Automating Creative Production Workflows for Maximum Effort

Background

Maximum Effort is a hybrid advertising agency and production studio based on the west coast with a distributed team across the US and internationally. Led by Ryan Reynolds, they operate as part advertising agency, part production studio, creating content that brings attention to brands, entertainment properties, sports teams, and spirits. 

Their specialty is creating culturally relevant content that earns media attention rather than relying on paid advertising, helping them build a reputation for quick, responsive, and attention-grabbing campaigns.

Problem

Maximum Effort excels at responding to cultural moments with rapid turnaround campaigns, sometimes within days. However, their internal processes needed to be updated to match their increasingly fast-paced production environment. Their operations were primarily managed through "Slack, not used very well, in a scattershot way."

Challenges:

• Disjointed information across multiple platforms with no central database
• Manual setup of project infrastructure (Slack channels, Frame.io accounts, job numbers)
• Difficulty providing clients visibility into their unconventional production process
• Limited ability to demonstrate workflow structure to new clients unfamiliar with their approach
• Strong emergency response capabilities but limited preparation systems

Solution

Ace Workflow applied their 'Minimize Manual' process to create a centralized workflow system that connected Maximum Effort's existing tools while maintaining their creative flexibility.

• Centralized Database: Built a core "brain and nervous system" that organized previously disparate information
• Automated Tool Integration: Created connections between Slack, Frame.io, and other production tools to automatically set up project infrastructure
• Client-Facing Process Visibility: Developed systems to "expose the process to clients" and help them visualize the production journey
• Strategic Implementation Roadmap: Prioritized features based on immediate needs while planning for future enhancements
• Flexible Adoption Approach: Focused on routing data correctly rather than forcing standardized workflows

The solution was designed to provide structure without sacrificing the team's ability to move quickly and respond to cultural moments.

The Transformation

From: Relying on Slack-based communication with limited structure, where project setup was manual and clients had limited visibility into the fast-paced production process.

To: A centralized system that automatically handles infrastructure setup, connects tools seamlessly, and provides both the team and clients with clear visibility into the production journey while maintaining creative agility - saving half a day per week per team member.

Direct Impact

The implementation of the 'Minimize Manual' process led to significant improvements in Maximum Effort's operations:

• Time Saved: Approximately "half a day per week per person" across a team of approximately 30 people, equating to substantial time savings annually
• Improved Client Relations: Enhanced ability to bring clients into the planning phase and show them the production process
• Reduced Implementation Friction: The solution was "not painful" to implement, partly due to the experienced support from the Ace Workflow team
• Increased Focus on Creative: Freed the team to concentrate on their core competencies rather than systems administration‍
• Enhanced Project Structure: Provided a clear workflow without sacrificing the team's rapid response capabilities