#08 RadEO with Adam Thal from The Star Film Company

Radeo

In this episode with Adam Thal, we talk about the 30-second spot, how the attention economy is rapidly changing, the entertainment and film industry in South Africa. Adam shares how he teamed up with his biggest competitor to start his company, the goods, and bads about working with an academy award winner and being a big fish in a small sea. Subscribe on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radeo/id1250841955) or Soundcloud (https://soundcloud.com/radeopodcast) About Adam: Having graduated from AFDA (The South African School of Motion Picture) in 2003, Adam Thal wasted no time in setting up his commercial production company with his late business partner, Ryan Poole. The Star Film Company was born while in his honours year at AFDA and 15 years later is considered one of the top production houses in South Africa with a multimillion-rand turnover. Besides for running the business, as Executive Producer, Adam manages a stable of 7 incredibly talented directors making sure that every job is delivered on time, on budget and to the highest level of quality! In his tenure, his work has managed to pick up numerous trophies and awards from festivals around the world with the latest being a lion at the 2018 Cannes Lions. Besides these accolades, Adam has been fortunate enough to produce work across the globe. From Los Angeles to Accra, Cairo to Cape Town, Moscow to Nairobi, and many more. The excitement for Adam is the lack of the mundane office cubicle and that each day brings a new adventure. Adam’s expertise lies in the business side of filmmaking and knowing when to spend and when to cut deals. Putting the money in front of the camera and making sure scheduling and logistics are always on point. Over his time in the industry, Adam has made a great name for himself as Executive Producer and is a well-respected individual amongst his clients and peers. Being in an industry you love, makes work fun and for Adam, there is nothing more rewarding than turning your passion into your business. “All Our Dreams can come true if we have the passion to pursue them” - Walt Disney Some of Adam’s work below: https://vimeo.com/album/4469997/video/117252716 - Tusker Lite Beer (Kenya) https://vimeo.com/album/4469997/video/176430471 - Coronation Asset Management (South Africa) https://vimeo.com/236708574 - ShowMax (South Africa) https://vimeo.com/232020474 - Huggies Baby Marathon Trailer (South Africa) Show notes: Explain to us what your business is 01:26 What is the difference between being a CEO and an Executive Producer? 02:05 Does the Executive Producer run the finances of the business? 02:42 Do you think, with the attention economy changing, that you now have to master the 5-second spot? 03:43 Do you apply the 5-second pitch to your own business? 05:37 Can you tell us a bit about your entrepreneurial journey? 06:41 Adam’s almost computer building company 08:24 What introduced you to filmmaking and the entertainment industry? 10:05 Does the South African industry have future potential in your opinion? 11:52 Was your jump straight into TV commercials, or was there a jump before that? 14:47 How did you meet and team up with your business partner? 15:45 How did you come back from losing your business partner? 17:58 How would you describe your current business partner? 20:12 Do you find it challenging to work with someone who is an Academy Award winner? 22:30 How big is your staffing team? 24:22 Do you think other businesses should look into having a staffing system similar to yours? 25:44 Paying freelancers more than you would pay yourself 27:22 What is the biggest cost to your company? 29:45 If you could go back and give yourself some advice, what would you tell yourself? 32:40 How has your business grown since you’ve changed how you think about the industry? 36:14 What’s your current driver? 38:40 Shooting with the team in Los Angeles 41:30 EO specialist groups that you can reach out to 43:30