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HomeMy WebLinkAbout[EXTERNAL]Parks and Recreation Department RFQ _ Dead West Creative LLCFrom:David Abate To:Bozeman Procurement Subject:[EXTERNAL]Parks and Recreation Department RFQ | Dead West Creative LLC Date:Thursday, August 27, 2026 11:39:40 AM Attachments:Dead West Creative - City of Bozeman - Parks and Recreation RFQ - 2026.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Hello, Attached is Dead West Creative LLC’s Statement of Qualifications in response to the City of Bozeman’s Contractors – All Trades and Services – Parks and Recreation Department RFQ. Dead West Creative is a Bozeman-based video production company, and we appreciate the opportunity to be considered for future marketing, community engagement, outreach, andcreative production needs for the Parks and Recreation Department and other City departments. Please confirm receipt of our submission when convenient. Thank you, David Abate Creative Director/ Executive Producer Dead West Creative www.deadwestcreative.com P: 406.548.4855E: david@deadwestcreative.com STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS Contractors – All Trades and Services – Parks and Recreation Department Submitted to: City of Bozeman Parks and Recreation Department Bozeman, Montana Submitted by: Dead West Creative LLC Bozeman, Montana Service Categories: Marketing Services • Community Engagement • Public Outreach • Video Production • Creative Services 1.Overview Dead West Creative LLC is a Bozeman-based video production company providing creative development, production, and post-production services for organizations throughout Montana. Our work centers on helping organizations communicate who they are, what they do, and why their work matters through compelling visual storytelling. Projects range from efficient interview and event coverage to complete organizational campaigns, promotional films, broadcast advertising, and live event production. Dead West Creative provides an integrated production process encompassing: •Creative development and pre-production •Video production and cinematography •Interview and testimonial production •Marketing and promotional campaigns •Community outreach and public information content •Event and live production •Aerial cinematography where appropriate and permitted •Editing and post-production •Audio editing, color correction, and finishing •Delivery and versioning for broadcast, web, social media, presentations, and other distribution channels Dead West Creative is structured around a scalable production model. Smaller assignments can be completed efficiently with a compact crew and equipment package, while larger productions can incorporate additional camera, lighting, grip, audio, and production personnel as required. Being based in Bozeman also allows Dead West Creative to respond quickly to projects throughout the City and surrounding area without the logistical requirements associated with bringing production resources in from outside the region. 2. Relevant Experience Dead West Creative has experience producing public-facing communications, organizational storytelling, marketing campaigns, event coverage, and promotional media for nonprofits, businesses, educational institutions, arts organizations, and community events throughout Montana. A significant portion of our work involves translating an organization’s programs, people, services, and impact into accessible stories for a broader audience. This experience aligns particularly well with the City of Bozeman’s anticipated needs in marketing services, community engagement, outreach, program documentation, and related creative professional services. Community and Organizational Visual Storytelling Dead West Creative produces interview-driven and documentary-style content centered on real people and organizations. Our production process is designed to work effectively with organizational leadership, staff, community members, program participants, and others who may have little or no previous on-camera experience. Marketing and Outreach Dead West Creative develops visual communications intended for websites, social media, broadcast, digital campaigns, presentations, recruitment, community engagement, and organizational communications. Production begins with identifying the intended audience, communication objective, and practical uses of the finished content so that production decisions support the client’s larger communication goals. Event and Live Production Dead West Creative provides event documentation and live production capabilities for projects requiring multiple cameras, coordinated production personnel, audio integration, and reliable execution within fixed event schedules. Field Production Dead West Creative maintains an agile location-production system designed for work throughout Montana. Our mobile production capabilities allow camera, lighting, grip, audio, power, and data-management resources to be efficiently deployed in offices, public facilities, event venues, parks, outdoor environments, and remote locations. 3. Project Samples ABILITY Montana “Who We Are / What We Do” Campaign Location: Montana Services: Creative development, interviews, video production, post-production, web and social media content Dead West Creative produced a series of public-facing videos for ABILITY Montana designed to communicate who the organization is, what it does, and the impact of its programs. The campaign uses interview-driven storytelling centered on participants and their experiences, supported by documentary-style footage illustrating programs, activities, and everyday life. Final content was developed for web and social media distribution, requiring the production to communicate ABILITY Montana’s mission clearly while remaining personal, accessible, and engaging. Video Samples ABILITY Montana – Camp Bullwheel – Full Video ABILITY Montana – Camp Bullwheel - 30 second TV Spot ABILITY Montana – What We Do – Full Video ABILITY Montana - What We Do – Social Media Reel Reference: Scott Birkenbuel, CEO (406) 522-7300 x206 sbirkenbuel@abilitymt.org Montana Ballet Company Organizational Hero Film & Broadcast Promotion Location: Bozeman, Montana Services: Creative production, cinematography, promotional video, broadcast advertising, post-production Dead West Creative produced a hero video and broadcast promotional advertisements for Montana Ballet Company. The work required translating a live, visual art form into polished promotional content capable of representing the organization across both digital and broadcast channels. The project demonstrates Dead West Creative’s ability to develop high-quality marketing assets for a prominent Bozeman cultural organization while adapting finished material for multiple distribution formats. Video Samples Montana Ballet Company – Hero Video Montana Ballet Company – Sleeping Beauty TV Spot Montana Ballet Company – The Nutcracker TV Spot Reference: Melissa Bowman, Executive Director mbowman@montanaballet.org Bridger Photonics Event Recap Production Location: Bozeman, Montana Services: Event production, cinematography, interviews, post-production Dead West Creative has provided event recap production for Bridger Photonics, documenting company events and translating the experience into concise, polished communications for use beyond the event itself. The work requires operating efficiently within an active event environment, capturing planned and unscripted moments, working around attendees and event programming, and delivering finished media that reflects the organization professionally. Video Samples Bridger Photonics – 2025 Trailblazers Conference – Event Recap Reference: Tessa Wuertz, Director of Marketing 406-585-2774 x141 Tessa.Wuertz@bridgerphotonics.com TEDxBillings Live Event Production - Location: Billings, Montana Services: Live event video production Dead West Creative provided live event production for three TEDxBillings events across 2025 and 2026. These productions required reliable execution within fixed event schedules and coordination of the technical and creative requirements necessary to document live presentations. The multi-event relationship demonstrates Dead West Creative’s ability to provide consistent production services across recurring events and to build an efficient workflow through an ongoing client relationship. Video Samples TEDxBillings 2025 – Sharon McMahon – How to have hope for American Democracy Reference: Janese Carstens, Executive Producer billingstedx@gmail.com (406) 672-4789 Montana State University Organizational Hero Advertisement Location: Bozeman, Montana Services: Creative production, cinematography, promotional video, post-production Dead West Creative produced a hero advertisement for the Associated Students of Montana State University (ASMSU), social reels of their events, and a sizzle reel for their annual week of activities at MSU Debut. The project was designed to communicate the organization and its role to a student audience through concise, engaging visual storytelling. The work demonstrates experience producing public-facing communications for a locally based institutional organization serving a broad and diverse community. Video Samples ASMSU – Make Your Voice Heard Campaign MSU Debut – Sizzle Reel Reference: Chris Pruden, Student Success Events Manager (406) 994-5821 Christopher.pruden@montana.edu 4. City of Bozeman and Community Experience Dead West Creative has experience producing work that has been utilized by the City of Bozeman and has also recently produced content directly related to City programs and community initiatives. For Music on Main, Dead West Creative filmed promotional content on behalf of its clients, Paige and the People’s Band and Float Like a Buffalo. The resulting video was subsequently utilized by the City of Bozeman on Downtown Bozeman social media and web channels. Dead West Creative also produced the recent ADA Celebration Day video, providing additional experience creating public-facing content connected with City programs and community engagement. While Dead West Creative’s broader portfolio includes commercial and organizational clients, these projects provide direct familiarity with producing media intended for Bozeman’s public-facing communications environment. As a Bozeman-based company, Dead West Creative also brings practical familiarity with the community, locations, organizations, and audiences that the City’s Parks and Recreation Department serves. 5. Professional Personnel David Abate Owner / Producer / Director of Photography / Editor David Abate serves as the principal and primary point of contact for Dead West Creative projects. His responsibilities span the complete production process, including project discovery, creative development, budgeting, pre-production, cinematography, interviewing, field production, editing, and final delivery. This structure provides clients with continuity from initial planning through completion and minimizes communication gaps between creative development, production, and post-production. For projects requiring additional personnel, Dead West Creative maintains relationships with experienced regional production professionals who can be engaged according to project requirements. These include camera operators, assistant camera personnel, gaffers, grips, sound mixers, production assistants, hair and makeup artists, photographers, and other specialized personnel. This scalable structure allows Dead West Creative to match crew size and production resources to the needs and budget of each City task order. 6. Agency Background Dead West Creative LLC is an independent creative production company headquartered in Bozeman, Montana. The company has developed around a deliberately agile production model: maintaining professional production capability without requiring the overhead or crew footprint of a large traditional production company. Dead West Creative currently generates approximately $150,000 in annual revenue and maintains an established base of commercial, nonprofit, institutional, arts, and event clients. The company maintains a combination of owned production equipment and established relationships with regional crew members, rental providers, and specialty vendors, allowing production capabilities to scale according to project requirements. Operational Capacity Dead West Creative maintains the equipment, production infrastructure, insurance, vendor relationships, and operational systems necessary to execute professional creative projects. The company’s production model is particularly well suited to the City’s anticipated task-order structure because production resources can be scaled to each individual assignment. Mobile Production Capability A significant capability of Dead West Creative is its integrated mobile production infrastructure. The company operates an AWD Ford Transit production vehicle configured to support camera, lighting, grip, data management, power, and field-production requirements. For the Parks and Recreation Department, this capability is particularly relevant to assignments involving parks, trails, recreation facilities, aquatics, forestry operations, community programs, events, and other locations where conventional production infrastructure may not be readily available. 7. Agency Strengths and Special Capabilities Dead West Creative’s primary strengths include: Local responsiveness. Being headquartered in Bozeman allows efficient planning, location scouting, production, and follow-up without significant travel mobilization. Scalable production. Projects can range from a single-person field production to larger multi-person crews depending on the requirements of an assignment. Integrated creative through post-production. Creative development, production, editing, finishing, and delivery can be managed through one coordinated workflow. Mobile and remote capability. Dead West Creative’s production vehicle and field-production infrastructure provide an efficient base of operations for work throughout parks, facilities, events, and outdoor locations. Experience working with real people. Much of Dead West Creative’s work involves community members, employees, organizational leaders, students, artists, and program participants rather than professional actors. Efficient production model. Crew size and equipment can be matched to the communication objective and available budget rather than imposing a single production structure on every project. Dead West Creative is intentionally structured as a specialized video production company rather than a full-service advertising agency. Projects requiring services substantially outside our core production capabilities—such as large- scale media buying or web development—would be clearly identified as such rather than represented as in-house capabilities. 8. Workload, Schedule and Budget Capability Dead West Creative maintains a project-based production schedule and has capacity to accept additional assignments during the anticipated City contract term. Because the company is based in Bozeman and owns its core production infrastructure, many assignments can be mobilized without the lead times associated with bringing production personnel and equipment from outside the region. For larger or concurrent assignments, Dead West Creative can engage additional qualified regional production professionals to expand capacity. Scheduling requirements will be evaluated when each task order is requested, and Dead West Creative will communicate availability and realistic production timelines before accepting an assignment. Budget Management Dead West Creative understands that projects performed under this contract may vary substantially in scope and available budget. Our scalable structure allows production resources to be matched to each project’s communication objective. A straightforward interview, public meeting, or event assignment may require only one production professional and a compact equipment package. A larger public-facing campaign may justify additional camera, lighting, grip, sound, or production personnel. Dead West Creative is prepared to establish clear rates and fees through the City’s term-contract process and provide defined scopes and estimates for individual assignments as requested. 9. Claims During the previous ten (10) years, Dead West Creative LLC has not been assessed or paid liquidated damages after completion of a project under contract with a public owner. 10. Generative AI Disclosure Dead West Creative may utilize Generative Artificial Intelligence tools for limited assistive functions in creative development, research, transcription, organization, or other internal production workflows, subject to the City’s authorization. Generative AI will not be used to process confidential, personally identifiable, or otherwise protected City information. Where Generative AI is authorized and utilized, Dead West Creative will maintain human review and responsibility for the accuracy, appropriateness, originality, bias, and copyright compliance of final work. Dead West Creative understands that use of Generative AI in fulfillment of services under a City agreement is subject to approval by the City’s representative. 11. References Dead West Creative provides the following representative projects completed within the past five years. Project / Client Services Contact ABILITY Montana Web & Social “Who We Are / What We Do” Campaign Scott Birkenbuel, CEO (406) 522-7300 x206 Project / Client Services Contact Montana Ballet Company Hero Film & Broadcast Promotional Advertising Reference: Melissa Bowman, Exec. Director mbowman@montanaballet. org Bridger Photonics Event Recap Production Tessa Wuertz, Director of Marketing 406-585-2774 x141 Tessa.Wuertz@bridgerph otonics.com TEDxBillings Three Live Event Productions, 2025–2026 Janese Carstens, Executive Producer billingstedx@gmail.com (406) 672-4789 Associated Students of Montana State University/ Office of Student Engagement Organizational Hero Advertisement Chris Pruden, Student Success Events Manager (406) 994-5821 Christopher.pruden@monta na.edu 12. Nondiscrimination and Equal Pay Affirmation Dead West Creative LLC hereby affirms it will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, or because of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or disability and acknowledges and understands the eventual contract will contain a provision prohibiting discrimination as described in the City’s RFQ and that this prohibition applies to the hiring and treatment of employees and applicable subcontracts. Dead West Creative LLC further affirms that it will abide by the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Section 39-3-104, MCA, the Montana Equal Pay Act. Dead West Creative LLC David Abate, Owner Date: ____________________________ 13. Certification Dead West Creative LLC appreciates the opportunity to submit its qualifications to the City of Bozeman. As a Bozeman-based creative production company, Dead West Creative offers the City a combination of local responsiveness, scalable production resources, professional field-production capability, and an integrated creative and post-production workflow. 8/27/26 Our experience producing organizational campaigns, public-facing communications, promotional media, event coverage, and community-oriented storytelling makes Dead West Creative particularly well suited to support the Parks and Recreation Department’s needs for marketing, community engagement, outreach, program documentation, and related visual communications. I certify that the information contained in this Statement of Qualifications is accurate to the best of my knowledge and that I am authorized to submit this response on behalf of Dead West Creative LLC. Dead West Creative LLC David Abate Owner / Authorized Representative Date: ____________________________ 8/27/26