Taking visual storytelling from London to the world

In today’s digital age, video content has emerged as one of the most powerful tools in a venture’s arsenal to increase brand awareness, build a loyal customer base, and drive sales targets. According to a recent Shopify editorial, 89% of consumers say they have been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video. The impact of video is undeniable, making it a cornerstone of any comprehensive marketing strategies.

Amid this global shift towards visual storytelling, Take5 Digital, a London, Ontario-based video production company founded by Nick Lavery, has been at the forefront of crafting high-quality video content for over a decade. Celebrating 12 years in the industry this past month, Take5 has not only adapted to the evolving landscape of video marketing but has also played a pivotal role in amplifying the voices and stories of Canadian businesses and organizations. With a core focus on creativity and high collaboration with clients, they have become a trusted partner for organizations across Canada and the US, looking to connect with audiences in meaningful ways. “We love working with our local community, so almost 60-70% of our projects serve the London market. The rest, 40-30%, is split between companies based in the Toronto/GTA area, Vancouver, Halifax, and even the US,” shares Lavery. Offering all aspects of video production and photography, including branded content, docuseries, and commercials, Lavery and his team have worked with the likes of Children’s Health Foundation, Whirlpool, Fit4Less, Columbia Sportswear, and many more.

Take5 is a product of relentless entrepreneurial spirit and creativity. Started by Lavery right after graduating high school, the idea first sparked when he was helping his friends and student-athletes make their highlight tapes for scholarship applications. “I made the first few videos and thought that this could be a great business model. I enrolled in the Summer Company Program, an initiative by the Ontario Government, right after high school and started my business from the ground up,” Lavery shares. Soon pivoting to serve small businesses instead of students, Lavery has been successfully running Take5 since the age of 18.

Working across various industries, Lavery and his team have experimented and curated different processes to determine the one that encourages the most collaboration and creativity. The team starts with a discovery call to understand the scope, idea, and budget of the client’s project. A unique approach to creating economies of scale for their projects, Lavery promptly asks and analyzes the client’s distribution strategy. “A lot of brands lead their strategy with the hopes of going viral, but that cannot be the only approach because of the amount of competing content. That’s why we always discuss the distribution strategy right from the start,” says Lavery. Through ideation, collaborative brainstorming, and feedback sessions with clients, the Take5 team then moves into the pre-production phase to scout for talent, crew, location and create the flow for the day, including scenes to be shot. The crew is then assembled for the main ‘shoot’ day. Being a full-service video production company, the team facilitates the entire production process, and its in-house post-production team handles the final output. “We then circle back to the distribution strategy and create cut-down versions, if needed, for social media platforms, ads, and other promotional channels,” shares Lavery. Recognizing the importance of paid ads and digital marketing in this era, the Take5 team has established a strategic relationship with an ad-tech partner to support clients with performance marketing, helping them maximize the ROI of their video marketing strategy. “We were initially reluctant to bring on a specialist, as we did not want to stray from our niche as a production company, but I also want us to be reactive and not just keep my head in the sand. A lot of full-service agencies might be expensive for our clients, so this add-on service works great for them,” says Lavery.

Being in this industry for 12 years, Lavery and his team have seen it all—the pros and cons of shooting on location, technological advancements in the industry, and the challenges that come with serving different types of markets. Every location presents its own set of challenges, and while the Take5 team enjoys shooting in the familiar territories of UNESCO’s City of Music, they also appreciate the challenge of producing video content across Canada and beyond. “The London market has been great to us! We’ve had the opportunity to work with a variety of businesses of all sizes. However, working in a different country, or even travelling within our own country with equipment and coordinating our team for shoot days, brings its own set of challenges. But no complaints—it’s always exciting to tackle new challenges!” shares Lavery.”

With the advent of AI and machine learning, it is no surprise that the video production industry has seen significant strides in post-production technologies and equipment. This, in turn, has revolutionized the way businesses work with clients in setting the right expectations. “Everyone’s looking to be efficient with their budgets. A lot of our clients these days leverage AI tools such as ChatGPT to write scripts for them, so clients have new expectations about what they are willing to pay for a script to be written, for example,” shares Lavery. Using AI tools in their processes to be more efficient and affordable or seek inspiration, the team leverages image generators and music creators for their deliverables. “Not only AI, but the equipment has also gotten so good in the past couple of years. You can even see it in the quality of our phone cameras. The equipment, its features, and accessibility have all helped to democratize video production,” says Lavery.

On a path of growth, the Take5 team is constantly reaching new heights, as evidenced by their acquisition of London’s well-known photography studio, Gotham Studios, in 2020. “We are currently focused on rebranding and repositioning Gotham to solely focus on working with clients in the food and beverage space, so we are very excited,” shares Lavery. Moving to a new space, Take5 has ambitious goals for itself. “We want to keep sustainably growing the team, expand beyond London, leverage our satellite location in Vancouver, and hopefully expand to a dedicated production facility in the future,” says Lavery.

As Take5 continues to innovate and expand, their dedication to crafting exceptional video content remains steadfast. With a bright future ahead, they are poised to further elevate the stories of businesses and organizations across Canada and beyond.