Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Teller.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in Bend, OR spending my time skiing whenever possible which led to an interest in action sports films and eventually animation and visual effects. Shortly after, I moved to Orange County to pursue a film degree in directing at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. Following graduation, myself and Julian Conner – an editor by trade and colleague of mine, founded post-production shop Frame 48 (https://frame48.com) in 2016. During our first year in business, I finished my MBA at Chapman before moving up to West LA.
Frame 48’s offices which we share with our sister production company, Summercamp (https://summercamp.la) are now based in Downtown Culver City. Summercamp is run by executive producers Seth Josephson and Katrina Kudlick. I spend most of my days now split between working with our team at Frame 48 – expanding our offerings and technology, and directing alongside the incredible directors on the Summercamp roster.
Has it been a smooth road?
I’ve learned that opening your own shop, no matter the industry, is really just a continuous experience packed full of lessons, terrifying moments, fun times, and mistakes (or opportunities to improve, depending on your life outlook). While I can’t speak to specific projects, the actual process of building a company – constructing the culture, hiring team members, moving offices, choosing projects, is truly a wild ride. Every single day is unlike the last and it’s the surprises that keep it both exciting and unsettling.
A recent example of this is Covid-19 – the pandemic has ravaged small businesses across the country and this is the first time we’ve dealt with something of this sort as a company. The last six months have challenged us as a team and has forced us to ask really important questions, while at the same time forcing us to answer ones that we may not have had to otherwise. How can we set up a remote post-production pipeline for an entire team? How can we responsibly execute a production whilst everyone is socially distanced and safe? How do you build and improve culture while everyone is working from home? Why is it important to continue focusing on company culture while working from home? What are clients looking for during this time? These are just a few of the questions we have talked about as a team over the course of this unprecedented event, and the conversations that it spurs are incredibly valuable and worthwhile. I would recommend everyone ask themselves and their teams questions like these as they navigate forward with this new normal.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Frame 48 is a Los Angeles based post-production partner. We exist to problem solve, creative direct and collaborate across the entire post pipeline. Our team assists in development in making sure a shoot transitions into post as seamlessly as possible. We typically collaborate with our clients as an all-inclusive post-house offering editorial, visual effects, sound, color and conform. Some of our projects over the last few years include feature films for Muse and Melanie Martinez as well as commercials for clients such as Neutrogena, Apple, MSI, and Coca-Cola and artists including as G-Eazy, Kehlani, NIKI, and P!nk. Our 2020 showreel can be seen here: https://frame48.com/work/#reel.
We approach each and every project, whether it is a broadcast commercial, music video, live concert visual, main title sequence or feature film with a top-down, questions first approach. We want to crack why this project exists, how we can best execute the client’s core vision, and do it in a way that is as efficient and polished as possible. Our goals have always been to produce work we are proud of, that challenges us, and to do it with a team that wants to push each other and have fun along the way.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Los Angeles as a whole is one of the best places to be for what we do. More specifically – Culver City is a great location for us, it is accessible to our clients, has a great community, and makes it easy to get to other parts of the city. There is a large production presence in Culver and it’s great to be surrounded by other businesses in the same field. The seemingly infinite food options also don’t hurt. Having an office here is great, but as long as your client has a parking spot and you have water bottles in your fridge, you’ll be okay.
Contact Info:
- Website: frame48.com
- General Inquiries: [email protected], Directing Representation: [email protected], [email protected]
- Instagram: @tomteller & @frame.48
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