The 15th Grade

Anant Shiva to me, Man – January 12, 2007

I was Googling for something when I came across this post entitled ” how to start a one-man-video production house” on videoforums.co.uk

it turned out to be by a Rodney Koh of Bamboo Pictures, from Singapore.
so I emailed the guy for some advice.

I think it’s great advice. and I thought you guys should check it out as well.
so here it is:

Hi Anant!

It’s great to hear from you! Bamboo Pictures was started in 2000 with nothing more than a G3 powerbook and a secondhand Sony VX2000. All you need to run a production house is a camera and a computer. Today, it is even cheaper to start a production house with PC prices falling through the floor. I think there is plenty of business opportunity around. I certainly have more business than I can handle and often times refer jobs to other production companies. If you are young, energetic and have little commitments, now is the best time to build a business for yourself and who knows, your family too.

Keep your running cost low. The best way to do that is to work from home. Have a secretarial office where people can courier you stuff. The only time I wish I had an office is when I need to record voiceovers for corporate videos. I get around that by asking the client to provide a quiet conference room for the voiceover talent. I use a Coles Electroacoustic commentator microphone powered by a Sound Device Pre-amp and recorded on an Edirol R-09 flash memory recorder. The result is magical! (CNN uses the Coles mic in the middle of bombing raids in Iraq – and you can’t even hear the explosions.)

There are many aspects about running a business that will take an eternity and some bruised ego to learn. So research, read, read and read about working for yourself and running a profitable business. There are many books you can borrow from the library. One must-read if you are going in as a team is Michael Gerber’s “E-Myth Revisited” Aptly subtitled: Why most small businesses fail and what you can do about it.

If I had only one lesson, I impart ,it would be to spend your profits wisely. In the beginning, spend only to promote your business (namecards, website) Next spend only to eliminate rental (own your essential equipment). Finally, spend to improve efficiency (more RAM, faster workstations)

If you are going with more than one person, make sure that everybody can run independantly from closing a deal to duplicating copies of the finished product. The important thing is creating independant revenue streams. This means each person keeps everything they earn for themselves. Equipment should be pooled but not jointly owned. By that, I mean each person buying different pieces of equipment with their own money and lending it to each other. NOT by pooling everyone’s money to buy a single piece of investment.Each person should pay for their own expenses and never take from a kitty fund. Also going into business as friends means risking your friendship. Some will throw in the towel after a few dry months. Others will soldier on.

Be flexible. In the first three years or so, you may have to do part-time jobs to make end meets. Tuition, wedding gigs , store clerks etc. It is tempting to give up, but remember: Winners don’t quit; quitters don’t win. It’s that simple. Success is the inevitable result of your persistence.

Finally, running a business has little to do with pursuing a hobby. Business is about serving YOUR CUSTOMER, not about sharing your next big idea with the world. Production houses like Oak3 and 360 have nary an original idea. They listen to what their paymaster want to produce and simply deliver what is asked of them. That, I’m afraid is how you run a production company (profitably) If the intention is to make a film, by all means finance it yourself and get it out of your system. Do the festivals, get employed as director, a scriptwriter, cameraman etc. You’d be happier.

But if you want to take charge of your life, your finances, your freedom and your future without kissing up to a boss, without worrying about retrenchment, annual leave, or promotions, then I encourage you and your friends to “stay hungry, stay stupid.”

Yours
Rodney Koh
Bamboo Pictures