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CASE STUDIES

01

IN-HOUSE STUDIO BUILD: "Craft Detroit"

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Challenge
Commonwealth // McCann needed to reduce content costs without sacrificing quality—especially for award shows and “utility” content that doesn't justify high production expenditures.

Solution
Spend data and workflow analysis revealed an opportunity to bring this work in-house. Besides securing the  space and CapEx, I also designed, procured, and staffed the studio; and most importantly wrote the rate card and sold it to the client

Outcome
Craft Detroit studio quickly grew into a content engine, expanding into live action production and generating $5–8M/year in revenue.

02

VALUE BASED BIDDING

Challenge
General Motors’ procurement system prioritized low bids—fine for commodities, but a poor fit for creative production, where quality, nuance, and trust in the team matter. The process often resulted in vendor misalignment, budget surprises, and strained creative relationships.

Solution
I developed and implemented a Value-Based Bidding model where we set a fixed maximum budget for the project and vendors competed to offer the most value without exceeding that budget. This reframed bidding from “who’s cheapest” to “who delivers the most within our budget.

Outcome
The new process rewarded teams with improved transparency , faster execution, and added capabilities.  It eliminated budget overruns, reduced friction between creative and procurement, and aligned stakeholders around a shared definition of value.

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03

VIRTUAL PRODUCTION 

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Challenge
While overseeing over $50M/year in production budgets for Chevrolet, I noted two persistent inefficiencies:

  1. Major projects were leaving Detroit for out-of-state shoots

  2. Travel and logistics were eating into production budgets—and driving up carbon output

Operations need to evolve into a smarter, sustainable model—one that reduced waste while increasing creative flexibility.

Solution
I designed and presented a proposal for a Virtual Production stage in Detroit, tailored to automotive workflows. The plan included financial modeling, carbon savings, and ROI projections. The model offered:

  • 20% savings by eliminating location travel

  • 80%+ reduction in carbon footprint

  • Increased shoot time by avoiding company moves

  • Expanded creative possibilities not achievable in a fixed-location shoot

Outcome
The plan was well received but not executed due to client-side transitions. Its mention here is as a sharp example of forward-thinking production strategy—one that tackled cost, sustainability, and creative ambition in a single move.

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