Questions worth asking

If your business depends on people choosing you — and the moment when they decide happens online — then yes. Most prospects watch a video before they ever call. Professional video isn't about looking fancy; it's about being clearly understood in the seconds you have to make an impression.

A commercial sells a specific product or offer in 15-30 seconds. A brand film tells the story of who you are, why you exist, and what makes you different — usually 60-90 seconds or longer. Commercials drive transactions. Brand films build trust that pays off for years.

Keep posting your phone content — it works for everyday engagement. But there's a difference between content that gets likes from regulars and content that makes a stranger say "I need to go there." Professional video does the second job: it converts cold viewers into curious ones, and curious ones into customers.

A well-made brand film typically lives 12-24 months as your homepage hero, ad creative, sales tool, and trust-builder. After Ancestral Oven aired their film in summer 2025, the bakery saw a 14% sales lift month over month, 15% new customer increase, and a 425% jump in website traffic. Results vary by business, but quality video earns back its cost in conversions and visibility.

Chicago brand video pricing ranges from $1,500 for a basic single-camera shoot to $25,000+ for full agency productions. My services start at $2,500 for The Brand Film (a half-day shoot with one polished video) and $5,000 for The Authentic Flagship (a full production day with multiple deliverables). Ongoing monthly content starts at $1,000.

The Authentic Flagship at $5,000 includes a full production day with dual cameras, professional audio, a 2-3 minute brand film for your website, a 60-second cut for paid social, 3-5 vertical Reels with captions, selected still photos from shoot day, a deployment guide showing you exactly where to use everything, and a 30-day check-in to optimize results.

No. The price quoted at booking is the price you pay. Travel within the Chicago metro area is included. Raw footage is the only paid add-on (covers USB drive, transfer time, and shipping) and only if you specifically request it. Two revision rounds are included in every project.

Every project follows a 50/50 milestone payment structure. You pay 50% at kickoff. The remaining 50% is only invoiced after you've approved the rough cut. Two revision rounds are included to dial it in. You never owe final payment for work you haven't approved.

The standard structure is 50% deposit at kickoff and 50% after rough cut approval. For larger projects or ongoing partnerships, payment can be split further if needed — just ask on our discovery call.

From first call to final delivery: a Brand Film typically takes 2-3 weeks. The Authentic Flagship runs 3-5 weeks because there's more to produce and review. Content Partnership videos are delivered monthly on a rolling schedule. You'll have a clear timeline before we start.

I arrive about 30 minutes before scheduled shoot time to set up. We typically start with a quick walkthrough so I can plan shots and lighting. Then we shoot — interviews are conversational, not scripted readings, so you can be yourself. A typical half-day is 3-4 hours on location; a full day is 6-8.

Almost everyone is nervous, so you're in the majority. The Authentic Flagship includes a pre-shoot prep call where we go over what to talk about, what to wear, and even line-by-line scripting if that helps. The shoot itself feels like a conversation, not a performance. Most clients say it was easier than expected.

Yes — that's built into every project. You see and approve the rough cut before you pay the final 50%. Two revision rounds are included to dial it in. Final delivery and final invoicing only happen after you sign off.

Yes, raw footage is available as a paid add-on. A typical one-hour shoot generates 32GB+ of data, so I deliver it on a USB hard drive (covers drive cost, transfer time, and shipping). Just request it when booking and I'll include the add-on in your project quote.

You don't pay the final 50% until you've approved the rough cut. Two rounds of revisions are included. If the work doesn't meet your bar after revisions, we keep working until it does — the financial risk is on me, not you.

I serve all of Chicagoland — including Cook, DuPage, Lake, Will, McHenry, and Kane counties. Travel within the Chicago metro is included in project pricing. The Chicago suburbs are home to many of my clients.

Yes. The Locals tour has filmed in cities across the Midwest and beyond, and I regularly travel for the right project. Travel beyond the Chicago metro is quoted separately based on location, scope, and duration. Both regional and national projects are welcome.

Professional broadcast-grade equipment. I shoot on a Sony A7iii with a Canon 70D as the dual-camera setup, professional shotgun and lavalier audio, and broadcast-standard editing software for post-production. The quality matches what you'd expect from network television production — because that's where I came from.

On location at your business, in most cases. Authentic brand films are stronger when they're filmed where the work actually happens — your storefront, your kitchen, your workshop, your studio. For specialty needs (controlled lighting, green screen) we can also film at partner studio locations.

Three things: broadcast-grade production quality (with credits at NBC, MeTV, H&I, Movies!, Start TV, and CBS 58), a documentary-style approach that finds the real story rather than reading from a script, and direct work with the lead producer — no junior staff or account managers. You work with Ryan from first call to final delivery.

The 2024 Chicago/Midwest Emmy nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Program/Non-News Promotion — Single Spot/Campaign was for the "It's Ok to Ask Questions" promotional campaign for WMAQ NBC Chicago. The same storytelling craft used on broadcast-grade promotional work goes into every Brand Film I produce.

Nearly a decade of professional broadcast and brand production experience, including network television promotional work that earned the Emmy nomination above. Featured clients include Gothic Heights Inn, Fueled by AF, Ancestral Oven, Della Soul Records, Mikerphone Brewing, Brewery Vivant, Safari Lake Geneva, and dozens of independently-owned Midwest businesses.

Recent and ongoing clients include Ancestral Oven (Oak Lawn sourdough bakery — 425% website traffic increase after their film aired), Fueled by AF (Chicago protein snacks — retainer client), Gothic Heights Inn (St. Louis hospitality), Della Soul Records, Mikerphone Brewing, Pickledilly, The Den Fitness, Safari Lake Geneva, Bone & Blossom, and many others.

Book a free 20-minute call on the contact page. It's a real conversation about your business, what you're trying to accomplish, and which approach (if any) actually fits your goals and budget. If nothing fits, I'll tell you that — no pitch, no pressure.