FogLine Visuals, a video production company in San Francisco, films weekly video content for Thrad, an ad-tech startup for AI chat apps. Each session is planned around its own idea and shot at our SoMa studio, at Thrad's office or in a rented space in Salesforce Tower, and this is how a startup can set up the same kind of recurring content plan instead of ordering one video at a time. Some clients need convincing that video is worth it. Thrad didn't. The team builds advertising for AI chat apps, so marketing is their day job. Their brand has made it to Times Square with the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, turned up in Monaco on a Formula 1 weekend, and their work has been featured by AWS and Microsoft Advertising.
What's interesting is where they chose to put their effort. A company that works with text-based ads inside AI conversations could easily have run its own marketing on text too. Instead, Thrad invested in video, because they know how much more attention it gets.
A content engine, not a launch video
Thrad didn't come to us for a single launch video. We mapped out all the content they need, from product launches and founder content to announcements and social clips, and built it around a weekly rhythm: we film for Thrad every week, and each session is planned around its own idea. The goal isn't to record a video. It's to build recurring video content and monthly plans that doesn't look the same from week to week.
Four videos, four ideas
Here's what that looks like in practice: four videos Thrad's CEO, Andrea Tortella, posted on LinkedIn over the past month. Each one is built around a different idea, and each one reached the marketers Thrad sells to.
Thrad Autopilot. A feature that keeps your ads working on their own, explained in one image: the CEO fast asleep while his campaigns keep running. The joke explains the product before anyone says a word.
The self-serve DSP launch. A scripted launch video with hired actors, filmed at Thrad's office in the spirit of the launch videos the best AI companies put out. The neon sign and the orange couch have become part of the brand.
"What is advertising?" Instead of explaining their product themselves, the team asked a nine-year-old what advertising is. A simple idea that makes a complex product feel human.
"A year of paid advertising in AI." The founder talking straight to camera about what he's learned, with the city behind him. The format is simple on purpose: it's the kind of video people save and share. For B2B posts written for marketers, the right audience matters. You can watch all of them, and more, on Andrea's LinkedIn and Thrad's LinkedIn page.
Where we film, and why it changes
Location is one of the easiest ways to keep content fresh, so we move between very different setups depending on what the video needs:
- Our studio in SoMa. A controlled space gives a crisp, high-quality picture from the first frame, with light and sound we can repeat any week.
- Thrad's own office. The brand is everywhere in the shot, and people who follow Thrad start to recognize the place.
- A rented space in Salesforce Tower. When we want something that says San Francisco without a caption, we go up the tallest building in the city for the panoramic views.
Why video, when everyone else is posting text
Plenty of companies post on LinkedIn and X every day. Most of it is text, written by a copywriter or, more and more often, by AI. It's easy to produce, and it all starts to look the same. Video is harder to make and much harder to fake. A founder on camera, in a real place, saying something they actually believe, stands out in a feed full of generated posts. That's the gap Thrad is using, and any founder building a personal brand can use it too.
How to set up your own content engine
- Plan content for the quarter, not just the next video
- Book sessions on a regular schedule, weekly if you can
- Give every session its own idea and, where it helps, its own location
- Mix studio, office and on-location shoots
- Decide the formats up front: launch videos, founder clips, announcements
Want a steady stream of video without it taking over your calendar? Read how we make founder content on autopilot, or tell us about your plans.
FAQ
Francisk Hanchar
Founder, FogLine Visuals
Francisk Hanchar is the founder of FogLine Visuals, a video production company in San Francisco. He produces video podcasts, launch videos and event coverage for startups, and hosts The Bay Signal.
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