Job details
Job type full-time
Full job description
Wanted: a versatile cinematographer / director / editor
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(we`ll worry about an actual title later on.)_
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About the job...*
Taoti creative is a full service creative agencyBut so far, when it comes to our video needs, we use a variety of freelancers, outside firms, and even some of our own people who have the right chopsBut the time has come to take our video production capabilities to the next level by hiring the first (in what will be a series) of video production personnelThe good news is that as a one person team, you have lots of control and get to take a back log of pent-up demand and turn it into a practice areaWith that comes lots of opportunity for career growth and personal satisfaction in ‘owning’ a budding video production departmentThe challenge with this sort of role is that until we grow into justifying a whole team, you need to be a jack/jill of all tradesThat means storyboarding the shoot, running the camera and lights and audio, directing the subjects, editing it all together in post production, etc(that’s not quite trueIn reality, we’re further along than i’m making it soundWe have some serious motion graphics chops in house, some of our own equipment and people who know how to run it, pretty good editing capabilities, and of course, an entire creative department to help with art direction and graphics, etc.) but we need someone who can be the impetus behind the work and then also put it all togetherSomeone who gets that the story itself (and how it’s told) is far more important than perfect lightening of having the fanciest camera.) somehow who understands that it`s not what you tell them, but how you make them feelSomeone who is scrappy and can make due with what’s available and practicalSomeone who is fundamentally a story teller (and marketer) but practices his/her trade through the lens of a camera.
Note: while much of our company is remote or hybrid these days (and will continue to be so post-pandemic), this particular role is one that we need to be in-house (because you can`t shoot video remotely very well.)
Types of tasks you’d do:
This of course is just as smattering:
Very short form video clips for social media marketing
Related to above: recruiting videos that show our culture and speak or style & tone*
Build us our own demo reel
Create video portfolio components for our work (both digital and non digital)
Support live broadcasts for our budding events business (virtual/hybrid/in-person)
Capture b-roll across the company, behind-the-scenes stuff, time lapse of stuff we build, etc.
Podcasts/interviews/panels with our people and clients
“brand introduction” sizzle reels
Do all of the above for both ourselves and our clients
Eventually, build a team and then a department around video and broadcast
Speaking of tone…
When it comes to client work, then you do what the client is looking for or what’s called forBut a lot of your work—especially early on—will be inward focused—helping us to promote ourselves and grow our teamSo leaning to ‘speak taoti’ is importantWe’ll talk more about that later, but suffice it to say, we have a healthy sense of humor, a bit of irreverence, lots of energy, and really value clever ideas that stand outFor example, we like these videosIf you can conceptualize and then execute on stuff like this, you’ve got the chops we’re looking for:
Mailchimp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yghommphqti
Sodastream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5foxlxpfpk
Bamboo hr (it’s more a sales video but it’s worth to see it) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73ajvqfru20
Fiverr: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5rvjocff_i&t=5s
Isl: https://vimeo.com/68862641
But again, you need to be an ideas person and a story tellerWhen we show these types of videos to people and say, “can you do this,” they say yesBecause they have the technical abilitiesBut these videos are (mostly) not about being the worlds best cinematographer or motion graphics designerWhat makes these videos stand out is the story they tell and how they tell itThe tone, music, scripts, storyboard, direction, etc… those are as important (if not more so) than having the technical chops to do the thingsWe don`t want `just a technician.` we need an artist!
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What’s the corporate culture like?*
“fun but focused,” as one taoti put it, is a great way to sum up our cultureWe’re a fun and casual shopThe kind of place where you can wear whatever, come and go as you please, and have autonomy over your own day for the most partBut we take the work seriously and believe deep in the mission to make meaningful and measurable impacts for our clientsAll the perks and shenanigans and borderline irreverent tone are fun, but to really fit in here, you need to be about the work.
We believe in something we call our “qist culture.” qualityInnovationServiceAnd teamworkWe are always striving to improve these four areas (to the extent that we have a fund of a quarter million dollars per year that anyone can spend from in the interest of going above and beyond towards any of these four values.
We also believe in total transparency and open communication across teams and across ranksInstead of chain-of-command, we want everyone to have and share their own voiceEvery other thursday, the ceo holds ‘cafeclutch’ just so he can hear ideas and feedback directly from the team instead of through the filter of management.
Want to see what life at taoti looks like? check out our instagram or ‘about us’ videoThere’s even a 360 tour of the office.
What about benefits?
5 weeks pto for starters (includes 10 federal holidays)
You can work mostly from home if you prefer (as is our default post-pandemic)
100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance(50% for qualifying dependents.) and we have good insurance.
Paid family leave for men and women (including pto plus short and long term disability options.)
3% retirement plan matching (plus access to a financial advisor).
Home buyer help (including a $1200 closing credit)
Mobile phone reimbursement
You can opt for a company-supplied pc or mac laptopOr if you want to use your own, we’ll reimburse you for it.
Charitable contribution matching
Tax-free metro benefits
A sincere respect for work/life balance
Money and time off allocated for professional development (also increases with tenure)
A diverse team hailing from over 15 countries last time we checked
A very hip/cool/funky/quirky office space on barracks row, in the heart of capitol hillJust 2 blocks from the metro! (with the office space doubling in size next year as we build a new building in the parking lot next door to our building.)
Fun perks like a roof deck, wine/beer always on tap, regular company boat outings (boat is walking distance from the office), chill work environment, etc.
No real dress code (within reason, as long as you can be an adult about getting dressed for work)
Annual global retreat (where we bring the whole team together for fun, games, and teamwork)
Of course, the above is a quick listSee the handbook for all the gory details.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion
Great ideas happen when diverse perspectives come togetherThose perspectives are taoti’s secret sauceSo building a diverse team and culture where everyone has a voice and is included in the process is not just the right thing to doIt’s good for businessWe’d love your own perspective to add to our mix! we`re eager for new, diverse voices to join the team and sincerely hope people from every walk of life will apply!
A bit more about taoti…
Established in 1996, taoti creative is a boutique, full-service creative agency located on capitol hill in washington, dcWe are privately owned and have no corporate overloads (nothing personal, wpp.) we do stuff like web development, social media management, branding, experiential marketing, video, ar/vr, etcOur mission is to ‘move the needle’ for our clientsWe leverage technology, creativity, and innovation to generate meaningful and measurable results for our clients—that’s what drives usSpeaking of clients, they’re about 60% non-profits, 20% commercial, and 20% federal governmentSome of our customers include world bank, usaid, dc water, discovery education, american chemical society, jane goodall foundation, and dozens of ‘national association of _____________,’ etcOur full time team of about 50 employees is about 65% in-house and 35% remoteWe hail from over 15 countriesAnd for the last four years in a row, we’ve made the inc5000 list of fastest growing companies in the united statesThere’s of course plenty of additional information on our websiteIf you’ve not done so already, be sure to check out our culture video: https://vimeo.com/289302105Or if you’re feeling virtual, here’s guided tour of the office in 360 video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7kkzdmsgtm (warning: not suitable for printers.)
Next steps
We aren`t able to respond to applications that don’t come through our own website (because we use software to manage our hiring process, and without it, it would be the wild west hereSo please be sure you’re applying on our website.) one of the best parts about hiring video people is that your work speaks for itselfSo show us your work already!
Job type: full-time
Work location: multiple locations
