Today we’d like to introduce you to Keith James.
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 Tokyo in the early 90’s and had access to some amazingly cool technology at an early age. I remember going to an HDTV expo with my dad and thinking, “the future is going to be awesome”. I landed back state-side at UT’s film school where I realized quickly the future in America was a lot farther out than I had originally perceived. I will say however, taking the focus off technology allowed me to develop a true appreciation for traditional production strategies, along with a broader understanding of the creative process.
Out of school, I was hired to work in the tape room at a small post-production house in Dallas that focused mainly on editing television commercials. Within a few years, I found myself cutting national spots for some pretty big names like Gatorade, American Airlines, Miller Lite and BMW. In 2004, I was approached by a competitor out of Los Angeles that was looking to expand their footprint in their Dallas office, and that’s how I met my current partners, Chris Gipson and Carrie Callaway.
The company was called Red Car, and Carrie was their managing director, and Chris was an editor from LA that was relocating to Dallas. The three of us really clicked, which was evidenced by the growth the office saw between 2004 and 2013. During that time, we helped build the office up to one of the most respected creative boutiques in the southwest. In 2013, we approached the LA based owner about a buyout, and out of that came Republic Editorial. This allowed us to develop our own marketing and brand strategy, reinvest in the company, expand our space, and take the office to the next level.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
From a personal standpoint, it was a true gut check when I decided to leave my previous employer in 2004 and join Red Car. It took a little longer than I expected for my clients to adjust to working with me in a new environment. The move did pay off in the end as my career and client base expanded much farther out than I had anticipated. And I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have had the confidence to go out on my own and start a business if I hadn’t met my partners.
From a company perspective, our clients and the advertising community were extremely supportive of us throughout the transition to local ownership. They saw the investment we were making to better serve their needs, and the work we saw during those first few years showed it. We’ve had some dips here and there related mainly to shifts in advertising trends, but we’ve learned to be flexible and keep our eyes out for different sources of revenue in order to diversify and expand both our client base and our creative capabilities.
Republic Editorial – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Traditionally, our core business was providing post-production services for advertising agencies and their clients. An ad agency would hire an outside production company and director to shoot a commercial, and they’d look to us to edit, color, add visual effects and graphics, mix and overall make the spot look great. Since our buyout, we’ve looked to expand on that business model. Last year, we opened up a sister company, Infinite Fiction, to specifically target high-end visual effects, CG and motion graphics work. We’ve also established strategic partnerships to allow us to offer turnkey solutions so we can offer a broader range of services in addition to our finishing capabilities.
Although the work we do is inherently complicated from both a technical and a creative standpoint, we’ve found a way to create an environment that both our clients and our employees see as anything but. We have developed a unique culture that allows us to take our work and our clients seriously, while at the same time not taking ourselves too seriously. That allows the main creative focus to be on our clients and their requests, rather than on just building our reel and showcasing ourselves as a brand.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I’ve cut some amazing commercials over the years, mainly due to relationships I’ve built with talented and brilliant creatives in the Dallas market. The fact that my partners and I have been able to leverage this work and these relationships into a thriving, creative company with some extremely talented employees is extremely rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2626 Cole Ave., Ste. 100,
Dallas, TX 75204 - Website: republicedit.com
- Phone: 214-954-1996
- Email: hello@republicedit.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/republiceditorial
Image Credit:
Chris Gipson
Carrie Callaway
Keith James
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