Ongoing Video Series (Monthly Retainer Proposal) Dec 28, 2025
The purpose of this ongoing collaboration is to position Long Bros as a distinctive and influential voice in the world of rare books, regional history, and culture, while creating work that is witty, cinematic, and genuinely entertaining for audiences beyond traditional book collectors.
Rather than focusing on promotional content centered solely on inventory, this project presents Long Bros as a living archive, a place where books become portals into stories about place, taste, obsession, memory, and personality. The videos will treat rare books not only as cultural artifacts, but as active participants in a larger narrative about history, authorship, collecting, and the people who care deeply about these things.
At its core, this partnership is about storytelling as a form of cultural stewardship. Long Bros will be presented not only as a provider of rare materials, but as an active supporter and curator of regional history and culture, helping to preserve, interpret, and circulate ideas that might otherwise remain confined to private collections or footnotes.
The tone of the work will be intellectual but playful, informed without becoming overly academic, stylish without being precious, and authentic to the personalities being portrayed.
By experimenting with format, voice, and visual language, this collaboration aims to create a body of work that feels closer to auteur cinema, literary satire, and documentary world-building than traditional retail marketing. The goal is to make something people want to watch, even if they have never bought a rare book, and in doing so, to elevate Long Bros’ reputation locally and internationally as a thoughtful, influential, and culturally essential institution.
Deliverables
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4 short films per month (30–90 seconds each)
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Optimized for Instagram, web, email, and long-term archive use
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The subject matter of the films would evolve over time, but initially would focus on Jeffrey discussing selections featured in the shop, guest writers speaking about their work, and pieces highlighting events or offerings at Long Bros.
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This model leaves room for new campaigns to be developed as time goes on.
Content Direction
The videos would follow a repeatable, evolving format, creating cohesion over time while leaving room for discovery and creative exploration.
Visually, the series leans cinematic, experimental and unique, commenting on a rich history of filmmaking and storytelling rather than leaning on social media trends. It is important to understand the mechanics of the platforms we are posting on but not to follow necessarily derivative aesthetics. We aim to explore an aesthetic world of our own making.
Pre Production Strategy
In-Person Planning with Jeffrey (1 hour)
One in person planning session per month, approximately one hour. During this session we will select the subject matter to focus on for the month. Jeffrey will have descriptions and contextual notes prepared in advance to guide discussion. Together we will outline the general script direction and identify any narrative or visual ideas worth exploring further.
We will also discuss broader themes and points of curiosity, including provenance, historical context, seasonal moments, holidays, and opportunities to align stories with local events or regional cultural moments.
Follow Up Development
Following the planning session, I will take the information gathered and expand it through additional research, reference building, and creative development. This includes refining voice and tone, exploring stylistic or structural variations, and building a clear shot list and visual approach for the month.
A key goal of this process is to ensure that each month feels fresh and intentional, rather than locked into a single formula. While the series will have a recognizable identity, the structure, pacing, and emphasis will remain flexible, allowing the work to respond naturally to the material, the moment, and the stories being told.
Production Strategy
On the shoot day, I will arrive approximately two hours early to prepare the space. This includes blocking shots, shaping and lighting the scene, framing compositions, and preparing for audio capture. Once the visual and technical setup is complete, Jeffrey will be on camera for approximately one hour to work through the planned dialogue, with room left intentionally for improvisation, discovery, and natural conversation. After the on-camera portion is complete, I will capture any additional b-roll or detail shots needed to support the edit. The day will conclude with approximately two hours allotted for breakdown and load out.
The Edit (40 hours)
After all the footage is captured, editing will begin. Each video will require approximately two full days of post-production. If any pickup shots are identified during the edit, I will coordinate with Long Bros to capture them, and this time will not be billed as an additional cost.
Final edits will be delivered in advance of their posting window, with content scheduled for release the following month. For example, videos produced in January will be scheduled for publication in February.
Example Timeline (can be modified depending on weekly schedule):
Why a Retainer?
A retainer structure allows the work to build consistency, continuity, and depth over time. It creates space to establish a recognizable brand and level of quality that Long Bros can be known for internationally, while remaining responsive to what is actually happening in the shop month to month. Rather than producing isolated posts, this approach supports the creation of a cohesive body of work that evolves organically and reduces overhead and decision fatigue for everyone involved.
For Long Bros, this results in a growing video archive and a steady stream of high-quality material that can be used across multiple platforms. Over time, the work becomes a long-term asset that reflects the shop’s seriousness, curiosity, and cultural role, rather than a series of one-off promotional pieces (though it can serve that purpose as well).
Guest Writer Features
A recurring video series featuring regional writers and those passing through. Each piece would aim to capture the personality and thinking of the author as they reflect on or summarize their featured work. Over time, the series would accumulate into an archive of people and ideas associated with Long Bros.
The writers and their work would reflect the same sensibility that guides the shop’s curation. Each carries a relationship to place and history that is embedded in their writing. By situating these voices within Long Bros, the videos would trace subtle connections between literature, regional culture, and the curatorial logic of the store itself. Taken together, the series would extend Long Bros’ aesthetic beyond objects and into living thought, presenting the shop as a place where writers and readers alike want to spend time, converse, and return.
General Shop Advertisements
While many of Long Bros’ interests are rooted in events of the past, the shop is actively engaged in shaping stories of the present. An ongoing focus of this video series would be to document events and everyday activity at Long Bros, including readings, gatherings, and moments that unfold naturally in the shop and bar. Each piece would aim to capture the atmosphere and rhythm of the space, presenting Long Bros not simply as a venue, but as a place people learn from, return to, linger in, and associate with a distinct cultural life. Over time, the series would accumulate into an evolving record of the shop’s presence and activity, creating a history of its own.
With all of this in mind, I’d like to establish a more standardized way of working together that allows us to build and grow creatively over time. Please let me know if you have any questions, and I look forward to continuing the collaboration in the new year.
Much Love,
-Brock Scott
