We were lucky to catch up with Richard Tiland recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Richard thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Crazy stuff happening is almost as certain as death and taxes – it’s technically “unexpected” but something unexpected happening is to be expected and so can you share a crazy story with our readers

Picture this: It’s 2017, and after years of grinding, optimizing, and perfecting our craft at New Evolution Video, we’d achieved something remarkable – we were ranked #1 worldwide on Google for “video production.” Not just locally in San Diego, not just nationally, but globally. For a video production company, this was like winning the lottery. We were getting calls from Fortune 500 companies daily, our pipeline was overflowing, and everything we’d worked toward for years was finally paying off.Then one morning, I woke up to find our website completely destroyed. Not just down – obliterated. Everything we’d built digitally was gone. The hackers had left a simple message: pay the ransom or lose it all.

The initial shock was overwhelming. Here we were, riding the highest high of our business success, and in one moment, it felt like watching years of work vanish. The temptation to just pay was real – after all, what’s a few thousand dollars compared to losing that #1 ranking that was driving millions in potential revenue?
But something deeper kicked in. This wasn’t just about money; it was about principle. If I gave in, what message would that send? That New Evolution Video could be bullied? That we’d compromise our values when pressured?

I refused to pay. We rebuilt from scratch, but that #1 Google ranking? Gone forever. The organic traffic that had been the lifeblood of our growth disappeared overnight. It was like starting over, but with 18 years of experience and a much clearer understanding of what really matters.

Those two lessons became foundational to how we operate today: never compromise your principles under pressure, and always protect what you’ve built. That attack forced us to diversify our client acquisition, strengthen our security, and ultimately built a more resilient business model that doesn’t depend on any single source.

Looking back, losing that ranking was devastating, but it taught us that true business strength comes from adaptability, not just visibility. We’re still here, still creating award-winning content for Fortune 500 companies, and now we’re bulletproof in ways we never were before.

Richard , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m the founder of New Evolution Video and dk3studios, and my path into video production started with a simple belief: every brand has a story worth telling, but most don’t know how to tell it in a way that truly connects. Eighteen years ago, I saw businesses struggling to communicate their value in an increasingly visual world. They had incredible products and services, but their messaging wasn’t breaking through the noise.

That’s why I built New Evolution Video – not just as another production company, but as a strategic partner that unites creative vision with business objectives under one roof.

At New Evolution Video, we’ve spent 18 years perfecting the art and science of visual storytelling. We’re not just creating videos; we’re solving a fundamental business problem: how do you cut through the clutter and genuinely connect with your audience in a way that drives real results?

Our approach is different because we lead with strategy first. Before we pick up a camera, we dive deep into understanding your goals, your audience, and your unique value proposition. Then we craft videos that don’t just look beautiful – they perform.

We offer everything from explainer videos and corporate storytelling to social commercials, motion graphics, VFX, and full distribution strategies. But what really sets us apart is our consultative approach – we ask the right questions to understand not just what you want, but why you want it and how it fits into your bigger picture.

Our entire crew consists of NYU Master Film graduates – not because we’re credential snobs, but because this level of training means every project benefits from world-class technical expertise and creative vision. When Disney, ESPN, SONY, Qualcomm, or Kinaxis chooses us, they know they’re getting Emmy-level talent focused entirely on their success.

After over 2,100 productions and working with more than six Fortune 500 companies, what I’m proudest of isn’t the awards or the big-name clients – it’s the transformation our clients experience. We’ve helped startups become industry leaders and established companies rediscover their voice in crowded markets.
Our secret sauce is this: efficiency meets creativity. We’ve built systems that let us move faster than any other production company without sacrificing quality. When you’re working on tight deadlines and can’t compromise your standards, that’s when our approach really shines.

Three things make us different:

First, we align strategy with production. Most companies either give you beautiful videos that don’t perform or effective videos that aren’t compelling to watch. We refuse that compromise.

Second, we deliver high-quality work fast. Our streamlined processes and experienced team mean you meet every deadline without sacrificing excellence.

Third, we scale effortlessly with your needs. Whether it’s a single explainer video or assets for an entire campaign, our infrastructure grows with your ambitions.

If you’re considering working with us, know this: we’re not order-takers. We’re strategic partners who happen to be exceptional at video production. We’ll challenge your assumptions, ask uncomfortable questions, and push you toward solutions that might be different from what you initially envisioned – because our job isn’t to make you happy in the moment; it’s to make you successful in the long run.
We’ve weathered everything from cyber attacks to industry upheavals, and we’re still here creating award-winning content because we never stop evolving. That’s not just our name – it’s our promise.
When you work with New Evolution Video, you’re not just getting a vendor. You’re getting two decades of battle-tested expertise, a team that treats your success as our own, and partners who understand that great video isn’t just about what looks good – it’s about what works.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Without question, search engine optimization has been our most effective strategy for growing our clientele at New Evolution Video. But let me explain why this approach has been so powerful for us and how it’s evolved over our 18 years in business.

When businesses need video production services, they don’t wake up thinking about a specific company name – they think about their problem. They search for “explainer video company,” “corporate video production,” or “San Diego video services.” SEO allows us to be there at that exact moment when they’re actively looking for solutions we provide.

Back in 2017, we achieved something remarkable – we were ranked #1 worldwide on Google for “video production.” The impact was immediate and dramatic. Fortune 500 companies were finding us organically, our pipeline was constantly full, and we were competing with much larger agencies simply because we appeared first when decision-makers searched.

What makes SEO so effective for our industry is the compound effect. Every piece of optimized content, every well-structured page, every local SEO improvement builds on itself. Unlike paid advertising where you stop paying and visibility disappears, strong SEO rankings continue driving qualified leads 24/7.
We’ve discovered that clients who find us through organic search are typically higher-quality prospects. They’ve done their research, they understand the value of professional video production, and they’re ready to invest in results rather than just looking for the cheapest option.

Today, our SEO strategy goes beyond just ranking for keywords. We create valuable content that addresses the real questions our prospects are asking: “How long should an explainer video be?” “What’s the ROI of corporate video content?” “How do you measure video marketing success?”
This consultative approach through content marketing establishes us as thought leaders before prospects even contact us. When they do reach out, they already trust our expertise and understand our value proposition.

Being based in San Diego, we’ve also invested heavily in local SEO. We rank prominently for searches like “San Diego video production,” “corporate video San Diego,” and “video marketing companies near me.” This local focus has been crucial for dk3studios as well, helping us capture businesses looking for studio rentals and photography services in our immediate market.

Even after that 2017 cyber attack destroyed our website and rankings, SEO remained our primary growth strategy. We rebuilt smarter, with better security and more diversified content. While we never fully recovered those original rankings, the foundation of SEO thinking – understanding search intent, creating valuable content, and optimizing for user experience – has continued to drive our growth.

What makes our SEO particularly effective is how it integrates with our consultative sales approach. When prospects find us through search, they often arrive at case studies or educational content that demonstrates our strategic thinking. By the time they contact us, they’re not just looking for a video vendor – they understand we’re strategic partners who can help them achieve their business objectives.
SEO has taught us to think like our clients, anticipate their needs, and position ourselves as the solution before they even know they need us.

That’s why, even as marketing channels evolve, SEO remains the cornerstone of how we grow New Evolution Video and dk3studios.

The key is understanding that effective SEO isn’t just about rankings – it’s about being found by the right people at the right moment with the right message. And in video production, where trust and expertise matter so much, that organic discovery process is invaluable.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Our client retention strategy is built on one simple principle: going above and beyond doesn’t end when we deliver the final video.

We don’t just check in to see if clients need more videos – we actively monitor their industry trends and reach out with strategic insights. If we spot a new marketing opportunity or see a competitor doing something interesting, we’ll send a quick note with our thoughts on how they could capitalize on it or improve their approach.

Every client gets a structured follow-up at 30, 60, and 90 days post-delivery. But these aren’t sales calls – they’re value sessions. We analyze how their video is performing, suggest optimization strategies, and often provide additional assets like different video cuts for various platforms or updated graphics at no charge.

We’ve positioned ourselves as their video marketing consultants, not just their production vendor. Clients regularly call us for advice on video strategy, even when they’re not ready for a new project. This consultative approach means when they do need video services, we’re the obvious choice.

We remember important milestones – product launches, company anniversaries, key executive promotions – and acknowledge them with personalized messages or even quick congratulatory videos. These small touches reinforce that we see them as partners, not transactions.

Every follow-up includes data. We track how their videos are performing across platforms and provide insights they can use immediately. This approach has turned many one-time clients into long-term partners who trust us with their entire video marketing strategy.

The result? Over 80% of our business comes from repeat clients and referrals, because we’ve proven that our relationship with them extends far beyond the final cut.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://newevolutionvideoproduction.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newevolutionvideo/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardtiland