If content feels like a bottleneck in your business, you're not alone. For today’s consumer brands, content is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s infrastructure. It fuels your paid ads, your organic reach, your website conversion, and your retention flows.

But while the demand for content has exploded, most internal systems haven’t caught up. What used to be solved with a single video shoot now demands a tailored mix of visuals, formats, hooks, and storytelling—all moving fast, all feeling native to the platform they live on.

That’s the challenge Kirk Hensler set out to solve with Hale Productions. What began as a solo hustle—weddings, sports games, $300 day rates—has evolved into a full-service production house trusted by Barbie, Fjällräven, Ninja Kitchen, and others.

But the real story isn’t just about growth. It’s about building creative systems that don’t break when pressure mounts. Hale has become the creative backend for top consumer brands not because it chases trends, but because it delivers content that’s designed for impact—and built for scale.‍

The Real Reason Content Bottlenecks Happen

You’d think large companies—with their resources and internal teams—would have content dialed in. But Kirk sees something different almost every time: creative gridlock. “The bigger the company, the more cooks in the kitchen,” he says. “The brand team wants one thing, the marketing team wants another, and legal ends up cutting the legs out from both.”

And it’s not just internal politics. It’s the sheer complexity of what content now requires. A single campaign might need assets in six aspect ratios, across four platforms, using different talent demographics and editing styles. That kind of scope strains even well-funded teams.

“We used to shoot one hero video, cut it vertically, and call it a day,” Kirk explains. “Now, every platform needs native content—shot differently, edited differently, performed differently.” The result? Creative gets watered down. Production timelines compress.

And the magic of storytelling often gets lost in translation. Even high-performing brands struggle to keep pace. And when content starts to lag, performance does too. This is why production isn’t just a creative task anymore—it’s a logistical one. A system challenge disguised as a visual one.

Behind the Scenes: How Hale Delivers at Scale

While Hale’s aesthetic is undeniably polished, their real strength is invisible to the consumer—it’s process. From onboarding to final delivery, the system runs like clockwork. It starts with a kickoff call, where Hale gathers everything from creative briefs to brand decks.

For larger clients, they plug directly into existing processes—sometimes even adopting the client’s contracts, tools, and review cycles. Once the scope is locked, Hale builds a detailed treatment, moodboards, logistics wireframes, and a 40+ page production deck that outlines everything from lighting cues to shot timing. “We’re neurotic about timing,” Kirk admits. “We’ll assign 10 minutes for one establishing shot with dolly movement, map how we’re transitioning into the next setup, and document all of it.

That’s where the reliability comes from.” Shoot days are intense—10 to 14 hours on set is normal—but they’re efficient. Hale often rigs cinema, prosumer, and iPhone cameras simultaneously so content can be captured natively for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and paid media in one go. It’s this rigor that allows Hale to deliver high-volume content without sacrificing quality.

“Our clients don’t just need good creative,” Kirk says. “They need someone who can handle the mess, solve the logistics, and still execute beautifully.”

The In-House vs. Agency Debate: What Brands Miss

More brands are considering bringing creative in-house. On paper, it looks cost-effective. But Kirk sees the blind spots most teams overlook. “To really go in-house, you need at least two hybrid shooter-editors who understand lighting, gear, and post,” he explains. “You’ll need a producer who can build timelines, pitch decks, and production plans. And then you need the space—the infrastructure.” That’s why Kirk built Influence Studios—warehouse-style studios in LA and San Diego tricked out with grid lighting, iPad-controlled aperture systems, movable sets, and built-in kitchens. “You can walk in, flip a switch, and shoot commercial content in 10 minutes,” he says.

For many brands, that’s just not possible to replicate. Hale also integrates like an internal team: they join Slack channels, use the brand’s project management tools, and assign dedicated producers to high-volume clients. “We’re not here to be precious,” Kirk says. “We’re here to deliver. You tell us what you need—we’ll make it happen.” Of course, for brands doing high-frequency ecomm or influencer-led content, internal teams can make sense.

But when the stakes are high—six-figure production budgets, national campaigns, launch content—it pays to work with partners who’ve built systems to manage the chaos.

What’s Actually Working: Insights From the Front Lines

With Hale producing content across formats and verticals daily, they’ve got a front-row seat to what’s performing—and what’s not.

Platform-Native Execution: Each platform has its own rules of engagement. TikTok demands raw, trend-savvy storytelling. Instagram leans visual and aspirational. Paid media lives somewhere in between. “You can’t make your TikTok look like a TV spot,” Kirk explains. “It just gets ignored.”

Start With the Hook, Then Build the Story: Instead of shooting with a traditional narrative arc, Hale often reverses the structure. “We’ll shoot it normally—establishing shots, hero visuals, etc.—then in editing, we flip it. The most compelling frame goes up front. The hook leads. Then we tell the story backward.”

Flexible Testing Infrastructure: Top-performing brands don’t make one ad—they make variations. Hale delivers each concept in three aspect ratios, with multiple cut lengths and headlines. “You run them all, then find the winner,” Kirk says. “It’s not sexy, but it works.”

This test-heavy approach is also how Hale keeps clients looped into performance. After each project, they debrief with clients: what performed, what didn’t, what needs to shift for next time. The takeaway? One-size content doesn’t fit all. It never did. The only way to succeed today is to test, iterate, and adapt constantly.

The Final Word: Strategy Before Aesthetics

Perhaps Kirk’s most important insight is this: content is not a silver bullet. Beautiful creative without operational clarity is just expensive noise. “People fall in love with aesthetics,” he says. “But if your landing page is clunky or your email flow’s broken, it doesn’t matter how good the content is. That conversion’s dead.” For early-stage founders especially, Kirk urges discipline: nail the backend first. Build a frictionless experience.

Make the transaction simple and delightful. Then turn to the creative. “You want content to amplify what’s already working—not to carry everything on its own.” And when you do invest in creative, give your partners room to run. “Let them rip,” Kirk says. “Give them the tools and trust to make magic. That’s when the best work happens.” Because at the end of the day, content is not just about looking good—it’s about moving people to action. And that only happens when creativity is backed by strategy, process, and clarity.