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Updated brand tone guidelines
<brandGuide>
<brandName>One Foot Productions</brandName>
<essence>
A hybrid production studio that thrives in chaos, makes sense of moving parts,
and builds honest, human, immersive experiences. Less about scaling up; more about
digging deep with curious collaborators. Pragmatic, proud of the craft, allergic to corporate fluff.
</essence>
<personality>
<trait>Scrappy</trait>
<trait>Human</trait>
<trait>Steady</trait>
<trait>Curious</trait>
<trait>Playful</trait>
</personality>
<voicePillars>
<pillar>
<name>Calm in chaos</name>
<desc>Confident, grounded, solution-oriented. Acknowledge mess; don’t dramatize it.</desc>
<example>"Let’s figure it out." not "Crisis averted!!"</example>
</pillar>
<pillar>
<name>Hands-on maker</name>
<desc>Speak like builders. Use concrete verbs.</desc>
<example>Built, stitched, cued, loaded out.</example>
</pillar>
<pillar>
<name>Humbly proud</name>
<desc>Share wins, credit the team.</desc>
<note>Use "we", name collaborators.</note>
</pillar>
<pillar>
<name>Experiment-first</name>
<desc>Try, learn, invite others.</desc>
<example>"We tried X, learned Y, built Z."</example>
</pillar>
<pillar>
<name>Human over hype</name>
<desc>Warm, clear, honest language. No marketing speak.</desc>
</pillar>
</voicePillars>
<audience>
<primary>
<group>Arts orgs</group>
<group>Festivals</group>
<group>Brands</group>
<group>Immersive partners</group>
</primary>
<needs>
<need>Trust to organize and co-create</need>
<need>Clarity over buzzwords</need>
</needs>
</audience>
<toneContext>
<context>
<type>Website</type>
<style>Crisp, playful, 6–10 words</style>
<examples>
<ex>"We build shows people feel."</ex>
<ex>"Backstage brains, onstage magic."</ex>
</examples>
</context>
<context>
<type>Case studies</type>
<style>Past-tense, outcomes, credit team</style>
</context>
<context>
<type>Proposals</type>
<style>Direct, bulleted, honest</style>
</context>
<context>
<type>Social</type>
<style>Present-tense, behind-the-scenes, tag partners</style>
</context>
<context>
<type>Reflections</type>
<style>First-person, anecdotal, paragraph breaks</style>
</context>
</toneContext>
<style>
<person>Use "we", not "I" (except founder letters)</person>
<tense>
<present>Capabilities</present>
<past>Completed work</past>
</tense>
<sentenceLength>Short + medium. Avoid text walls.</sentenceLength>
<verbs>Concrete, Anglo-Saxon (build, cue, stitch)</verbs>
<punctuation>Em dashes, parentheses OK</punctuation>
<specifics>Year, partner, room names</specifics>
<humor>Dry, lightly self-deprecating</humor>
<swearing>Rare, only for emphasis in owned channels</swearing>
</style>
<vocabulary>
<use>
<word>backstage</word>
<word>run-of-show</word>
<word>cue</word>
<word>build</word>
<word>stitch</word>
<word>immersive</word>
<word>messy (in the good way)</word>
</use>
<avoid>
<word>disrupt</word>
<word>synergy</word>
<word>world-class</word>
<word>unparalleled</word>
<word>leverage</word>
<word>resources (for people)</word>
</avoid>
</vocabulary>
<messageOrder>
<msg>Make sense of chaos</msg>
<msg>Create experiences, not just plans</msg>
<msg>Collaborative craft</msg>
<msg>Experiment kindly</msg>
<msg>Depth over growth</msg>
</messageOrder>
<doDont>
<do>Show project names and years</do>
<do>Invite collaboration</do>
<do>Acknowledge constraints</do>
<dont>Overstate meaning</dont>
<dont>Use jargon</dont>
<dont>Promise certainty</dont>
</doDont>
<boilerplate>
<short>One Foot Productions turns chaos into story. We build shows and shape experiences that run on time.</short>
<medium>
One Foot Productions is a hybrid studio born backstage and obsessed with audience experience.
For 20 years we've built festivals, shows, and stories with partners who like to experiment. Less hype, more human.
</medium>
</boilerplate>
<email>
<opener>Thanks for reaching out—this sounds right up our alley. Here's our first take.</opener>
<closer>If this shape looks right, we’ll build from there. If not, let’s adjust or connect you with someone who fits.</closer>
</email>
<cta>Curious, passionate, and okay with some mud? Let’s make something honest—and maybe a little weird.</cta>
<microCopy>
<example>
<before>We leverage innovative solutions to streamline complex live-event workflows.</before>
<after>We map the chaos and make it run on time.</after>
</example>
<example>
<before>Our world-class team delivers unparalleled experiences.</before>
<after>Good people, clear run-of-shows, memorable nights.</after>
</example>
<example>
<before>We support creative initiatives.</before>
<after>We built a summer-camp-style music fest because it didn’t exist yet.</after>
</example>
</microCopy>
<caseStudy>
<section>Context: Who, when, goal</section>
<section>Challenge: Specific messy parts</section>
<section>WhatWeBuilt: Stages, run-of-show, tech, creative</section>
<section>HowWeDidIt: 3–5 bullets with action</section>
<section>Outcome: What changed, for whom, with one number</section>
<section>Credits: Partners, artists, crew</section>
</caseStudy>
<founderLetter>
<voice>First-person, reflective</voice>
<length>~700 words</length>
<elements>
<item>Team credit</item>
<item>One honest admission</item>
<item>One clear intention</item>
</elements>
</founderLetter>
<checklist>
<item>Are we speaking like builders?</item>
<item>Did we credit collaborators?</item>
<item>Is every sentence action-driven?</item>
<item>Is meaning authentic?</item>
<item>Is the tone steady, human, playful?</item>
<item>Would a partner feel seen?</item>
</checklist>
</brandGuide>
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