Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Price.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’d been working in film and television for about decade in various positions. I enjoyed working on big productions, like 24 and Agents of SHIELD, but it felt limiting, too. I was always a small cog in a giant machine.
So, I decided to strike out on my own. I created Little Toy Boat to shoot videos my own way. As a small operation, I could be a part of every aspect of the production, from writing to shooting to editing.
Plus, I’m able to bring my narrative film experience to web videos. A lot of people know how to shoot a video, but not everyone knows how to tell a story.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The hardest part is, I think, explaining to people why video production costs as much as it does. Everybody’s cell phone has a video camera, and everyone knows how to upload to YouTube, It feels hard to justify spending hundreds of dollars to have someone else do all that.
But the fact is, if you shoot it on your cell phone, it’ll LOOK like it was shot on a cell phone. You need someone with experience shooting in different conditions, and piecing that footage together into a video of reasonable length.
“You’re not paying me for my time; you’re paying me for my experience,” is a common refrain.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Little Toy Boat Radio Pictures story. Tell us more about the business.
Little Toy Boat shoots videos for use on the internet. This can include commercials, explainer videos, and how-to’s.
What we’re really great at, though, is making things look cinematic. On more than one occasion, we’ve created “trailers” for companies to advertise their product. It’s a fun technique to advertise a non-existent movie. It’s fun for us to film, and it sets the marketing apart from the competition.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck matters only insofar as you never know who your next client is going to be. Most people don’t need videos shot on a regular basis. It’s a one-time, or perhaps annual, expenditure. Our business thrives on word-of-mouth, naturally. But just as often, I’ll meet someone at a party, explain what I do, and they’ll suddenly tell me THEY need a video, too.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.littletoyboat.com
- Phone: (213) 926-8331
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleToyBoatRadioPictures/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/matthewtprice
Image Credit:
Curt Chatham
Matthew Price
Amelia Price
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