🍾 🔟 🎉 10 years in business!
Only 35% of businesses survive to 10 years or more, proud to be one of them!
Other Brother Studios now operates as a post-production company for Branded Content & Social (15m+ views) with a Film & TV slate arm (200+ film festivals, 24x awards), but a decade is a long time and there have been many changes along the way, here’s what we have learnt:
🚀 It’s ok to pivot, change direction and enter new markets.
💂 You don’t have to be based in London to make a success of something, although it definitely helps to start your career and build a network there.
🤦 Make lots of mistakes and learn from them quickly - if something’s not adding value to your business lose it quickly.
💸 Follow the money - advice that made me wake up to a fractured Film and TV business model, and focus on branded content across a range of industries to move where the money was and where people needed value to be added.
📈 Bring value and raise your rates with consistency and confidence. Do courses, gain contacts across multiple industries with specialities outside of your own, and price for your future not just for this month.
💰 Price for value added not the service provided.
🤓 You are the expert in your business - be wary of rogue advice, understand when and if this advice benefits them more than you. But also take on advice from people who really know what they are talking about - there are lots of incredibly generous people out there!
👷 Bring in talent to support you in areas you are less experienced in and charge for the management, quality control and risk associated.
⏱️ Use time sheets to track client value, but don’t use time sheets to cost for new projects. Project rates are generally better and allow for additional scope, time spent is then in your control.
🤝 Support and nature emerging talent - but understand the time commitment needed.
💰 When people say they have a limited budget, respectively acknowledge but cost up fully - you run a business not a charity, and ultimately a discount is passed on to your costs and the quality of the work you produce. It’s amazing how many clients have the money they said they didn’t.
🧠 Mental and physical health supports your business in the most beneficial way possible.
🔉 Promote work you want to make again, don’t promote work you don’t want to make again.
💪 Commit and figure it out, especially at an emerging stage.
🕸️ Your network drives everything. Look outside of traditional models, the best work I have created is with people I have known for 30+ years.
And here’s a favourite moment from each year!
(2016) - The Song of Wandering Aengus animated short film
(2017) - On set for a school promo
(2018) - Rich Webb Let It Rain music video
(2019) - Messing around with best mates who happen to work in the same industry as you
(2020) - In-between lockdowns, Seljan Nasibli live session in a church in London
(2021) - Ridgeview Wine commercial shoot
(2022) - On top of the shard for a live session with Tom Donald
(2023) - Danielle Brandon interview for a feature doc with RAD
(2024) - Another RAD doc, filming interview with Fluoro
(2025) - Royal Television Society award nomination
(2026) - Edit, Grade, Edit, Grade, Edit, Grade...