Procurement
Everything a purchasing, legal or IT team needs to approve Made In The Dark as a vendor, in one place, including an in-house cost comparison.
Differentiators
- A physical film and photography studio in Chesapeake, Virginia
- Our own software suite, so no compatibility issues, third-party plugin stack or license creep. Reduces operating costs from multiple vendors
- A lean multidisciplinary senior in-house team; no outsourcing
- One company per trade per region
- Award-winning: 14 awards; more than 20 years of experience
Capability statement
Made In The Dark is the outsourced creative and digital department for commercial contractors and industrial manufacturers in Hampton Roads: website, film, search, distribution and systems under one monthly program.
Core competencies
- Websites and pages, built and hosted on our own Darkside software
- Documentary films, project films, facility tours, live events, commercial advertisements, recruitment films, drone video, 360° photo, 360° video, photography, podcasts, interviews, testimonials, short films, feature films
- Search and AI search visibility, with monthly rank tracking
- Social media and email distribution to named target accounts
- Custom software, CRM, RFQ and bid inquiry forms, lead alerts, client portals, custom tools, calculators
- Mobile applications, web applications
- 3D, VFX and interactive product viewers
- API (application programming interface) integrations
Vendor information
| Legal name | Made In The Dark LLC |
|---|---|
| Entity type | Limited liability company, Virginia |
| Address | 826 Tluchak Lane, Suite 108, Chesapeake, VA 23323 |
| Phone | (757) 275-4457 |
| Website | madeinthedark.com |
| NAICS (suggested, confirm) | 541810 Advertising agencies; 541613 Marketing consulting; 512110 Video production; 541511 Custom programming; 541430 Graphic design |
| Business size | Small business |
| Insurance | Via the contact form |
Payment information
| Accounts contact | Via the contact form |
|---|---|
| Billing | Monthly retainer, invoiced in advance; no deposits |
| Payment methods | PayPal or wire transfer; client covers wire fees |
| Term | 6 month minimum, then month to month with 30 days notice |
| Prepayment | Discounts may be available for paying the full term up front |
Security and data
Your site, forms and lead data run on our own software, on managed hosting, with fewer third parties touching your data than a typical plugin stack.
| Area | How it works |
|---|---|
| Hosting | Managed hosting on GoDaddy (North America), administered by Made In The Dark |
| Software | Darkside theme and plugins replace third-party plugins and SaaS providers to limit risk exposure, reduce cost and dependency |
| Hardening | Darkside Security on every site; updates applied by our team |
| Backups | Daily backups, kept for 24 hours |
| Lead and form data | Stored in your site’s own database, not a third-party form service |
| Software license check | Plugins report only license status and basic WordPress, PHP and server versions; no form or customer data |
| Cookies and privacy | Cookie consent built into the theme; privacy policy maintained on your site |
| Access | WordPress admin user account. Full control over all plugins and data. |
| Certifications | We do not hold SOC 2 or ISO 27001; security questionnaires are answered on request |
On-site filming
- NDAs signed before any visit on request.
- Crew follows your site rules, escorts and PPE requirements.
- You review all content before anything is published.
- Work appears in our portfolio unless you add the paid NDA option.
AI use
Film and photography are shot by real crews. The client chooses which AI service provider they use in their software. No training data taken by Made In The Dark. We may utilize AI for content generation including but not limited to textual content, motion pictures and photography.
What we need from you
- A named point of contact with authority to approve work
- About two hours a month: the strategy meeting plus approvals
- Site access and an escort for shoot days
- Content approvals within 5 business days
- Your target account list and current customer list
- Access to online systems, access to third-party service providers
- Administrative access to social media accounts
Master services agreement
| Term | Position |
|---|---|
| Structure | One MSA, with SOW per program tier |
| Tiers | Three tiers; Made In The Dark may renegotiate the tier at its discretion |
| Fees | Monthly, in advance; no deposits |
| Ad spend | Included in monthly fee; non-refundable |
| Third-party costs | Travel outside Hampton Roads and other third-party costs billed at cost; client is expected to pay wire fees |
| Minimum term | 6 months, then month to month |
| Prepayment | Discount for paying the full term up front |
| Cancellation | 30 days written notice after minimum term |
| Early termination | The remaining minimum term is owed in full |
| Refunds | Services and ad spend are non-refundable |
| Intellectual property | Made In The Dark retains all IP and licenses; IP of plugins, code, audio and visual granted by Made In The Dark |
| Portfolio rights | Work may be shown in Made In The Dark’s portfolio unless client opts for NDA at additional cost |
| Hosting | Managed GoDaddy hosting (North America) unless self-hosted |
| Software | Darkside Suite licensed for the term; Darkside has a yearly subscription cost payable to Made In The Dark |
| Results | No guaranteed outcomes; results depend on the client, the market and other factors |
| Studio use | Client is liable for damage to the studio and equipment during client sessions |
| Exclusivity | One company per trade per region while the program is active |
| Payment methods | PayPal or wire transfer |
Cost of building it in-house
Hiring the five roles behind one of our programs costs about $436,000 a year in Hampton Roads salaries alone. We include ad spend in each retainer.
| Role (BLS occupation) | Annual mean wage, Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News metro |
|---|---|
| Marketing manager | $154,510 |
| Web developer | $94,150 |
| Marketing specialist | $71,120 |
| Graphic designer | $61,180 |
| Camera operator | $54,880 |
| Salaries total | $435,840 |
| Plus, not counted above | Benefits and payroll taxes, camera and drone gear, editing and design software, CRM, email, hosting, recruiting, management time, ad spend |
A two-person team (a manager and a specialist) costs $225,630 in salaries, with no studio, no developer and no film crew. Wages are the May 2023 annual means from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for the metro area.