Stinkstudios EP on the Changing Ad Landscape

Last week production company Stink announced it was opening Stinkstudios, a specialised division that will work with brands and agencies to distribute original content as well as offering strategy, creative and execution.

With the ever-increasing diversity of the industry and the continuing blurred boundaries of who does what, we spoke with Dan Scott-Croxford [pictured above right, with Stink founder, Daniel Bergmann], the MD/EP of Stinkstudios, about the thinking behind the company's opening and what he hopes to achieve.

Was the continued diversification and hybrid nature of the industry part of the thinking behind creating the company?

The thinking really was that we wanted a dedicated focus. A place where we can create engaging stories with audience in mind that are platform specific. It’s a world where we can also discover and develop talent.

Another reason behind Stinkstudios was a recognition that we want to react with the utmost efficiently to the opportunities afforded to us from agencies. Demands from clients are diversifying, so it would be naive to think that the existing systems in place would suit the new landscape.

Why did you think now was the right time to open Stinkstudios?

New opportunities to tell stories in more engaging ways are emerging and we want to be at the forefront of this. Whilst we have been working on various online film projects for many years it became apparent that to excel in this arena we would have to create a new dedicated pipeline.

How will the company function in terms of the personnel and their talents (ie, will you have creatives/strategists working on projects)?

We have set up in a way that is modular. We are starting small enough to be nimble, but large enough to react to the right opportunities. We are able to lean on the resources of the Stink group, using Stink's and Stinkdigital’s know-how where necessary.

With eight offices around the world, each with heavy influence and understanding in their respective market - we will be able to react and connect more efficiently with partners, and ultimately delivering a better message to audiences than ever before.

What attracted you to the company and the role?

I started work at Stink in 2004 and prior to that I worked in TV development, so after some time away to return in a role that overlaps both worlds seemed perfect. I am excited to lead a new division into new working practices.

With agencies opening in-house production boutiques is it only natural for production companies to expand on what they’re able to offer?

Agencies are offering production to clients as a reaction to the market. It is a logical progression. They are seeing budgets and schedules reduced. Stinkstudios is by no means a reaction to what agencies are doing. It is more a reaction to opportunities we are seeing. We feel we have the structure in place now to collaborate with agencies and clients to create better engaging content for online communities.

Do you think the continued blurring of the traditional boundaries of what a company offers is a good thing for the industry?

I think for things to stay the same would be strange. Things change. It is natural. If the industry becomes leaner and smarter as a result then that must be a good thing. I think more than ever we need to collaborate. No one has all the answers. Now more than ever we must use each other's talents to succeed. We have no intention to do anything other than producing engaging content and we will remain completely agnostic in doing so.

In the same way that agency in-house production arms say they are careful not to tread too heavily on the toes of their trusted production partners, will Stinkstudios - and similar entities - have to be careful not to bite the agency hand that feeds?

What we are interested in is having a deep understanding of the arena we are working in. We have no interest in becoming an agency. If we are going to excel in the creation of engaging shareable stories we need to understand the landscape. We need to understand what is strategically working and what isn’t.

We want to become a trusted partner in this space. We can no longer just make pretty pictures and put them online. So let’s understand the space and use that knowledge to better our output. We are not trying to tread on any toes, rather we are trying to create a sophisticated focused business.

Will Stinkstudios be working solely with its Stink/Stinkdigital stablemates on projects?

What Stinkstudios does is create a new working model that is agile and open, we are able to work with the best talent to tackle any project. If that talent would best come from within Stink or Stinkdigital, we would partner with them. If the project required a skillset from outside the group, then we would bring them in. It would entirely depend on producing the best work possible for the job at hand.

What excites you most about the coming months and years with Stinkstudios?

Modern technology and film have propelled the possibilities available to a client to connect with their audience in ways never before imagined. Working closer to original concepts. We want to find interesting opportunities and bring them to life by packaging new and exciting projects together. New platforms excite us too. Can we use a platform to tell a successful story in a completely new way? That’s the aim.

What are you working on at the moment that you can tell us about?

I’m pleased with the work we have put out for the Post Office [above] and the BBC. What’s interesting about what we are doing now is the sheer range, from 30 films for £40k to one film with a budget of over half a million. Unfortunately I cannot tell you about them though!