- Client: AKQA, an international digital agency, on behalf of Shell.
- Project: Fleet Cast, Shell’s monthly video series for fleet managers.
- Our role: production partner, working as an extension of the agency’s team.
- Production: custom set design, two days of studio and on-location filming, and full post-production.
- Deliverables: 12 long-form videos and 48 short-form videos, in multiple languages, for three markets.
When an agency the size ofAKQA is looking for a production partner, it leaves nothing to chance. Yet AKQA turned to us to bring Shell’s Fleet Cast—its monthly video series—to life. Our mission: to serve as the agency’s production arm, capable of meeting its quality standards, deadlines, and high level of precision. Here’s how this collaboration unfolded—and why agencies entrust us with their most demanding production projects.
The starting point: an agency looking for a trusted partner
An agency like AKQA oversees strategy, creative work, and client relations. For production, it needs a reliable studio capable of bringing a vision to life without compromising it. Even the slightest shortcoming reflects poorly on the agency and its client’s brand. The bar is therefore set high.
For Shell’s Fleet Cast, the challenge was twofold: to produce a flawless video series, and to do so in a multilingual, multi-country setting. In other words, delivering consistent quality, month after month, without the agency ever having to deal with the technical details. That’s exactly what we do on every corporate video production project.
Our solution: a turnkey production service that lives up to the agency’s standards
We’ve positioned ourselves as a natural extension of the AKQA team. The agency retains control over the vision and the end client, while we handle all the complexities of production. This clear division of roles is the key to a seamless collaboration between the studio and the agency.
Custom set design under Shell’s artistic direction
To stay true to the brand’s identity down to the smallest detail, we designed a set entirely in line with Shell’s artistic direction. A custom-designed set—not a generic backdrop—ensures that every shot aligns with the visual world defined by the agency. Our flexible production studio near Brussels is perfectly suited for this type of customization.
A professionally executed shoot in the studio and on location
We combined studio and outdoor shooting to give the series a dynamic flow, all in just two days of filming. This efficiency is invaluable for an agency: it streamlines logistics, optimizes the time of those involved, and ensures the schedule stays on track. By preparing each episode in advance, we’re able to shoot several weeks’ worth of content all at once.
Post-production and multilingual social media content
After filming, we handle everything: editing, color grading, subtitling, and motion design. Most importantly, we’ve adapted each episode into short-form versions—in the correct aspect ratios and languages—ready for distribution. In total, we delivered 12 full-length videos and 48 short clips for Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. This approach to content adaptation is at the heart of our social media agency division.
Why Agencies Outsource Their Production to a Specialized Studio
The collaboration with AKQA illustrates a strong trend. Faced with ever-increasing demand for video, agencies are increasingly turning to partner studios to handle the production workload without expanding their own teams. Video remains the most-watched format online, as highlighted by industry studies published by Wyzowl.
For an agency, outsourcing to a reliable studio means greater peace of mind: a single point of contact, guaranteed quality, and deadlines that are met. It also means being able to promise clients—such as Shell—a seamless production process. Analysis from Think with Google further highlights just how much consistency and production quality contribute to the effectiveness of a content strategy.
What This Project Says About the Way We Work
Working with AKQA on Shell’s Fleet Cast is a good example of the value we bring. We know how to integrate into an existing organization, understand an artistic vision, and execute it to the highest standards—without ego and without friction.
Top-of-the-line equipment, delivery via Frame.io with dual backups, and full in-house post-production: we provide agencies with a professional, turnkey production solution. Whether you’re a brand or an agency looking for a production partner, our promise remains the same: you stay focused on your vision, and we’ll take care of everything else.
