About

New Montage Creative

who, what, where, why & hal

Hal Klopper, Creative Director

Hal is keenly interested in the marriage of word and image. He brings his background in journalism, fiction, and creative nonfiction to the forefront of New Montage’s quality productions.

He often writes about the intersection of political, religious, and social issues. His work has appeared in many publications, including Seven Seas, Carnegie Results, Ecotones, Midstream, the New Vilna Review, and newspapers across the nation.

Hal’s short story ”Nonfinito” appears in The Long Meanwhile, a literary anthology (Hourglass Books). His personal website—a portfolio of stories, essays, and correspondence—is HERE.

He once threw out the first pitch at an Oakland A’s baseball game. Mission accomplished. Now he lives in Brooklyn.

Frequently Asked Questions

Process

What is your process?

We emphasize communication—the open flow of information—and consider it essential to beginning the relationship, completing the project, and helping you maintain a solid, growing presence. So, we ask many questions, all toward polishing your value proposition and positioning everything in the best possible manner. We honor your privacy and keep all information you share with us in strict confidence.

Proprietary

What’s the scenario for having my own website?

If your project is geared for an online presence, that’s the way to go. We can readily secure your desired domain name (provided it’s available; otherwise, we’ll brainstorm with you for a viable alternative name). We pass the purchase price on to you at cost—typically around $12 per year. If you do not have a hosting account, New Montage can place your domain on our hosting environment and maintain it for a reasonable yearly fee.

Terms

What are your terms?

New Montage Creative generally requires a 50 percent deposit before work begins, with the remaining 50 percent payable when we’ve completed the initial project and/or sent it live. We accept checks and credit cards (through PayPal). We’ll provide additional payment details when you initiate your order.

Timeliness

When will you finish my project?

For websites and content creation, we make every effort to complete your project within four weeks of receiving all of your materials. Contact us regarding rush orders; we may be able to turn around a project sooner, depending on the queue.

Autonomy

Can I add content to my site?

If you choose to have your site built in WordPress, then yes: you’ll have keys to the kingdom, so knock yourself out with those changes. (Note that, in our experience, the majority of people making such changes end up knocking themselves—and their sites—out. That’s why we have maintenance plans.) Otherwise, New Montage maintains proprietary control over the web pages for our clients. Provided the change requests fall within the terms of our maintenance plan, we typically complete, test, and send live all changes within 24 hours. This is our preferred method. Websites and their underlying structures—including html, css, and javascript code—can be notoriously temperamental, like a flareup of kids in their Terrible 2s.

First Pitch

Did you really throw out the first pitch at an Oakland A’s baseball game?

Yep. Back in the 90s, I lived in Berkeley. A friend needed a guy to wear a Super Mario costume at the game to promote the next day’s Nintendo PowerFest competition at the Coliseum. I managed to get the ball over the plate. I had two bodyguards named Thor and Oz, who protected me not so much as they did the suit. For whatever reason, the kids loved to punch Super Mario.

Testimonials

“Hal exemplifies the consummate professional wordsmith. His efficiency, timely completion, and grasp of the intellectual requirements of our project resulted in an outstanding and effective outcome.”

“Hal is an expert at website design and implementation. I appreciate the hard work that he puts into his creations for his clients. He has certainly done a bang-up job for me and my company.”

“I couldn’t be happier choosing New Montage to create and manage my website. They’ve gone above and beyond on many occasions. Everyone who sees the site asks who did it.”