Rising Stars: Meet Adam Grossman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Grossman.

Hi Adam, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started in TV and Film. Wrote and directed a couple of small features, wrote some for TV. During a WGA strike, my best friend was doing a photo shoot for Vanity Fair and invited me to come out and shoot some behind-the-scenes (BTS) material. I cut it together, sent it off to Vanity Fair, and they ran it on their website. The response was good and I wound up doing most of their BTS work for 8 years or so. This is what started Good Dog Media.

Like any business, you have to expand to survive, so over the years I’ve moved our focus from BTS work to promotional video. We still do some editorial, but mostly commercial. The subject matter is always changing— which is one of the things I love most about the work. One week we’re doing promo material for an entertainment company in LA or NY, the next week we’re doing interviews for Smithsonian in DC and the next week we’re producing a promotional film for a tech company in Austin.

Most recently, we’ve expanded to the Atlanta market, but most of our projects are LA based.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Running your own business is never completely smooth. I remember when one of my biggest clients changed direction and no longer needed the same level of content creation. I wasn’t prepared for that steep a falloff in revenue, but I learned that you always have to be increasing your client base. Diversification is key— especially in a fast-moving media industry.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I always try to make the visual impact as strong as possible. But nobody is going to care about the pretty pictures if you don’t have compelling content.

What I’ve found over the years is that authenticity is the key to having a lasting impact— whether it’s for an editorial bio piece or a promotional piece for a business.

I love doing interviews with people and giving them the space to express themselves in a genuine way. I run a lot of cameras and shoot a lot of material. It creates a longer post-production process, but ultimately it allows for more compelling content.

We do a lot of work with non-profits and one of the things I’m most proud of is when I can use these tools to help tell the stories of the under-represented.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Never give up, but never be afraid of change.

When I was in Film School at USC, all I thought I wanted to be was a film director. Kind of a narrow focus, but I was determined. I did get to direct a couple of films and I loved doing it, but my path led to other things, too.

When I glance in the rearview mirror, I have no regrets because I love the work I get to do now and I love how it’s shaped my life.

I’ve never given up, but I’ve also learned to be more open-minded and to embrace change.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.good-dog-media.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/gooddogmedia
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/gooddogmedia