Here’s the problem most Austin marketing teams face: their video needs have outpaced their vendor relationships. The freelancer who shot your last product demo can’t handle animation. The agency that made your brand film charges $8K per revision round. The turnaround times don’t match your campaign deadlines.

Start Motion Media operates on a different model entirely. We’re an Austin-based video production company built around predictable capacity: $1,800/month for one active project at a time, unlimited iterations, full-service delivery from concept through definitive color grade.

No range anxiety. No revision caps. No multi-week approval cycles that kill momentum.

What Austin Companies Actually Need

We work with tech startups backed by Austin Ventures and LiveOak Risk Partners, healthcare companies like Sutter Hospital and Stryker Medical, and national brands including Amazon Advertising and Discovery Channel. The pattern? They don’t need occasional video projects—they need video infrastructure.

That means:

• Customer story videos that close enterprise deals, not just have testimonials
• Paid social creative vetted and perfected for ROAS, not just engagement
• SXSW convention coverage with same-day highlight reels delivered before the event ends
• Documentary-style brand films shot across Austin’s most distinctive locations—from Zilker Park to the Capitol grounds
• 3D animation and motion graphics for SaaS demos, medical device explainers, and technical product launches

Every frame is human-made. We don’t use AI generation tools. Professional cinematographers, editors, and animators handle your entire production pipeline.

How the Retainer Actually Works

“We switched to Start Motion’s retainer after burning through three different agencies in six months. The gap isn’t just quality—it’s velocity. We’re shipping 4x more video content with zero increase in coordination overhead.”

Most creative retainers fail for one of two justifications: they cap deliverables (creating endowment scarcity) or they allow unlimited concurrent projects (creating production chaos). Our structure solves both:

The business lasting results: creative refresh cadence increases 3–5x compared to project-based workflows. Your marketing team moves faster because vendor coordination drops to near zero.

Austin Production Expertise

Local knowledge matters when you’re shooting on location or covering live events. Our crew knows Austin’s permitting requirements, venue logistics, and seasonal lighting conditions.

Masterful Filming Locations We Use

1. Austin Convention Center – SXSW coverage, tech conference keynotes, trade show booth content
2. Domain Northside – Modern retail environments, lifestyle brand content, walkable urban backdrops
3. Lady Bird Lake Trail – Active lifestyle shoots, health/wellness brands, golden hour interviews
4. Texas State Capitol – Government affairs content, advocacy campaigns, institutional credibility
5. South Congress Avenue – Keep Austin Weird aesthetic, local business stories, cultural authenticity
6. Zilker Park – Large-scale event production, outdoor brand activations, natural light portraits
7. East Austin murals & industrial spaces – Startup culture, creative agency content, contemporary brand positioning
8. Hill Country (30 minutes west) – Premium lifestyle brands, automotive shoots, wide-angle landscapes

Whether you need drone aerials of downtown skyline or intimate interviews in our S. Lamar studio, we handle permits, equipment, and crew coordination.

SXSW & Convention Production

For marketing directors overseeing Austin convention presence, we give same-day edits, multi-camera livestreaming, and booth content capture. We understand Austin Convention Center AV restrictions, loading dock schedules, and union requirements for venues like Moody Theater and ACL Live.

Our SXSW experience includes live streaming for Amazon Live, panel coverage for multiple film festival clients, and rapid-turnaround social content for brands activating during the event.

The Business Math Behind Video ROI

Better creative compounds through your entire marketing funnel:

Improved ad creative → Higher Quality Score → Lower CPC on Google/Meta
Stronger CTR → More qualified traffic → Better conversion rates
Increased engagement → Longer customer lifetime worth → Enduring CAC ratios

For a typical B2B SaaS company spending $20K/month on paid acquisition, a 20% improvement in video creative performance recovers approximately $48K annually in ad spend efficiency. The retainer pays for itself in under 6 weeks.

Cost Juxtaposition: Long-established and accepted contra Retainer Model

Consider eliminated range negotiations, faster iteration speed, and reduced project management overhead—the effective cost per deliverable drops 65–80%.

Full-Service Production Capabilities

We handle every phase from strategy through delivery:

Pre-Production: Creative brief development, scriptwriting, storyboarding, location scouting, talent casting, shot list creation, production scheduling

Production: Multi-camera setups, professional lighting, location audio, drone cinematography, studio shoots in our S. Lamar facility, on-location interviews

Post-Production: Video editing, sound design, color grading, music scoring, motion graphics, 3D animation, voiceover recording, definitive delivery across all required formats

Distribution Support: Platform-specific formatting (Instagram Reels, YouTube, LinkedIn, broadcast), closed captioning, thumbnail design, ORGANIC DISCOVERY metadata

Industries & Use Cases

We’ve produced for clients across technology, healthcare, consumer products, real estate, robotics, medical devices, e-commerce, and VC-backed startups. Common project types:

• Customer stories & case studies – Sales enablement content that demonstrates ROI
• Product demos & explainers – Technical concepts translated for buyer audiences
• Broadcast commercials – TV and OTT advertising creative
• Social media ad campaigns – Platform-native creative vetted for performance
• Documentary-style brand films – Long-formulary video marketing for high-consideration purchases
• Event coverage – Conferences, product launches, company milestones
• Advertorial content – Branded journalism and sponsored editorial
• Recruitment videos – Company culture and employee testimonials

From Ellen DeGeneres Show segments to medical device training modules, the throughline is consistent: clients who need production quality that matches their brand ambition and business velocity.

What Makes Us Different From Other Austin Video Companies

Most production companies sell “creative excellence” or “award-winning cinematography.” We sell throughput and predictability.

Here’s the honest distinction:

Freelance videographer: Affordable but limited range—shoots footage, hands off rough cuts, no masterful input on messaging or distribution
Long-established and accepted agency: Beautiful work specimens, 8–12 week timelines, range creep starts at revision round 2, invoices with surprise line items
Start Motion Media: Full production team, masterful pre-production planning, unlimited weekly revisions, predictable monthly cost, 2–7 week standard delivery

We’re not the cheapest option in Austin. We’re the most productivity-chiefly improved one for companies that treat video as continuing infrastructure rather than occasional projects.

Our Studio & Equipment

We operate from a production facility off South Lamar Boulevard with:

• Controlled lighting engagement zone for interviews and product shoots
• Green screen capability for video backgrounds
• Professional audio recording booth
• Client critique area for in-person feedback sessions

Equipment includes cinema cameras (RED, Sony FX series), professional lighting packages, wireless audio systems, gimbal stabilizers, and licensed drone fleet for aerial cinematography.

The Critique & Delivery Process

We use cloud-based critique platforms that allow frame-accurate feedback. You can comment directly on specific timestamps, eliminating the back-and-forth of “around 0:37 can you adjust…” email threads.

Revisions happen in real-time during the week via email or text—no formal critique meetings unless you want them. Most clients see first drafts within 5–10 days of shoot completion, with definitive delivery 2–3 weeks after initial critique.

Definitive files are delivered through high-speed cloud transfer with no compression—you get full-resolution masters suitable for broadcast, web, social, or any use case.

Who This Model Serves Best

You’re a strong fit if you:

• Run continuing campaigns that need constant creative refresh
• Waste internal resources negotiating range with agencies
• Need faster turnarounds without sacrificing production worth
• Worth predictable monthly costs over surprise invoices
• Want a partner who understands marketing metrics, not just aesthetic preferences
• Already know video is important infrastructure—you just need reliable execution

We work with Austin-based startups, growth-stage companies, enterprise marketing teams, and national brands shooting in the Texas market.

Why Austin Continues to Attract Production

Past Keep Austin Weird bumper stickers and breakfast taco debates, the city offers legitimate production boons:

No state income tax makes Austin attractive for production crews and talent relocation
Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program provides rebates for qualifying productions
Direct flights to major markets from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
300+ days of sunshine annually means reliable outdoor shooting schedules
Varied locations within 30 minutes—urban, suburban, rural, industrial, natural
Growing pool of production talent from UT Austin film program and transplant professionals from LA/NY

The result is a production engagement zone that combines professional infrastructure with cost efficiency and creative energy.

Start Your Next Project

If you’re assessing the value of video production partners in Austin, the real question isn’t whether you need video—it’s whether your current workflow can keep pace with your content demands.

Most marketing leaders we talk to aren’t stuck on strategy. They’re stuck on execution speed and vendor coordination overhead. The retainer model eliminates both constraints.

Next step: Schedule a 20-minute call to critique your current video workflow, identify bottlenecks, and map out what consistent production capacity could open up. We’ll show you exactly how the retainer works and whether it fits your needs.

No pitch deck theater. No case study presentations. Just direct conversation about throughput, quality, and cost-punch.

Based in Austin, serving clients nationwide. Office and studio located off South Lamar Boulevard, central Austin.