At McElroy Films, we’ve been around for a little while now and have seen a diversity of projects and company successes over the years. However, our expanded products, employment, and client base in 2013 can only be described as ‘normal’. That’s right! The more things change . . . the more they stay the same. In 2013, McElroy Films released the smash hit ‘At Fenway’ music video, created animated spots for non-profit giants, moved yet again to an even bigger office, and took on ambitious new projects with great success. We expect that now and for years to come.

On opening day of the Red Sox championship season came the release of the highly anticipated music video ‘At Fenway’ starring none other than William Shatner at historic Fenway Park. The video, based on the hit single of the same name by local crooner Brian Evans, was scripted, produced, and edited by the McElroy Films’ team and has garnered over 11 million views on YouTube. Leading up to the release of the video, Brian Evans commissioned McElroy Films to create a 30 second trailer for the music video that played at every AMC Theater in the world from January through March. A version of the trailer also played in taxis top and down the eastern seaboard preceding the video’s release.

For many years, Fenway Health has asked us to produce their annual fundraising videos for the Men’s Event and Woman’s Dinner Party. 2013 marked the 20th anniversary of the Men’s Event and a video commemorating the events of the past and the successes of the future was put together from footage and archival photos. The result was a fun and active video featuring the late Senator Kennedy and former Boston Mayor Tom Menino as well as many other high profile guests. Later in 2013, we were enlisted to help document and distribute a series of conferences for the Fenway Institute, the research arm of Fenway Health, that dealt with the state of HIV in the world today and the analysis of solutions. The conferences were then shared online with medical and sociology students as well as the top HIV scholars in the world.

Meanwhile the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), needed new videos for their Take Steps and Team Challenge programs, the top fundraising programs for the international non-profit. McElroy Films’ videographers were sent to many Take Steps events across the nation including Washington DC and New York City. The footage is sent to every local chapter of the CCFA to help raise support for the cause as well as build relationships with corporate donors. The CCFA also asked the team to produce a 30 second animated spot for the Take Steps program that aired in taxicabs in the New York metro area as well as on national and local TV.

Every year, McElroy Films produces videos for nearly every brand (PUR, Honeywell, Stinger, Vicks, and more) represented by Kaz USA. This year, every new air purifier, humidifier, bug zapper, fan, and heater needed a video that helped describe the operation and cleaning procedures for each product. These ‘How-To’ videos are used to reduce the volume of customer service and tech support calls every quarter, and also help to increase overall customer satisfaction. The videos are inherently dry, but serve to reduce costs for Kaz. Other businesses, with similar customer service needs have also approached us with similar requests. In addition, every product line is given a fun infomercial in a home setting. This past year, we produced videos for the Stinger Bug Zapper and Mind + Body Care line ups as well as a video describing the uses of the new Honeywell fan with Febreze inserts.

In Marlboro Massachusetts, St Mary’s Credit Union was about to celebrate their 100th anniversary and asked McElroy Films to help create a video that both described the bank’s historical and present day significance. The video glides easily throughout the 100 years of banking and also helped the credit union solidify their standing in their community more than they already had. With the great success of the historical video, St Mary’s asked the team to produce a series of 15 second television spots as well to be aired over the first few months of 2014.

By the end of the summer, it was painfully obvious that McElroy Films had too much work and too many people to fit into the office space where the team moved only 1 year prior. Thankfully, a unit opened up just down the street, and McElroy Films was able to move into a larger, renovated space with an open concept design, new editing suites, and a 3D projector room with theater sound. Also in the design: A dedicated green screen studio.

Every year, McElroy Films grows not only in size but in the diversity of projects and clients from New England and beyond. 2013 has been another year, another office, and simply ‘normal’.