You came here for a video. Let's make sure it's the right one.
Tell Studios is a documentary-style video production company in metro Detroit. We help brands figure out the video worth making, then we make it. No forgettable corporate piece that sits on a shelf. No guessing.
You're probably in one of two camps.
Camp one
You know exactly what you want to film. The concept's solid, the team's aligned, you just need a partner who can pull it off without turning it into a Hallmark commercial.
Camp two
You know you need video, but not which one. Maybe you've tried before and it didn't land. Maybe there's a quote in your inbox you're not sold on. Maybe you don't know where to start.
Both are a conversation. We'll figure out which camp you're in, and what to do about it, on a call.
Video that earns its keep.
For 20+ years we've made video for brands big and small. Founders shooting their first piece ever. National names you'd recognize. Associations, manufacturers, and nonprofits you'd know by their logos. Different industries, same job: make people feel your company instead of read about it.
People don't connect with companies. They connect with people. That's been the bet since day one, and it keeps paying off.
A few of the teams we've made soulful video with.
Most people come to us for one of these.
Brand Stories
The founder origin, the why-we-exist, the piece that makes someone feel your company instead of just reading about it. Usually the video people mean when they say "we need a brand video."
Transformation Stories
Client testimonials that don't feel like testimonials. We show the before, the change, and the result. The kind of video that sells without ever saying "buy now."
Virtual · Studio · On-LocationContent Capture
One shoot, many videos. We come in, film a batch of content across your team, and hand you a library of pieces to use across your channels for months. Built for teams who need to show up consistently without scheduling a new shoot every time.
And before any of these, we usually recommend...
Start here
The Storyline Workshop
Two hours with your team, one blueprint in return. We dig into the stories underneath your brand, figure out which video is actually worth making, and hand you the plan: creative direction, messaging, the works. Most of our best projects start here. (We'll talk through whether it's right for you on the call.)
See how the workshop works →
Most production companies start with the camera. We start with the story underneath it.
Align
Who is this video for, and what do we need them to do, think, or feel? Before shots or scripts, we get every decision-maker on your team agreeing on the answer.
Find
Every business has stories buried in it that would move the right audience. We dig them out, pick the one that belongs in this video, and shape it so it lands.
Film
Now we film it. And we film it knowing exactly what it's for, which is why our videos tend to do their job instead of just looking good.
What is Tell Studios
This is who we are.
A 90-second look at why we do this, and the kind of work we believe in.
In their own words.
Completely life changing. Every month when I receive my payment, I'm shocked. It's a wave of gratitude.
Everybody loved the videos and they clapped, and you could tell people were trying not to cry.
Questions we get a lot.
It depends on the type of video, but most of our work runs between $2,500 and $25,000 or more. Studio-based pieces like interviews and testimonials start around $2,500 and can climb toward $10,000. Brand films, the documentary-style stories we're known for, usually start closer to $8,000 and easily reach $25,000 or more. We sit between the freelancer charging a thousand bucks and the six-figure Super Bowl spot. The better question is what the right video is worth to you: if your ideal client sees it and hires you, what's that worth? Tell us a budget range and we'll point you to the right solution, even if that's another studio that fits your number better.
No. The Storyline Workshop is optional. If your concept is locked and your team is aligned, we can go straight to filming. But if there's any fuzziness about which video to make or what it should say, the workshop is the highest-leverage place to start.
It's tied to our Storyline Workshop. We run a two-hour, $2,500 workshop with your stakeholders before any filming, dig into the purpose of the video, and walk you through our storytelling process. If you finish and feel it was a waste of time, we refund the $2,500. It's a low-risk way to find out if we're the right fit before you commit to a full production.
Most projects run 4 to 8 weeks from the kickoff call to final delivery, depending on scope. We can usually start production within a week or two of a signed contract, and we've pulled off same-week and even same-day edits when the moment called for it. The most common delay is feedback piling up on the client side, so we set clear deadlines for both teams to keep things moving.
Brand storytelling is our specialty, getting to the soul of a brand so people feel what you're about instead of just reading about it. We also create client transformation stories, social media commercials, explainer videos, culture and recruiting videos, and the occasional outtake reel built to make people laugh.
Yes, and at no extra charge. Every bit of footage that doesn't make the final cut is yours, delivered on a drive or in the cloud. It's some of the most valuable content you'll walk away with, since you can cut it into outtakes and short social clips long after we wrap. Most companies charge for this or don't offer it at all, so it's worth asking anyone you hire.
Take the Story-Driven Video Score.
A quick assessment that tells you whether the video you're planning is built to actually move people, or whether it's headed for the "nice-looking, did nothing" pile.
Five minutes. Straight answers. No pitch at the end.
We're not for everyone.
We do our best work with teams who
- Know what they stand for and how to get things done
- Take video seriously enough to invest in doing it right
- Care whether the video does something, not just whether it looks good
- Want a partner who'll push back when an idea won't work, not a vendor who says yes to everything
We're probably not your studio if
- You're shopping for the cheapest videographer in your zip code
- You want someone to film exactly what you've storyboarded, no creative input
- You're price-shopping three companies before you know what video you actually need
If that first list sounds like you, we should talk.
Let's figure out the right video together.
Whether you've already got one in mind or you're still trying to land on what to make, start with a call. We'll listen, ask some questions, and tell you honestly what we'd do in your shoes.
No pressure. No pitch deck. A real conversation about what's worth making.