Creative Director
A mid-level position in video production, starting at $25.00 per hour with full benefits. Traditionally this position requires 2-5+ years of freelance or equivalent experience, but does not require a college degree. Full-time available.
Apply Online for this PositionJob Summary
The Creative Director at Vanilla Video treads between customer service, project management, and serving as a visionary for a project. Often the Creative Director act as the Senior Videographer on projects requiring two or more persons. Mostly, the Creative Director functions as the primary liaison for a customer and Vanilla Video; taking the customer’s vision and translating it into internal speak so our video production team can understand the order and complete the project. The Creative Director oversees the entire sale, including: pre-production, production, and post production.
The Creative Director leads the team in pre- and post- production to carry out a concept that will suit the customers’ needs. Before any work on the project can begin, the Creative Director listens to the customer and analyzes their needs. Applying their experience and expertise in videography, editing, web/social media marketing allows them to design a project that will work for the customer.
With communication, time management, and interpersonal relationship skills: the Creative Director works with Vanilla Video’s team to bring the video to completion. Working with other managers on location including the Operations Manager and Post Production Supervisor — the Creative Director ensures all projects adhere to Vanilla Video’s procedures, processes, and core values. A Creative Director at Vanilla Video may be thought of as a Project Manager / Senior Videographer combined into a single role. This blended manager role between the two responsibilities is crucial for mid-level projects and video production a bit smaller than commercial work, but well above event videography by single videographers.
Key Qualifications
- Creativity! Approach each project with a fresh take, ensuring that every customer receives a video that suits their needs
- Strategic use of imagination and business savvy — provide a solution to customers’ video needs
- Customer service oriented — listening, understanding, and problem solving skills to help customers discover what they need
- Collaborative leadership skills to conduct brainstorming sessions for project kick-offs
- Highly organized — manage multiple projects from concept through completion
- Strong command of branding, brand story-telling, social media marketing, web marketing — these skills come in handy when helping customers build their video package. Previous experience at Vanilla Video as a junior and senior videographer, continue to uphold Vanilla Video standards, procedures, and company culture. In-depth understanding of the Vanilla Video process and approach to Video — able to uphold value / inspire others to maintain Vanilla Video’s vision
- Strong writing skills — ability to teach others to become better copy / script writers
- Expert aptitude in 2D, 3D, stop motion, animation, and motion graphics
- Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite especially Premier Pro
- Eager to provide pleasant customer experience that inspires repeat business
- Close attention to detail — ability to use nuances to carry out an idea or a theme in a video project
- Diligent in project management — checks-in frequently to understand status of all projects, redirects resources as necessary to fulfill changing priorities / deadlines if necessary
- Ready to step up — occasionally will be asked to work with Marketing Team to develop creative programs / design concepts for Vanilla Video; i.e., working as a consultant for Vanilla Video in its own marketing efforts.
- Outgoing and cooperative when working with outside vendors and customers to develop a vision. This involves getting to know / working with customers’ creative teams to develop a video strategy.
- Excellent project management and leadership skills — ensuring projects deliver on time by working with the right people on the job
- Mentorship skills — educate, inspire, and correct videographers, copywriters, and other team members whenever possible
- Meticulous checking tendency — work with team members to ensure quality of project prior to delivery
- Motivated self-starter — able to analyze a situation and jump in with a solution without receiving constant guidance / monitoring
- Accountability — hold self and others accountable to ensure tasks are completed correctly and only high quality projects are delivered to customers -- especially finishing strong, providing great customer service until project delivery, and even after
- Analytical skills — ability to look at data and make an informed decision
Position Description
The fun part of every project – bringing forth creative concepts to life! The Creative Director works with customers to design their videos, especially when they have no idea where to start. Vanilla Video makes this process easy – we are equipped with staff that love every aspect of video, and approach everything they do with creative flair.
The Creative Director knows when to take a step back and analyze a situation or data critically before making a decision. Their business sense and experience in branding and marketing allows them to provide solutions that are not only creative, but effective for the customers we work with.
A highly collaborative role, the Creative Director interacts with a variety of people every day. From working with other members of management staff, to cooperating with customers’ very own creative teams – the Creative Director needs to be versatile and outgoing. A steadfast leader – the Creative Director knows how to take up the reigns and guide the way to ensure the creative designed serves as a vehicle for a clear, strategic message.
Our Creative Directors all have prior experience as Vanilla Video videographers, ensuring standards in quality, branding, and service are upheld throughout every stage of the video production process. Hiring from within allows strong reinforcement of Vanilla Video’s core values, processes, and procedures – the secret sauce that makes Vanilla Video so strong today.
Additional Requirements
- General Skills: Video directing, Video filming and editing, Able to communicate well with clients, Customer service, Writing skills, Graphic design, Know Adobe Creative Suite
- Able to delegate tasks to team members and communicate with them; plus, able to train employees
- Able to storyboard and guide the creative process for a video production; Demonstrated creative ability as a script writer, videographer, editor
- Clear communication skills, able to carry out messages to clients and maintain order among Vanilla Video staff
- Excellent customer service – ability to listen and understand what a client needs and provide them with a solution
- Outstanding written and verbal communication skills
- Expert graphic design, animation, motion graphics skills
- Inspire teamwork – maintain a collaborative environment, able to delegate tasks to the right people, keep everyone working towards the same goal
- High level understanding of the storyboarding process, ability to guide the creative strategy for a video production
- Interest and willingness to train others either in continuing to enhance their skills, or brand new videographers as they join the Vanilla Video team
Responsibilities & Duties
The Creative Director at Vanilla Video serves to oversee all creative aspects of every project and ensure everything is carried out and delivered on time. This involves more than creativity, of course. A Creative Director must be strategic, empathetic, understanding, and extremely knowledgeable. They know when to take direction, and when to speak up when they see something that is not quite right.
When Creative Directors work with customers – they listen. Only after listening to the customer and doing some homework of their own do they come back with a solution. Understanding various client scenarios allows Creative Directors to be armed with a strategy, however this is not always the case. As much as Vanilla Video tries to keep things simple, certain clients simply have greater needs and larger projects. Approaching these opportunities with diligence and care (as we serve every client) – is a must. The Creative Director analyzes a situation before jumping in head first.
Familiarity with Vanilla Video’s process and procedures allows the Creative Director to have informed discussions with clients. Once discovering customers’ needs, the Creative Director works with Vanilla Video staff to implement a creative strategy for their project. Here, the Creative Director inspires teamwork, cooperation, and dedication to client needs. Always on top of the status of various projects at their location, Creative Directors know how to distribute resources effectively.
Interpersonal communication skills allow for success both when working with the team at Vanilla Video, and when working with customers’ own creative departments. These types of client interactions prove to be the most difficult, however a Creative Director with strong command of Vanilla Video’s values and capabilities can lead the discussion in a way that leads to results.
The role as a Creative Director involves a great deal more than simply creativity. Though creativity is a must, the Creative Director must understand how to work with others to carry out a creative vision, be it theirs’ or someone else’s.