The context
In 2015, I decided to create my video production company specializing in web video content. I developed the project over five years, and here is a summary of this meaningful odyssey.
Grab your pop corns it's gonna be a "long story" !
I come from a computer science background.
During my engineering studies, I learned how to tackle any problem from scratch and achieve results regardless of the digital technology involved. I decided to make this my credo for my video production company, and called it FilmSearchers, since I did not have a background in video production. Therefore, I made the research of visual solutions the centerpiece of my project.
In 2013, I completed a one-year training program in graphic design, video editing, and web design.
It was a good start, but since I was passionate about filmmaking, I needed more. So I tried to learn by myself.
For 3 to 4 months, I learned through books, videos, analyzing movies, and communicating with professionals. I quickly realized that it was not something difficult to learn, but practicing was the key to success.
I have seen a lot of videographers who love to work alone for various reasons. Some are solo filmmakers, and others, like me, just do not know a lot of people in this industry. Inside my 10m² office, I started to feel alone. There are so many reasons why teamwork is better as an entrepreneur, but the most important one, in my opinion, is that when things go wrong (and they do most of the time), it's easier to hold on as a team.
Through practice, I realized that it was much more efficient to work in a team in the long-term in this kind of discipline. So I decided to recruit skilled people from my network who could help me grow the business.
Of course, much is given, and much is required. A team requires some tools to organize projects and have efficient communication.
I decided to bring back the project management skills that I had learned in my years of computer science and motivate my team with speeches that I listened to every day.
As a result, I developed good personal organization skills for each project. However, I also realized that generic motivational speeches work better with passion and self-discipline.
I was building the core of FilmSearchers with all the energy I had, facing the challenges of teaming up with other people, trying to hold onto the vision, and cultivating good relationships with my teammates. By the end of chapter one, only one of my former classmates and I were left on board.
There was an even bigger challenge ahead, and that was the one that most of us creators don't really like, but without it, there is no business: the sales part, the engine of the company.
I had the fuel to drive me: a strong desire to serve others, pursue my passion, and, of course, pay the bills.
Having worked as a freelancer in web design and development before, I knew it was a challenge to find clients. However, this time, I had to start from scratch with little knowledge of the market. I realized that without sales, there would be no company.
I had to build an engine to drive my business forward.
Due to my lack of experience in sales, I innocently started "spamming" companies on Facebook with generic messages. It was highly ineffective, especially when Facebook bots banned me in the middle of my "grind".
Luckily, 2015 was the boom of content creation, and I began to explore various platforms to showcase my work and connect with potential clients.
Original content was flourishing on the web, and companies were looking for graphics and dynamic stuff. After contacting hundreds of companies, I miraculously found a client who was a student at the renowned French business school HEC Paris. He and his team were looking for an editor/motion designer to create trailers.
This collaboration opened the doors for a five-year professional relationship with HEC students, where we covered two of their most exciting events each year.
Over time, we began to attract more clients, and our portfolio started to grow
After 2 years of struggling to acquire clients, I decided to take a sales training course at the Booster Academy. There, I learned how to conduct a sales meeting, the basics of client relations, and how to close a deal.
The engine was small but working, and it needed some improvements and experience in the small roads of the business world. However, as the situation was improving, a desire for growth disrupted everything.
At the beginning of Film Searchers, I was focused on pursuing my passion and didn't fully realize that I was building a brand. As I grew as an entrepreneur, I understood that in order to attract more clients and grow the business, I needed to stand out.
We started by increasing our presence on social media platforms.
We also tried to make our offer more precise and our design more in line with our activities.
Lastly, as our appetite for growth was at his peak, we decided to focus on what FilmSearchers was truly about: providing digital video solutions. With the rise of social media influencers, we recognized an opportunity to help YouTube content creators enhance their channel's notoriety and content quality.
As a result, we began prospecting on YouTube and within our network, ultimately finding three promising profiles to collaborate with.
Our work with these content creators involved:
- Content co-creation and organization,
- Video Production,
- Managing the schedule/rhythm.
"This YouTube production experiment was very enriching but also very exhausting. Unfortunately, we were unable to stick to our initial production plans due to the heavy workload that was too much for our small company. As the leader, I became too eager to grow too quickly and overloaded the engine of our business. In retrospect, I can identify three reasons for our failure on YouTube production :
We started too soon:
I was so excited about this project and blinded by the fact that I had found something that could set us apart from the crowd, that I underestimated the task and neglected the side where we were supposed to grow: "selling basic video services" and eventually evolving into something else later.
I was so excited about this project and blinded by the fact that I had found something that could set us apart from the crowd, that I underestimated the task and neglected the side where we were supposed to grow: "selling basic video services" and eventually evolving into something else later.
Poor anticipation:
Producing people such as influencers is like producing music artists, so you need to know exactly the amount of work, time, and resources you will need to take care of the artist, which was not my concern at the beginning. I was focused on producing content.
Producing people such as influencers is like producing music artists, so you need to know exactly the amount of work, time, and resources you will need to take care of the artist, which was not my concern at the beginning. I was focused on producing content.
Lack of experience:
Although we knew what we had to do, it was really clear that doing it in a production environment at a high pace of delivery for several people that we did not really know was something new for us, and we made a lot of mistakes during the process. This experience lasted almost a year, after which we were really exhausted.
Although we knew what we had to do, it was really clear that doing it in a production environment at a high pace of delivery for several people that we did not really know was something new for us, and we made a lot of mistakes during the process. This experience lasted almost a year, after which we were really exhausted.
To conclude my entrepreneurial experience, I would say that it was great. I learned a lot of things that allow me to understand how different people in a company work, from the head CEO to the salespeople, managers, and technical staff. I also had the opportunity to meet a lot of entrepreneurs and participate in various events.
Through this experience, I learned that the most important thing when starting a company is to meet the needs of your target market. "Knowing better to serve better" is a saying that sums up this lesson well.
It's crucial to be willing to learn new business skills at any moment and have a deep understanding of how a company really works.
While it's common to say that "business is business," I like to add that "human is human." We don't just work with money; we work with people, and an honest relationship with a contact is a greater investment than a temporary contract.
If I were to start over, I would avoid the trap of getting caught up in the glamour of being an entrepreneur and make more practical decisions about the business.
Ultimately, quitting being an entrepreneur was the best decision for me because it allowed me to step back from the "hurricane" and gain a clearer perspective on how it all works.
Showreels
Motion design
Film making
A huge thanks to all of the participants, near and far, for this experience.
And thank you for watching.