Mudd Studio: Everything You Need to Successfully Market Your Business

As someone who is still fairly new to the Mudd Advertising team, I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t have a clue about the scope of services this company is capable of producing for its clients. The whole process was “clear as Mudd,” so to speak. So when I was asked to write a blog post about the goings on here at the company, I was excited to learn about the first department I was assigned to work on—Mudd Studio. The studio is one of the most noteworthy aspects of Mudd Advertising and offers so much for clients who have the vision to take advantage of its incredible, unique facility. To obtain a better understanding of what Mudd Studio has to offer, I talked to three employees: Deb Niermann, senior producer; Brendon Hagarty, senior video editor/videographer; and Kim Leer, motion graphic designer. Together, they have almost twenty-five years of experience working at Mudd, and all of them had valuable information to share.

Size and scope

The studio is one of the largest in the state of Iowa, offering 3,132 square feet of awesome. That’s quite impressive, and it provides a great incentive for local businesses to make use of this state-of-the-art facility right in their backyard. Although Mudd focuses mostly on the automotive industry, its facilities are available for anyone who wants to take the next step in marketing a business. Mudd Studio has done production for businesses such as Walton Gas, various furniture makers, and even a company that manufactures archery targets. With the studio’s complete shore power hookup facilities for satellites and production trucks, multicamera capabilities, and infinity white wall that looks like it goes on forever, the sky is the limit. Clients can virtually make their imaginations come to life with the studio’s massive green screen that allows actors to appear as if they are anywhere on Earth or even somewhere in outer space. In addition, Mudd Studio can stream live video content via gigabit fiber anywhere in the world; for example, it previously did production for a company based in Bangkok, Thailand. To handle all the advanced equipment, Mudd Studio has sufficient safety features in place to significantly add to the overall importance of the facility’s infrastructure. It has invested in a heavy-duty lighting grid with plenty of power-distribution options as well as dimming capabilities. The building’s I-beam construction allows the trusses and lighting to be hung safely and efficiently with the aid of a Genie lift and chain motors. The studio also features convenient dressing and makeup rooms for actors, a large shop area with plenty of room for set construction, and ample space for pods and scene storage when needed. Whatever ideas you can conjure up, Mudd Studio is capable of making them come to life. To do this, the company takes great care to make sure its employees have access to the latest technology available.

Keeping pace with technology

The Mudd Studio has seen many tech changes over the past decade, even within the past few years. Big field cameras and truckloads of equipment have moved aside for cameras smaller than a fist with the capacity to shoot in 4K. When it comes to quality production, more can now be done with less. About eighteen months ago, the studio also acquired its first drone. Not long after that, the department needed to work on two drone projects at once, so it wasted no time in obtaining another one. Now, drone footage gives Mudd the capacity to replace long jibs and the time-consuming task of setting up a crane for a cinematic, high-quality aerial shot. Not just anybody can legally fly a drone, so two studio employees are certified by the Federal Aviation Administration and adhere to the necessary regulations and restrictions that go along with using this increasingly popular form of airborne technology. Mudd takes special care to ensure its clients have the freedom to request whatever they can imagine. If the studio doesn’t have the right gear to provide what clients need, it will go one step further and acquire whatever tool or gadget is required to ensure the job is done right while still providing ultrafast turnaround times.

Speed to market

Another thing Mudd does extremely well is top-quality work paired with an astounding speed to market. Mudd Studio chooses to invest in in-house services whenever possible instead of outsourcing. Along with guaranteeing access to the latest technology, Mudd Studio also has all the production capabilities clients can dream of under one roof; the studio rarely needs to contract out any work. Most everything a client can envision, whether it involves a live webcast or custom building a set, can be done right here in the studio. Whatever the client needs, Mudd Studio can turn it around quickly. Mudd Studio employees will drive as far as six hours to complete a shoot and will travel around the country as needed. The only time Mudd needs to hire additional people or outsource for a project is for work with a long-distance client who needs to shoot on location. Otherwise, the on-site employees are in complete control of their work and produce it swiftly and efficiently on their own terms. The studio’s full team of producers, editors, photographers, and other employees are cross-trained and can work on different tasks on an as-needed basis to meet deadlines. It’s a remarkable feat to offer such top-notch work without sacrificing quality for speed, but the dedicated efforts of the Mudd Studio team make such an accomplishment seem easy.

Passionate people

In an industry that’s constantly changing and adapting as technology progresses, one thing hasn’t changed—Mudd’s employees and their passion for the work they do. Mudd Studio comprises an exceptional mix of media veterans who have been honing their craft for years as well as younger employees right out of college who are just starting out in the industry. This mix ensures clients get the necessary expertise along with new, fresh ideas working together to create the best product possible. With little employee turnover, the department runs smoothly, maintaining a comfortable, family-like atmosphere. The studio employees are a group of highly creative people who all learn from each other; they bring their own unique experiences to the table and are willing to take the initiative and do extra work when needed. Mudd Studio combines the ingredients needed to give clients the quality advertising they need to succeed. The studio’s size, commitment to keeping up with modern technology, peerless speed to market, and outstanding employees all merge to create one massive creative force that is entirely at your service.