Meet Peter Stark of BOND

Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Stark.

Peter, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was almost 30 and had no clue what I wanted to do with my life… that’s where my journey started. A little over 20 years ago, my wife decided to get her Master’s degree out East, so I followed her and took a couple of graphic design classes to pass time. I liked the classes enough to apply and get accepted into a design program in NYC, but never ended up going.

Instead, I hustled my underwhelming book all over the city until one kind soul gave me my first break – working at a small shop called Bau-Da Design, on Blue Note album covers and a handful of theatrical projects for The Weinstein Company. That’s where my career started.

After a few years in the city, I took a side trip to Vermont for about 5 years – where I worked at a joint called Lisaius Marketing, doing some small theatrical projects and music work, along with designing beer labels and skis. It was a beautiful place to live, but I knew there was only one place where I could really dive head first into what had become my real passion – creating movie posters. So, in 2002 my wife and I decided to move out here, and LA is where I started to really focus on theatrical design.

After a working at a couple great shops (Art Machine and BLT), I met my current business partners in 2012 and we started BOND – where we are blessed to work with amazing studios and clients on some of the most rad movie and TV projects imaginable. In the 5 1/2 years since we opened our doors, we’ve gone from a 6 person boutique shop to a rocking company of just over 100. It’s a very cool place, and I am continuously inspired by the endless energy and talent of the people around me.

I’ve been so lucky in my journeys, and am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work alongside some of the best souls in the business. Through the generosity and teachings of many mentors and fellow design junkies along the way, I find myself doing what I love every day, and wondering what I did to deserve this…

Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth? Hmm… It’s been a very rewarding and exciting road, but some of that excitement has come from struggles along the way. From hustling in NYC (I sent out over 50 resumes and cover letters and got one response!), to moving West completely blind (my wife and I had a total of 3 acquaintances in LA), to starting and growing a business in a wickedly competitive industry, I’ve had my fair share of challenges. But I wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything. Each struggle is like a little (or big!) teaching – and I wouldn’t have had the successes I’ve had without these challenges.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the BOND story. Tell us more about the business.
BOND is a design and marketing company that offers a full array of services in the entertainment space – including print, A/V, Home Entertainment, digital, 3D, illustration and Photo services. We love what we do and it shows. By hiring the best people and creating an environment that allows them to shine, we produce winning results – and have fun doing it!

BOND is that intangible connection… between colleagues, between agency and client, between creative and consumer, between great ideas and thoughtful execution. It makes us who we are.

I am proud of the fact that, when we started this company, we set out to take the best of our collective experiences in this biz, and leave everything we didn’t like behind. And we’ve managed to do this while still competing at the highest level. And I am most proud of the extraordinary and diverse collection of talent we’ve assembled at BOND. It is awesome to be a part of such an inspired group all working toward the singular goal of being the best we can be as artists and people.

Where do you see your industry going over the next 5-10 years?  Any big shifts, changes, trends, etc?
That’s a great question – and one that we think about all the time!

I believe people will always be looking for theatrical, online and television entertainment – whether it be getting out or at home. So (knock on wood) there should be a steady need for entertainment design into the foreseeable future.

The biggest shift to what we do will be caused by how entertainment is distributed and consumed, and it seems the trend towards Netflix and chilling is our future. So it looks like we’ll be doing less print and more digital work in the next 5-10 years.

But key art is key art, and I really love the ever-changing aspect of what we do. As long as we continue to hire young and inspired kids to help us keep up with the change, we’ll be ok!

Contact Info:

• Address: 1157 N Highland Ave Los Angeles, CA 90038
• Website: wearebond.com
• Phone: 323.300.5150
• Email: [email protected]

Image Credit:
Paloma Stark, Nels Israelson

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