Ballet Dancer Shifts to Photograph, Video Creator

Inventive professionals are sometimes multi-dimensional. An architect may additionally design furnishings. A author might compose music. And a performer, equivalent to Matthew Gattozzi, founding father of Goodo Studios, might shift to pictures.

Till early 2020, Gattozzi was knowledgeable ballet dancer. A again harm compelled a profession change and the launch of his enterprise, which produces photographs and movies for ecommerce corporations. “We work with established and up-and-coming manufacturers by understanding learn how to use and leverage content material for income,” he informed me.

He and I not too long ago mentioned his journey. The audio of our total dialog is embedded beneath. The transcript is edited for size and readability.

Eric Bandholz: Inform us about Goodo Studios.

Matthew Gattozzi: We create photographs and movies for client manufacturers. We do TikToks, user-generated content material, and high-end or paid media, utilizing every little thing from cinema cameras to iPhones.

Earlier than Goodo I used to be knowledgeable ballet dancer. I danced all through the U.S. and Europe. I used to be dancing at Ballet Austin and injured my again. So I needed to cease that a part of my profession and shift to photographs and movies. I not too long ago moved from Austin to Seattle. I used to bounce there, and I met my spouse there.

I based my firm in early 2020. It was simply me, and I didn’t begin in ecommerce. I labored domestically in Austin with many wonderful eating places, however issues got here to a halt with Covid. I needed to shift and rebuild. Now I work with a crew of photographers, creatives, and editors. It’s not simply me anymore.

Many consultants within the area went to high school and discovered brand-building expertise. I didn’t go to school. I used to be supposed to bounce till I used to be 30 and ended up jobless at 21. I knew quite a bit about social media, however folks weren’t excited about hiring me as a result of I didn’t have a resume. I needed to say sure to every little thing to start with, which was onerous, however it was additionally good as a result of I might determine what I needed to do.

It helped me to appreciate that the folks I serve are advertising managers and paid media professionals. I tailored my communication to talk to them. I began taking what I do as a artistic and translating it into how they speak. Many creatives don’t try this.

We work with established and up-and-coming manufacturers by understanding learn how to use and leverage content material for income. Manufacturers put money into content material, however additionally they have the mindset that the content material will generate earnings. So we communicate to that and assist construct model methods — on natural channels, product pages, web sites. We study to adapt to the newest media consumption. For instance, after I began two years in the past, TikTok wasn’t as outstanding. A lot of the movies I shot had been horizontal. Now every little thing is vertical.

Bandholz: How do you deal with copyrights?

Gattozzi: My strategy is to be as beneficiant as potential. I inform my shoppers, “You should utilize this content material. You’re investing in these photographs and movies, and also you get unique rights, copyright makes use of, and business use all through, with no licensing.”

I’d lose out as a result of I’m not nickeling-and-diming the model, however I’m making an attempt to determine a long-term relationship. I’m slightly non-traditional in that method. Some creatives say, “You must know your value; put your foot down.” However I need to change how we produce content material. I need to work with main manufacturers. I’m not going to get there except I do one thing completely different.

A buzzword you’ll hear quite a bit is artistic technique. It boils right down to content material creation. Creatives for large advertisers are lacking out by not adapting to how briskly media strikes and the way rapidly manufacturers have to create. We’re making an attempt to construct a content material engine for manufacturers. We provide you with concepts, take a look at these concepts, and execute them.

We contain crew members in the complete course of. Disjointed manufacturing is frequent within the trade. A fantastic photographer who isn’t a part of the planning gained’t perceive how the photographs can drive gross sales.

Bandholz: Describe a Goodo Studio engagement.

Gattozzi:  Most manufacturers ought to deal with why customers are shopping for. Generally we’ll ask shoppers that, they usually’ll listing their product options. Okay, cool, however what do your prospects say? You should perceive your target market — speak to them and do surveys. The concepts are limitless when you study your buyer psychology. Most manufacturers miss that. So I advocate for the intent behind the photographs and the movies.

We do photograph and video shoots. However we additionally do TikToks, user-generated content material, and advert enhancing. We take current belongings, and we extract worth from them. When a model involves us, we begin with enhancing earlier than we shoot something. The exception is an upcoming model or product launch.

We have a look at why prospects purchase and undergo a course of to determine that out. Most manufacturers have a backlog of nice content material. They only haven’t remixed it sufficient as a result of they don’t have the sources or the crew.

As soon as we’ve confirmed some ideas and generated concepts, we double down and scale these ideas and take a look at extra. Then we will herald creators which might be superb prospects for that model. We provide you with the briefs and ship the product out to them. They shoot every little thing and ship it again to us. We edit all of it.

We’ll rent a crew, whether or not it’s in Seattle or in Austin, to work on the manufacturing. That’s how we flip round. We don’t do photograph and video manufacturing with a model each month, however we do a variety of enhancing. That provides us time to plan these shoots. Many manufacturers are hesitant to spend the cash for intensive manufacturing for worry it would flop. So we attempt to take a look at the ideas early with some low-lift artistic, then go to greater productions.

Bandholz:  What makes somebody a superb artistic?

Gattozzi: A superb artistic asks nice questions, interprets the solutions, and uncovers what the shopper desires. A awful artistic will say, “Okay, received it,” and go away. Asking a variety of questions helps the model pinpoint an issue. Some come to us and clarify what they want. It may be difficult for people to explain an thought of their minds. I’ll ask them questions. How is their enterprise? The place has their advertising been? The place are they making an attempt to go? Why do they want a artistic associate?

Generally, after the primary name, we notice they don’t want photographs or movies. They want enhancing. It can save you manufacturers 1000’s of {dollars} by asking the correct questions.

Bandholz: How can listeners join with you?

Gattozzi: They’ll go to our web site, GoodoStudios.com, and subscribe to my e-newsletter. I’m on Twitter and LinkedIn.