Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Maldin.
Hi Eric, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
After graduating from film school at the University of Colorado in Boulder, I packed up my belongings and drove to LA. I clawed my way into postproduction and eventually began working on mostly independent Films and Television. By the time I was 24, I had worked on nearly 75 feature films in both audio post and picture editorial but was feeling a bit burnt out only working on the postproduction side of filmmaking. During that period, I met and actually ended up moving into a house with my now business partner, Samy Mosher. He was a director’s assistant at Anonymous Content and was working alongside some of the most prolific commercial directors like Andrew Douglas, Garth Davis, and Guy Ritchie. I loved learning about that side of the industry, so I began transitioning into shooting and producing for companies like Red Bull Media House and Vice Media. Eventually, I had the inclination to pursue directing and producing full-time, so I partnered with Samy to join forces and help him build out his idea for the production company that went on to become STADIUM. We were running small productions out of his garage in Venice, and we built a website and showreel that included some of our friends who were directors and filmmakers. What began as more of a perception play ended up organically growing into a fully operational Production Company. We moved into our first offices in 2015. Now, almost 9 years later, we have scaled the company globally, opening outposts in Boston & London, further solidifying Stadium’s reputation as a home for the top-tier of emerging directorial voices. We recently launched a studio vertical which develops narrative films and documentaries. We finished shooting our first film at the end of 2023 and will be starting production on our second feature this spring.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The path to where we are now has been filled with obstacles. Commercial Productions are not what they used to be, and the industry, like many others, has evolved over the past decade. Budgets have shrunk, and expectations have risen. Additionally, the democratization of filmmaking has created a rather saturated market, but we have always trusted our instincts and made big strides by carving out our positioning in the marketplace. Running a small business in California is not for the faint of heart, but coming out the other side always makes the journey worthwhile. Running a company with your best friend also comes with tons of challenges, but as I see it…it’s the best thing that ever happened to me. The struggles are part of our success story, so I am grateful to be where I am today and to have built a family of employees and freelancers that I love working with is something I will never take for granted.
As you know, we’re big fans of Stadium Creative Group. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
We’ve always embraced being somewhat of an underdogs against the larger production companies. The legacy brands that Samy and I grew up idolizing were quickly responding to a shift in the way commercials are made. We exposed that gap early on by proving that the sometimes-bloated model of commercial productions could be disrupted. In the span of 2 years since starting the company, we began bidding against some of those legacy brands that motivated us to start the company. STADIUM’s commitment to diversifying its creative offerings and showcasing new, vibrant voices in the industry is always what we set out to do. We’ve been fortunate to partner with some of the biggest advertising agencies and brands, proving that our model can deliver best-in-class content.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
We never forget our humble beginnings, and we love telling stories for new start-up brands and agencies. The perception oftentimes is that smaller companies and brands don’t have enough marketing budget to work with us. The truth being some of our favorite projects we’ve ever shot were the ones that allowed us to stretch the dollar through the resources and connections we have made along the way. If you have a brand or agency that needs its story to be told or creative to be developed, we’d love to collaborate.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stadiumcreativegroup.com
- Instagram: @stvdium
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-maldin-6129002a/
