The Creative Process Behind a Product Launch Video
Filming arc flash explosions in a short-circuit test lab has definitely been one of the coolest experiences we’ve had — but it almost didn’t happen. Why?
We weren’t sure how filming a standardized test would benefit the company:
If it passes — basically nothing exciting happens.
If it fails — things blow up (literally), and that’s definitely not making the cut.
The Value of Partnership
We’ve worked with Master Control Systems since 2012, routinely providing content for launches, tradeshows, rebrands, case studies — you name it, we’ve done it.
And on every occasion we’ve delivered films that add value to the company’s marketing strategy — one of the keys to any long-standing partnership.
But neither of us could (initially) put the puzzle pieces together on how filming a straight-forward lab test would benefit the company.
So instead of just filming for the sake of filming (and taking an easy paycheck), we told them unless we could find a story — we recommended saving their marketing dollars for something that would be a better fit.
So What Changed?
We kept hunting.
We looked at the puzzle pieces, turned them over and remixed them to see what we could find.
And eventually we found the key was adding a puzzle piece: let’s get Master to bring an extra controller to show what would happen without the invention.
Notice the black marks on the wall? Arc Flash is no joke.
From here, we crafted and pitched the following story:
Describe the Problem. Grab the attention of our target market (engineers, contractors and building owners) by addressing their primary pain point: shutting down an entire building to maintenance a controller.
Build Suspense + Expertise. Share the scope and scale of the test via an interview with the inventor — if it works, it could save lives, time and a LOT of money. If it fails, well…the controller would blow up.
Simplify the Solution. Because we’re talking to a few different markets, the interview can also serve to make the invention accessible and easy to understand.
Show the Successful Test. After establishing the stakes and technical expertise, we can show the solution — which looks fairly uneventful. Exactly what we wanted…because now we can juxtapose that with:
What Would Happen Without the Invention. Because a successful test would look uneventful, we had Master bring in a spare controller to demonstrate what would happen without their invention. Answer: ka-boom.
So by withholding the ‘most exciting’ part (seeing stuff blow up without our client’s invention), we get audiences familiar with the problem to learn about the product — all while re-emphasizing the importance it.
That's the power of partnership.
President and Electrical P.E. of Master Control Systems on site.
Want to connect on a project? Email us at karl@journeymenstudios.com
Want value? This case study earned our client a $150k job within 7 days.
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Journeymen Studios is a Los Angeles based video production studio focused on creative partnership. For more insightful content + strategy, follow us on Instagram or sign up for our monthly newsletter.
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