It is our pleasure to publicize that Cultivate Studios has received the Telly Awards’ highest honor, the Silver Telly, in the 32nd annual Telly Awards Competition! We received the Silver Telly in the category “Not-For-Profit Online Commercial Campaign” for a series of four promotional documentaries we created in support of the work of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America World Hunger. The series includes The Kafley Family Story (Chicago, IL), Jim Freeman’s Story (Spartanburg, SC), The Lingson Family Story (Kaseleka, Malawi), and Virginia Quispe’s Story (La Paz, Bolivia).
And that’s not all! We were also awarded a Bronze Telly, their second highest honor, for our video entitled Our Story Is Just Beginning, created for Youth Outreach Services. Our Story has been a veritable award’s workhorse. Our Story went 3 for 3 at the 2010 International AVA Awards, garnering honors for “Non-Profit Video,” “Cinematography” and “Graphics/Design.” At Telly, we went for one and got one, winning in the “Non-Profit Video” category.
The Telly Awards exist to honor the very best local, regional and cable television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions, and work created for the web. Let’s be clear, we pay for these awards—all payments on the surface of the table. The Telly Awards is a business, just like any other awards program. However, the Telly Awards play a vital role in our industry through discernment and prevalence, evidenced by the fact that so many prestigious firms compete for their awards. Telly received approximately 13,000 entries last year. Historically, Silver Telly Award winners have represented about 7% to 10% of entrants, while Bronze Telly Award winners have represented about 18% to 25% of entrants. This puts us in good company.
We think our work speaks for itself, but if there is ever any doubt, a Telly Award isn’t a bad thing to have gathering dust on the shelf. It instantly legitimizes a resume and garners respect from industry peers. But what about potential clients? Say you’re a businessperson, and a good one at that, but you’ve been found artistically wanting. If you’re lucky, you know it. Of course you know it, you’re a good businessperson. A Telly Award is one way for you to know with certainty that you are dealing with artistic professionals. And let’s be clear, there are a fair amount of hacks in our field—your nephew has a lot of talents, but representing your business on video isn’t one of them. To me, Telly is the closest thing our industry has to Consumer Reports.
In summation, if I need financial advice I go to my brother, a financial planner. If I need advice on home improvement, I go to my other brother, an architect. If I need advice on how not to procrastinate, I go to my mother, a dynamo of timeliness. They are my industry insiders. The Telly Awards are judged by our fellow creative professionals. They know marketing, and specifically promotional video, inside and out, and have every reason to keep Telly standards rigorous. So there you have it, our Telly Awards are like tiny little silver and bronze industry insiders assuring clients and potential clients that they’ve come to the right place in Cultivate Studios.
