String & Story Case Study
“It was like seeing the educator I wanted to be finally on the screen.”
HollyAnne Knight teaches free-motion quilting. She refilmed her signature course with us, then brought the same quality to her photos, learning materials, ads and next course.
At A Glance
Challenge
HollyAnne's self-filmed videos no longer matched the quality of her teaching, and filming alone was wearing her out.
Solution
We planned the refilm around her goals and her students' feedback, then took the filming and editing off her plate.
Outcome
Her first launch on the new videos was her highest-revenue launch ever, and she raised tuition during the next one.
What We Provided
Filming & Editing
For two signature courses and a brand trailer
Brand Photos
Used across website, social media, and course platform
Video Ads
Promoting evergreen digital products
Learning Materials
Templates for workbooks, slide decks, & lead magnets
The Challenge
Students wanted to see her stitching up close to quilt with more confidence.
HollyAnne launched Free Motion Quilting Academy in 2019. Over 1,000 students took it, and it became her signature course.
Even proven programs have teaching gaps: some students asked to see the stitching from more angles.
She wanted new videos to match the quality of her teaching.
She had originally filmed every lesson herself, with her iPhone on a tripod.
She did the filming and editing on her own, about a week for each module.
With one camera, her students mostly saw only her hands.
The worst part of filming my classes myself was the pressure to get it perfect on the first take. I didn't know anything about video editing, so if I messed up, it took a lot of time and energy.
I knew it was time to bring in some experts to film properly.
HollyAnne Knight
CEO of String and Story
The Solution
A detailed plan mapped out every improvement for a new version of her course.
HollyAnne brought us her students' feedback and her own ideas for the new version.
We turned that into a detailed filming plan to close the teaching gaps and track every shot needed for refilming her videos.
| The Teaching Gap | What We Planned |
|---|---|
| Students wanted more angles on the stitching | A second camera up close on the needle, plus a wider view |
| Students only saw her hands | HollyAnne talking to students on camera between demos |
| With one camera and no editing, her videos couldn't highlight key moments | On-screen text for key terms, extra footage and motion graphics to reinforce teaching moments |
We handled the filming and editing, so she could focus on teaching.
We took care of the setup, the cameras and the editing.
She no longer had to catch and fix her own mistakes alone.
Filming the whole course took two days with us, compared to about six weeks on her own when she had self-filmed.
The power of having someone else carry the mental and emotional load of getting the shot ... was completely game changing.
HollyAnne Knight
CEO of String and Story
We captured brand photos and designed templates she can reuse across her marketing and courses.
Brand photos were taken at her studio and surrounding neighborhood.
We used the photos when designing Canva templates for her course workbooks, lead magnets, and slide presentations. She no longer has to design a new asset or resource from a blank page.
The Outcome
Students called the new videos clear and professional.
We filmed and edited 48 video lessons for the new Free Motion Quilting Academy. Watch a couple below.
The cameras are well positioned, so I can see every detail of the ongoing work, pause, and play it again.
The demonstrations on video – first on paper, then on the sewing machine, were probably the best and most helpful for me.
It helps me to see the motion in action, not just study drawings on a page with arrows telling you what to sew.
She didn't try to present an illusion of perfection which let me give myself some grace when I made mistakes.
The modules and videos were extremely professional. I am very impressed.
Seeing the real time videos (complete with thread breaks and running out bobbins) make you realise that it is a slow process.
$110,896
Revenue from the first launch with the new videos
482
Students in that launch
$227 → $327
Tuition before and after the refilm
Her first launch with the refilmed course was her highest-revenue launch ever.
Before the refilm, HollyAnne sold her course by comparing its price to the cost of paying someone to quilt one quilt.
After the refilm, she could also sell it on quality, because every video was professionally filmed. That made her course easier to promote.
At her next launch, she raised tuition and named the professional refilm as the reason.
Keeping some mistakes on camera gave students the freedom to struggle without shame.
HollyAnne's promise to her students is to help them quilt with confidence.
Part of that confidence is knowing that mistakes are normal.
So HollyAnne and our team decided to keep some of her thread breaks in the new videos.
What Came Next
She now shows up as the leading educator she wanted to be.
Her website, courses, presentations share one consistent look, and when a publication features her, her brand photos are ready to send.
That brand consistency helps people trust her before they ever take a class.
Having both the strong systems that allow us to deliver our products at scale, but also the powerful visuals that set us apart, has allowed String and Story to really become a brand. It means that we have more trust with our audience and with the quilting industry at large.
HollyAnne Knight
CEO of String and Story
She kept bringing us back for future projects.
As String & Story grew, HollyAnne wanted to bring the same quality to her next course and additional marketing assets.
Intro to FMQ, an evergreen mini course
She turned module one of the refilmed course into a mini course of its own. It became a new revenue stream and a way to lead students into the full course. We made a video ad to promote it.
String & Story brand trailer
Her business grew from online courses to include a brick-and-mortar quilt shop. We made a short video that introduces both to new audiences finding her.
Longarm Prep
She wanted her next course to match the quality of Free Motion Quilting Academy, so we filmed those lessons and made an ad to promote it.
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