July 27, 2012
Tell us about your business . . .
My name is Louise Hollamby and my background is as an actress, singer and composer. Three years ago I wrote my first script – a television series – and then, eighteen months ago my first screenplay. I gave that to the BBC through their Writers Room programme and had it go to a full read. After they decided that, despite liking it very much, they were not interested in taking it forward to full production, I took the decision to make it myself and so set up my production company in June of 2011.
My film is a dark romantic comedy and our core market is women between the ages of 25 – 40. Interestingly, however, the market research that I have done so far has indicated that the market is actually far wider and a large number of men would also be interested in that as a genre. Anyone who is interested can check out my work by reviewing the links below.
Production company website is www.scorchedspoon.com
Twitter @scorchedspoon
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Scorched-Spoon-Productions-Ltd/162356500511890
What made you decide to enrol in School for Startups a year ago? What challenges were you facing and what did you hope to learn?
I attended the launch party and panel discussion for School For Creative Startups at The Hospital Club, where I am a member. I was incredibly impressed with what I heard and spoke to Medeia at the drinks afterwards at which point she suggested that I would be an excellent candidate. I applied and was accepted onto the course in August 2011. At that point, I had the script, my brother as my financial director and a head full of ideas. The challenge was how to turn that into a viable business proposition. I knew that, from undertaking a wide variety of roles in the business world during breaks in my acting career, I had a basic understanding of how it all worked but hoped to be able to focus on all of this in greater detail and scope throughout the course. This has proved to be absolutely the case and, while I probably would have reached where I am regardless, I would never have done so as quickly or with such scale as I have been able to through School For Creative Startups.
What meaningful answers did you discover in working with Doug Richard and the experts he’s brought in to advise and mentor you?
The value of simplicity and sticking to the core ideal of what your business is meant to do.
I think my confidence in ‘thinking big’ and being ambitious has been backed up by the words of the highly successful tutors who have been generous enough to give their time and energy to our bootcamps and seminars. This has been a fairly constant message throughout and one that I have very much responded to.
How has your business changed based on what you’ve learned?
My understanding of the use of marketing, social media and how these can be put into place has been greatly enhanced through the course. Too many film makers seem to just focus on the film and creative side of things and leave the marketing and sales to the distributor – often ending up unhappy with the results. I have made sure to build all of this into the overall package and will continue to monitor and control this throughout the life of the film. I cannot believe that I would have given enough weight to this without the understanding that has come through all that I have learned.
I have made product placement deals with several of the companies who have come to talk to us – I would have had neither the access to these people nor thought of it as being important to my ‘brand’ without the course.
Who you have met, through School for Startups that made a real impact on you?
Medeia and Chris have been outstanding and without their tremendous support and generosity in opening up their contacts to me, I would have not enjoyed the course as much or got as much from it. They are exceptional people who have taken enormous efforts to mould and shape the course to something that is of great benefit to the students – without them we all would have been quite lost.
Doug is clearly a true inspiration as well and I have learned untold amounts through his teaching. His commitment to our companies and generosity in passing on his skills has been invaluable.
I have found friendship and support in many of the other participants as well and have taken great inspiration from their progress. I think many of us will remain in touch and support each other going forward.
Which speakers and mentors have had the biggest impact on you and your business?
On a practical level, the talk given by the founder of Tatty Devine jewellery, Rosie Wolfenden, was very important despite the subject matter of her talk not being one of the most relevant to my business. At the end of the seminar I spoke to her and have since set up a product placement deal to feature their jewellery in our film. This has been vital in getting other brands to sign up and will be so going forward.
On the whole, there isn’t a single class or seminar that hasn’t contained something useful to me – whether the topic gave me to expect it would or not. I have made efforts to attend everything that my schedule has allowed me to and each one has added something new to my business.
James Dening’s sales talk was a true highlight and I found early sessions such as the one given by Rob Smith of GoMAD Thinking to be of tremendous use. The presentation session with Katz Kiely was vital to my progress as well – not only as it forced me to pull all of my work together and get a great presentation together but also because I am girl who likes a deadline and she provided a very strict one! I think all of us who were involved in that experience found it incredibly nerve wracking to face the reality of the pitch scenario – especially in front of each other – but probably the most useful thing that I have done throughout the course. I will never be as nervous about presenting my product again and now have the confidence to take on board the feedback, advice and praise that I was given in that session and get even better at it.
The seminar that would have been of most relevance to my business was the one that Michael Jacobson sadly had to cancel and it is a shame that he has not been able to reschedule that during our year. With so many business types within the year, it was always going to impossible to provide something specific for everyone and so there was nothing similar that was able to replace that.
Are you more comfortable pitching your products, services and business to people in a position to help you or buy from you than you were before?
Yes – this has come about through a combination of confidence in my skills and product and practice. This, allied with the fact that these people were actually in front of us and often quite happy to offer advice and further communication after the event has made for a very successful learning curve on this front.
I was able to give a literal ‘elevator pitch’ to businessman Anthony McGaw after he had been in front of Doug in a live pitching event a couple of months ago and have made an excellent contact there through that!
As your business grows, do you feel you’ll be able to negotiate with suppliers, sales channels and investors comfortably?
Absolutely. I started the course with 95% enthusiasm and 5% knowledge and have watched as these two levels came closer and closer together. I keep the high level of enthusiasm but now have the knowledge and growing experience to back it up.
Do you feel you’ve developed relationships through this program that will help you in the months and years to come?
Very much so. Both with tutors and students. I have made sure to follow up with everyone we have had in front of us and have almost always been invited to keep in touch in the future – something that I will take great pleasure in doing.
