute necessity.Typical project management tools are generally too broad to be very effective as a studio production management tool. The data objects that go into a studio request explode in several different directions and require very specific tools to ensure effective management.To better support our marketing stakeholders, we need to aggregate data from a studio specific management tool to give visibility outside of the studio.Using the right tools and building the right communication lines can make it much easier to connect goals from the top level of the org down to individual departments and teams.We need to learn to think about the true asset lifecycle. The asset does not begin when the camera clicks or the designer saves the file. The asset begins at the request and ends after analytics around performance are captured and reviewed.David will be speaking as part of the Photo Studio Operations Forum 2021. Check the links below for more information. Links & ResourcesDavid Iscove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidiscove/Cella’s Website: Creative Staffing and Consulting | CellaCella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cella-inc/Photo Studio Operations Forum by Henry Stewart Events: Events Photo Studio Operations ForumGlossaryMarcom: Short hand for Marketing CommunicationsCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryReturn guest Clair Carter-Ginn joins Daniel to have an open ended conversation about content strategy in 2021 and beyond. In a post-pandemic world, after many organizations were pushed toward remote and hybrid work environments, a given business or C-level leadership group is primed to explore new ways of doing business. Key TakeawaysCOVID has given businesses and leadership a new perspective on what it means to be agile. We are seeing a new openness at the C-suite level to a new and bold future of how work gets done. The keys are communication, breaking down silos, and complete organizational alignment on goals. Adopting a clear scope of work can also drive alignment and  help facilitate remote and hybrid work. Clair is conference chair for the upcoming Photo Studio Ops 2021 web conference, put on by Henry Stewart Events. See link below for info and to register. Links & ResourcesPhoto Studio Ops Forum 2021Clair Carter-Ginn on LInkedinForecast Agency on LinkedinCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryIn this episode Daniel talks with Scott Willson of Patagonia about the unique difference of an e-comm studio when compared to an Editorial production. In an e-comm studio, it's all about building a process and allowing that to drive the product, images and videos produced at the end. In editorial, you make a plan, but ultimately the variables are too many, sometimes without a way to control them, so you adapt and react on the fly, in service of getting that shot you need. Key TakeawaysEffective studio teams and a well built process can make production look easy, because in the e-comm studio, you strive for as few interuptions or unexpected blockers as possible. Constantly reviewing the process, and anticipating and removing those blockers before they come up, is one of the keys to success for an e-comm studio that produces quality content. In editorial, planning is critical, but during the shoot, there is little time to do the same kind of root cause analysis of a given problem. You do what you need to do to keep production moving, to some extent, embracing chaos. As has come up on the show before, communication is critical in understanding how the unique nature of an e-comm studio  adds value.  When things are running well, it can look easy, but there still is a need for resources to help continue improving. Links & ResourcesScott Willson on LinkedInPatagonia on LinkedInPatagonia.comCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryI, Daniel Jester, in my position as Chief Moneybags of Brand X, have retained Shanna Ferris and Benjamin Grimes to consult with me and my company in order to build video capabilities to compliment our stills production studio. Benjamin Grimes brings his insight as General Manager of Samy's Camera CinemaWorks and Pro Sales, while Shanna Ferris shares her wealth of knowledge from her experience as a video operations specialist. Key TakeawaysSpace is a significant consideration for video. Everything from ambient light to ambient sound to power to temperature control all needs to be considered when identifying space for video production at scale.Building or renovating a space from the ground up gives you the most ability to get the right amount of power, the right lighting, and the right controls to set your studio up for success.Architectural lighting (overhead light fixtures) can be built to be used for video, using full spectrum video ready light fixtures.Consider not only video space, but storage space, workshop space for set building, space for storage of data, and video editor space requirements.Building infrastructure for remote art direction (and other work) up front can help mitigate business interruptions, but also more strategic decision making in your content. Emerging tech makes this more doable than ever.Your first hire should probably be a hands on leader with video experience. Some stills staff can be used, but you need that person whose hands on and has experience to initially lead the team. Something like a video creative director.As always, evaluating current processes is a great way to build a new process, including with hiring a new core team for video.Much of your equipment purchases are going to be similar to your still production. Lighting is the area where you want to be thoughtful. Changes have come so quickly in LED tech, it makes sense to learn about what could be coming.LED lights have effectively no measurable shelf life. The consideration really becomes output and modifiers.Camera movement is a huge unexpected cost. Moving the camera consistently over and over again gets expensive.The key to scalability of video production is using a data driven studio. Understanding what you've accomplished so far, and where you need to go in the context of business goals.Pulling still images from video footage is being tested and may be close to reality, as a way to integrate video and stills capture. Hollywood film and TV production often informs video production for e-commerce, which could mean technology like rendered backgrounds could come to the e-comm studio. Links & ResourcesSamy's CinemaWorksBenjamin Grimes on LinkedInShanna Ferris on LinkedInRead about The Mandalorian and Unreal EngineGlossaryThere were a ton of technical terms in this episode about video, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the information. Here's a handful of definitions to help, but you really don't need to be an expert in terms, hire the experts instead!Video Codec - software or hardware that compresses and decompresses digital video. Used to manage file size of video content or live streams. There are many different types of codecs for different use cases. Solid State Media - In the context of this podcast, a memory card. Full Spectrum Lighting - Light fixtures or bulbs that contain more than the typical light spectrum. Generally better color rendering and capabilities for creative production. CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryIn this episode of the show, Heather Johnson of Rent the Runway breaks down her approach to elevating the creative for Rent the Runway. They wanted to help their customers understand what Rent the Runway can help them achieve, and slowly started to change the creative direction a little at a time, to help the companies assets become more agile, while resonating more with their customers. Key TakeawaysRent the Runway was interested in moving their images from functional to more emotional, bringing the product more to life. They started small by adding some new styling guidelines within the existing art direction.When shifting to a more dramatic change, they started by setting goals around what the creative should do.  Not only what they WANTED to accomplish, but specifying what they AREN'T trying to do. Rent the Runway recognized that their images are one of the only ways to educate their customers about style and fit. Once goals were settled, they used free time in the studio to do a test shoot. Using the current studio processes, they were able to illustrate the vision for the new imagery, and understand how it impacts the current state of the studio. Studio teams, post production, and leadership all had opportunities to provide feedback on the test shoot. They used learnings from this test shoot and feedback process to adjust some lighting and process, with some different backgrounds. Rent the Runway had a goal of 35% image re-use (using in other channels aside from PDP), they are surpassing that goal, using PDP imagery in email campaigns, on social, etc. The elevated imagery helped brand partners of RTR feel more comfortable engaging in more strategic campaigns. Links & ResourcesHeather on LinkedInRent the Runway WebsiteCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryAdam Parkers returns to talk about reporting for your production studio. Adam is the author of KPIs, Reporting, and Dashboards for E-commerce Photo Studios found at CreativeForce.io/kpi-guide, and we talk about how to provide robust reports, relevant context, and key insights to all stakeholders inside of the studio and out. Key TakeawaysWhen it comes to senior leadership, serve your data up on a platter. Easy to digest and only include absolutely necessary context. Also, be prepared with more detailed information when/if you get questions. The KPI guide breaks down how to tie your reports back to leadership/org goals, and trace them all the way back to where to get the data. Building your reporting this way helps you easily contextualize and understand the background. Robust data and visibility to the data are what help teams succeed. You may meet some resistance to public studio dashboards, and you should definitely hear those concerns, but this is key to high performing teams. Be humble when making assumptions about data, and ask for insight from colleagues or others with a different perspective. Links & ResourcesKPI Guide4 disciplines of executionAdam Parker on LinkedInCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryIn part two of Daniel's conversation with Lindsey, we shift topics to sustainability in the studio. What is Trove doing day to day in the studio to support the overall company mission of sustainability and what can we look forward to in the future as new technologies allow us to make better decisions. Key TakeawaysLindsey and the studio team at Trove takes sustainability into account when making decisions for the studio. Things that shorten working time, and ideally are purchased second hand, are big wins for sustainability in the studio. The studio team tries to use every inch of a consumable before re-purposing to another use. Once foamcore are completely used up for styling, they become fill cards or V-flats, or are even used by the samples team to reinforce sample shelves. Even with re-use at front of mind, things have to get thrown out eventually. Trove is looking to sustainable production processes for consumable, like foamcore derived from mushrooms, etc. Reducing the lifecycle of items in the studio is another key sustainability effort. Get things in and out quick, so that it's not using resources of the studio. Links & ResourcesMushrooms are the new Styrofoam - New ScientistEcovative sees a Fungal Future for Fashion - Tech CrunchCreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com