ram
ram
What happens when a winter storm freezes your entire production?
What happens when a winter storm freezes your entire production?
Landing RAM's national truck month campaign was thrilling - three big spots showcasing amazing trucks, cool locations, and great creative from HighDive. With two full units of production and camera teams planned, it was exactly the kind of large-scale automotive work we love. But what began as an exciting creative challenge would ultimately test our dedication to true partnership in ways we never expected.
Landing RAM's national truck month campaign was thrilling - three big spots showcasing amazing trucks, cool locations, and great creative from HighDive. With two full units of production and camera teams planned, it was exactly the kind of large-scale automotive work we love. But what began as an exciting creative challenge would ultimately test our dedication to true partnership in ways we never expected.
One week before our scheduled shoot in Austin, Texas, an historic winter storm hit the state. What began as concerning weather conditions quickly escalated into a full-blown emergency as the state's power grid failed, shutting down essential services and infrastructure.
One week before our scheduled shoot in Austin, Texas, an historic winter storm hit the state. What began as concerning weather conditions quickly escalated into a full-blown emergency as the state's power grid failed, shutting down essential services and infrastructure.
During our tech scout, the production team found themselves in an increasingly dangerous situation - no power, no food services, and treacherous road conditions that had people hiking through snow just to reach basic supplies.
During our tech scout, the production team found themselves in an increasingly dangerous situation - no power, no food services, and treacherous road conditions that had people hiking through snow just to reach basic supplies.
The challenges were staggering. County authorities revoked all filming permits while city officials restricted road access to emergency vehicles only. The Austin airport closure stranded incoming talent and crew, while local COVID testing labs lost power, making our safety protocols impossible to maintain. Essential production vendors went dark, and even if they hadn't, the dangerous road conditions made it impossible for crew and talent to safely reach our locations. What had started as a weather delay had cascaded into a complete operational shutdown.
The situation demanded immediate action. Our team ran many contingency scenarios: relocating the entire production, adjusting creative approaches, and analyzing postponements. With media slots to fill and significant pre-production already completed, we needed a solution that balanced creative goals, safety requirements, and client needs.
The situation demanded immediate action. Our team ran many contingency scenarios: relocating the entire production, adjusting creative approaches, and analyzing postponements.
The challenges were staggering. County authorities revoked all filming permits while city officials restricted road access to emergency vehicles only. The Austin airport closure stranded incoming talent and crew, while local COVID testing labs lost power, making our safety protocols impossible to maintain. Essential production vendors went dark, and even if they hadn't, the dangerous road conditions made it impossible for crew and talent to safely reach our locations. What had started as a weather delay had cascaded into a complete operational shutdown.
The situation demanded immediate action. Our team ran many contingency scenarios: relocating the entire production, adjusting creative approaches, and analyzing postponements. With media slots to fill and significant pre-production already completed, we needed a solution that balanced creative goals, safety requirements, and client needs.
The situation demanded immediate action. Our team ran many contingency scenarios: relocating the entire production, adjusting creative approaches, and analyzing postponements.
With media slots to fill and significant pre-production already completed, we needed a solution that balanced creative goals, safety requirements, and client needs.
With media slots to fill and significant pre-production already completed, we needed a solution that balanced creative goals, safety requirements, and client needs.
Rather than using force majeure to charge for a full restart plus overages - as many production companies would have done - we negotiated zero-cost postponements with nearly all vendors and crew members. When a second delay became necessary due to the federal disaster declaration, we maintained this partner-first approach, working to minimize additional expenses while ensuring the creative vision remained intact.
But our commitment to partnership extended far beyond the production phase. When RAM moved to file an unprecedented force majeure insurance claim, they turned to us for support. For nine months, Society took the lead with the insurance carrier - without charging for our time - documenting every aspect of the crisis response and undergoing detailed audits. This dedication paid off: our client recovered every penny of additional costs incurred due to the emergency.
Rather than using force majeure to charge for a full restart plus overages - as many production companies would have done - we negotiated zero-cost postponements with nearly all vendors and crew members. When a second delay became necessary due to the federal disaster declaration, we maintained this partner-first approach, working to minimize additional expenses while ensuring the creative vision remained intact.
But our commitment to partnership extended far beyond the production phase. When RAM moved to file an unprecedented force majeure insurance claim, they turned to us for support. For nine months, Society took the lead with the insurance carrier - without charging for our time - documenting every aspect of the crisis response and undergoing detailed audits. This dedication paid off: our client recovered every penny of additional costs incurred due to the emergency.
This kind of financial advocacy is rare in the production world. Most companies would have seen the crisis as an opportunity to maximize billing. Instead, we viewed it as a chance to demonstrate what true partnership means - not just delivering excellent creative work, but ensuring our client's business interests were protected every step of the way.
This kind of financial advocacy is rare in the production world. Most companies would have seen the crisis as an opportunity to maximize billing. Instead, we viewed it as a chance to demonstrate what true partnership means - not just delivering excellent creative work, but ensuring our client's business interests were protected every step of the way.
When production finally moved forward, we delivered all three spots, on budget, with the original creative ambition intact. But the real success was measured in the strength of trust built through crisis. By combining thorough contingency planning with a genuine commitment to partnership, we transformed what could have been a financial disaster into a testament to the power of putting relationships first.
When production finally moved forward, we delivered all three spots, on budget, with the original creative ambition intact. But the real success was measured in the strength of trust built through crisis. By combining thorough contingency planning with a genuine commitment to partnership, we transformed what could have been a financial disaster into a testament to the power of putting relationships first.
