Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Kelly.
Christopher, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was a Liberal Studies major at SFSU when my roommate introduced me to the program After Effects. It was amazing. I’d always just assumed that the VFX world was reserved for multi-million dollar productions. Learning that I could add Visual Effects to my ridiculous and extremely stupid movies, I began to do so regularly.
I dove deep into the online VFX community. I read articles, watched tutorials, and stayed up to date on the latest in a quickly changing industry.
Early on I started to make my own VFX. There were some fantastic resources out there already built, but I still needed to make my own when I couldn’t find what I was looking for.
I began sharing them online through a poorly built website I decided to call ‘FootageCrate’. I mentioned my website to a few people I talked with in forums or on YouTube. I was surprised when they began to use it as a resource and started making requests. I threw on some ads and was surprised to find I could make a few bucks a day. The idea that I could get paid for building these effects was insane, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. FootageCrate has continued to grow since 2009 and is stronger than ever, and I couldn’t be happier.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has been a long road to get here. We never tried to get external funding, we just invested whatever ProductionCrate made back into the company. A few bucks a day could only do so much, but after years of building up our community and fan base, both myself and my business partner, Patrick, have been able to dedicate ourselves full time. We have several talented employees and continue to expand.
We never sunk too much of our own money into the company, we let it pay for itself (if slowly). What we did sink into the company was time. Years spent making nothing for ourselves while building effects, the websites, tutorials and more. It was definitely a labor of passion, but at times it was hard to commit a day to it when we still had our own bills to pay. It’s not a way which I see other companies developing, but I’m grateful for it. I’ve learned videography, film, and business skills by working other jobs in the industry, and have been able to reinvest those skills into ProductionCrate.
ProductionCrate – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
ProductionCrate is a resource for video and filmmakers. We provide our exclusive library of visual effects, motion graphics, music, sound effects and more to our growing community.
ProductionCrate hosts monthly contests where our users can show off their VFX skills and win prizes. We also have a User Requests page, giving our community the ability to vote and suggest new content for our libraries.
Video is one of the fastest growing content needs online. Every social media platform, every company, every website can benefit from video. Our goal is to make it easier to make those videos, and to make sure that those videos don’t suck.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success for me is being content. I’ll always want more growth for the company, more resources for our users, and more innovation for the industry. But I am content with how those things are happening, and what my role is.
I can easily say I am happier now than I have ever been before, and that’s as successful as it gets.
Pricing:
- We are offering a promotional price of $39/year for Pro Accounts, allowing for full access to our libraries
- First time users can sign up for a Basic Account, Free access to sample our libraries but limited to 5 Downloads a day without Pro Content
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ProductionCrate.com
- Email: Chris@ProductionCrate.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/productioncrate/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProductionCrate/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/productioncrate
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/user/FootageCrate
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
