SpaceManager Closets interview questions

I actually enjoyed my interview at SpaceManager Closets. That being said, there was a huge lack of communication regarding their finial decision, and involved doing unpaid, free work. I had an interview within 2 weeks of applying to the job and the process was smooth. Met at their factory and learned what the business is, had a really nice chat with the CEO. However, after this is where the cracks started to show. Many assume that because you are a "video professional", that you must own personal gear and software to do this kind of work in your free time. This was not the case for me. I was asked to complete a 2-3 minute video about a blog post from their website using my own personal gear and time. I let them know that I did not have the equipment at home to do what they were asking for, and was told to "try anyways". I then had to spend my own money on software, stock footage, tripods, audio equipment, and other items in order to complete the "test". The final product would be something I would charge hundreds, if not four digits, for completion. I normally reject these kind of requests, but decided to go forward doing so because the company and CEO seem to be mean well. Normally, it is protocol to review a demo reel/portfolio to judge a creative's skill set. Before I could complete the "test", I was also asked to do an interview with a third party agency. The interview was also straight forward, and I really enjoyed my time with them. I did find it strange that they moved me forward here without reviewing my video that I was making. After all of this was done, they called my provided references and was told "this is the last step before offering employment". My references provided good information about me. It took them over a month to come to a final decision in regards to hiring, and received a impersonal rejection letter with typos from an automated system. I am a bit disappointed because I would have at least welcomed feedback about why I was not selected after making it quite far in the process. While sad, I understand and I wish them nothing but the best with their new hire. Hopefully in the future they will reconsider unpaid work for their hiring process.