Video Strategy Workshop: How Great Stories Begin

Josh Emerick
Apr 22
5 min read

Updated: Apr 23

Why Our Workshops Aren’t Just Pre-Production—They’re the Foundation for Great Stories

Most people come to us wanting a video. What they actually need is clarity.

A clear story.

A shared vision.

A plan the whole team believes in.

Because without it, everything gets harder. Ideas get foggy. Timelines stretch. Budgets get wasted. And nobody’s sure what the final product is supposed to feel like.

We’ve seen it time and again—videos that look nice but don’t convey anything meaningful. That’s not a strategy. That’s noise. And we’re not here to make noise.

We’re here to make something that moves people.

And that all starts with clarity.

Most of Our Best Projects Started with a Conversation

Not a creative brief. Not a moodboard.

Just a call that sounded like:

“We know we need something, but we’re not sure what it is yet.”

We love that.

Because it means we get to dig in early, before the wheels are moving too fast.

And when we start there, the work is almost always better.

Smoother process.

Stronger vision.

Deeper buy-in.

Workshops help us do that.

Whether it’s a single project or a full campaign, these sessions provide our clients with the space to slow down, ask better questions, and think more critically before the cameras roll.

We’ve Been Doing This for Years—Even Before We Had a Name for It

Back in the day, we ran a wedding brand called PRSRVE.

Our competitors were selling fast. Promising quick turnarounds.

We took a different approach: 5 meetings before we ever shot a wedding.

Why? As we got to know our couples better, we could tell their story more effectively, and they felt less stress on their big day.

We felt less stressed, too. This made for better stories, closer relationships and creating meaningful stories as we referred to them: Marriage tools.

We weren’t just videographers.

We were partners.

Guides.

Stress relievers.

Problem solvers.

Calm in the chaos.

That model didn’t just work for weddings.

It’s the same mindset we bring to music videos and brand films now.

Instead of traditional marriage tools, these are tools for storytelling, connection, and trust-building in the form of video marketing.

And honestly, it’s what makes everything click. Having a good video strategy workshop makes all the difference.

Most Workshops Today? Rushed and Hollow.

Let’s be real, workshops have become a buzzword. Most are 90-minute sales calls pretending to be strategy.

You leave with a pitch, not a plan.

That’s not what we do here.

Our workshops aren’t about persuasion. They’re about permission.

Permission to ask better questions.

To bring the whole team together.

To say, “We don’t fully know yet”—and get excited about figuring it out.

That’s the difference.

So… What Happens in a JECP Video Strategy Workshop?

We offer two types: Mini Mapping & The Story Workshop.

Mini Mapping

For a one-off project/singular stories @ $500 (credited if you move forward)

Perfect when you have a single video in mind.

We help you clarify the concept, align the creative team, and identify the right steps.

Think of it like pre-production with strategy built in.

You leave with:

A creative roadmap
Alignment between key team members
Clear production feasibility
Next steps (with or without us)

Story Workshop

For multi-part campaigns or long-term planning @ $2,500 (also credited forward)

This is for bands planning multiple videos or brands building a content ecosystem.

We dive deep. Across multiple stories. Multiple deliverables.

We identify the connections, timing, and creative direction, and help break it down into something actionable.

You leave with:

A blueprint to execute on (name ideas welcome: “Story Spine”? “System Map”?)
Project phasing based on goals and budgets
A team aligned on vision, purpose, and next steps

Workshops Aren’t Just Planning. They’re Permission.

We’re not just figuring out logistics.

We’re creating belief.

In each other.

In the story.

In the plan we’re about to build together.

That belief is what makes creative work actually work.

Brands: Why It Works

In brand workshops, we bring teams together in a way that’s rarely done.

It’s not that they don’t talk—it’s that they rarely get to align creatively.

Marketing knows how to position the message.

Sales understands the real conversations customers are having.

Leadership holds the vision.

However, they often speak different languages, which creates gaps.

Our workshop bridges those gaps.

We translate goals into story. Strategy into emotion. Vision into something visual.

When that happens, people stop working in silos—and start building something together.

Marketing, sales, leadership—they all hold different pieces of the story.

The workshop connects the dots.

Marketing learns from sales (hello, real customer stories)
Sales feels empowered as brand builders (not just closers)
Leadership sets the emotional tone and vision
Everyone gets aligned on why this video matters

The result?

A strategy that reflects the actual brand, not just the ad campaign.

Buy-in across departments.

And better results, because people were part of the process, not handed the product.

Bands: Why It Works

For artists, the workshop often starts with:

“We have a new album and we want a few music videos.”

Awesome.

But what usually happens next is a shift:

We start asking questions about tone, themes, recurring characters, symbolism, the release order, fan engagement, and merchandise design...

And suddenly, it’s not just about three videos.

It’s about building a universe.

Like a showrunner mapping out a season.

Or Pixar writing backstories that never make it on screen, but make everything on screen feel more real.

And the best part?

It becomes less about dividing tasks equally and more about leaning into strengths.

Every band has a member with leadership, a member with taste, a member with hustle.

Our workshop helps you identify those roles and align as a team, so the creative process runs faster, smoother, and stronger.

You Can’t Bake Faster by Turning Up the Heat

We often say this: rushing ruins good work.

It wastes money.

It creates tension.

And worst of all, it makes fun projects not fun.

You wouldn’t skip preheating the oven and expect a perfect cake.

Same thing here.

The workshop is our version of preheating.

It’s where the energy builds.

Where trust gets baked in.

And where the ideas start to rise.

Bottle Episodes and Smart Scaling

Here’s a concept from the TV world that applies here: The bottle episode.

It’s an episode shot with minimal resources—fewer actors, one location, simpler execution.

It saves time and budget, but only after the show has established the world and characters.

That’s what our workshops help you build up front.

Once your visual language, story rules, and character arcs are in place, you can make leaner, smarter videos that still move the story forward.

You don’t need to go big every time.

You just need to start smart.

We Offer a Guarantee (That’s Never Been Used)

If you book a workshop and don’t get value from it, we’ll refund the fee.

It’s never happened.

Why?

Because clarity is always valuable. Even if you don’t hire us to produce the project.

We’ve had clients use our blueprints to:

Pitch internal stakeholders
DIY their content with their team
Hire another production company (and still send a thank-you text)

That’s the point.

Our goal isn’t to lock you into a contract.

It’s to help you make better creative decisions—now and in the future.

Final Thought: Start With Clarity. Everything Else Follows.

The best stories don’t start with a script.

They start with a conversation.

If you’re sitting on a project, or an idea you can’t quite shape…If you’re overwhelmed by internal opinions and external pressure…If you want this next video actually to mean something—