SESAC Brand Video Production

Video Production Request

SESAC commissioned Ezra Productions to produce two brand videos as part of their rebranding campaign in 2018. The goal of the videos was to elevate SESAC to being perceived as a strong, global brand–the “Black Card” of Performing Rights Organizations (PROs). SESAC required two videos: one to entice a specific group of writers to learn more about and eventually sign with SESAC, and one to speak to the venues that pay royalties to SESAC to use those writers’ music.

Our Role

  • Creative concepting
  • Script writing
  • Location scouting
  • Video production: producing, directing, video editing
  • Motion graphics
  • Animation
  • Color grading
  • Voiceover

Deliverables

  • 2-minute brand video targeted at potential SESAC members (and a version with Spanish closed captions)
  • 1-minute brand video targeted at venue owners who license SESAC’s music
  • 30-second Instagram cutdown of brand video (and a version with Spanish closed captions)

Company Description

SESAC is a global invite-only Performing Rights Organization (PRO) that collects and distributes public performance royalties for the world’s top songwriters, composers, and music publishers. Public performance includes when a song is used on TV, radio, in films, performed live at bars, restaurants, and clubs, and digitally streamed on services such as Spotify and Pandora. Notable clients in SESAC members include Adele, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, and Charlie XCX.

Campaign Goals

The two brand videos we produced for SESAC had different goals and were aimed at different populations. The first brand video was aimed at prospective members of SESAC. Unlike other large PROs, SESAC is interested in developing relationships with  songwriters and music publishers that are already established. In order to attract that population, the video had to show what makes SESAC so attractive to that specific segment of people. We highlighted the following key differentiators in the video: High level of personalized service from a boutique PRO Proprietary technology enables members to get paid more and get paid faster Company of experts help develop their members’ careers and open doors The second video was targeted towards venue owners who play written by writers who are signed with SESAC. Many venue owners who use music either don’t know that they have to pay licensing fees or don’t like paying them. SESAC’s goals were to depict the importance of music to the success of venues, and to show why it’s important to pay SESAC’s licensing fees in a kind way.

Our Approach

In the brand video aimed at songwriters, we featured real members of SESAC who are successful but not yet superstars in order to make being a member of SESAC feel aspirational yet achievable. We showed these writers going through their everyday lives and through visuals and dialogue, we mirrored the experiences, beliefs, fears, and goals of SESAC’s target audience. We used a cinematic camera and lenses to give the video a high-end look and feel, and colored the to give it an even, cinematic tone. We worked with SESAC’s in-house DJ to create the score that played behind the voiceover.

In the brand video aimed at venue owners, we were challenged to gently remind the target audience that the music they play in their venues provides value to their businesses, and that by law, they have to pay SESAC licensing fees to use that music. We started out by honoring the fact that both large and small venue owners work really hard to provide a great experience to their customers, and we show how much music adds value to the customer experience. We show real SESAC artists hard at work writing songs so venue owners can witness and feel the work they put into their craft, which ultimately provides value to the venue owners. We end by positioning SESAC as a company that exists to help venue owners comply with copyright law by streamlining the licensing process via their easy-to-use online platform.

Brand Video for Venue Owners

30-Second Instagram Cutdown