Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Graff.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Growing up I shot photos every chance I had with my mom’s Canon AE-1, but the film was expensive. Leading up to high school graduation my mom bought me my first video camera to take on our senior trip to Colorado. That Panasonic PVDV953 allowed me to start shooting wakeboarding sets, road trips and college mayhem.
Those years grew my passion for filmmaking and primarily being behind the lens; as most of those videos never made it off the tape and into an edited video. After 4 years of my new found hobby, a childhood friend and I decided to start up a business together to try and get people to pay us to film and reimburse the expensive equipment we kept buying. I was at Clemson in business school at the time and he was selling boats at Lake Lanier. So with my entrepreneurship classes and business-mindedness and his connections in Atlanta, we were off.
For 2 years, we both worked and filmed part-time while I finished school. Upon my graduation in 2009, we both went full-time. That is also the year I got married, the economy crashed (The Great Recession), the housing market died, and all hell broke loose. By the grace of God, we survived. Not only did we survive, we thrived. Year over year we grew, we hired our first employee full-time in 2010, then another in 2012 and so on. Life was easy, good and fun.
Whether it’s through a brand video for a client or written on this website, I see no purpose in telling a story unless it is authentic and real. My wife graduated from Clemson with her Ph.D. in 2013 and we could finally move to Atlanta to be close to my business and I could stop the multi-day commute from South Carolina to Georgia. A week into us putting a contract on a house in Flowery Branch, my business partner told me he was leaving to be a part of a new venture.
For over a year we tried to make it work, but in the end, it just didn’t, so in December of 2014 we parted ways. That was one of the most difficult days in my business career. Over the last 4 years, there have been bumps in the road, but we have been on an upward trajectory ever since. We have an AMAZING team of people here and a long list of contractors that bust their ass and work extremely hard alongside us. We are on track to blow past our best year ever. We launched a 3000 sq ft studio called Form Factory Studio this year.
We hired 2 new team members. And have produced more creative brand storytelling than ever before. So, how we got here was a long 11-year road, but it has taught us major perseverance, to have great contracts, frame beautiful shots, make sure to get ambient audio, have contractors that are experts and show integrity in everything.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I think I mentioned a couple of those previously but in addition to those. We have had a few expensive mistakes over the years. Early on we shot weddings and prior to there being easy to license websites like musicbed.com or premiumbeat.com we got sued for editing wedding videos to songs requested by the bride and groom. That was painful considering many of the videos were from 5-7 years prior and well getting sued costs a lot of money.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Remedy Films – what should we know?
We are an award-winning digital media agency collaborating with brands to create exceptional commercial, branded and social content. Our roots are in action sports, which led us to produce a feature wakeboard film, SEASONS, that won web video of the year in 2016. We bring the same level of effort and creativity required for wakeboarding to our Fortune 50 and Startup clients, alike.
We are known for doing things differently. Thinking differently, trying things differently and communicating differently. We strive to get to know each client and industry so that when we are telling their story or producing product videos they are relevant and impact their target audience. As a company, we are most proud of our people, the way they treat each other and the way they treat our clients. We always aim to bring a customer-first approach to meetings, emails and deliverables.
We want our customers to win and succeed. I believe as a result of these efforts are the reasons we were voted a Top Video Production Company in Atlanta and the Nation by UpCity in 2018, Top Digital Agency by Clutch in 2018 and received an Emmy Nomination for a piece we produced for Budweiser in Cartersville. We love getting to tell stories and capture stunning imagery. That’s what keeps up going!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Jennifer Graff, my wife deserves the most credit!! She has been by my side since day 1. Through the days of making negative money and now the days of her working full-time for Remedy. She is my rock and my source of wisdom when it comes to tough decisions.
Shawn Herold, this guy has been with Remedy for over 5 years. He has worked on and in every aspect of the company and rarely ever complained. He is a great friend, husband and dad. This company would not be where it is without his hard work and many talents.
Taylor Blaylock, our newest team member, but a guy that feels like he has been with us for years. He stepped into our Senior Editor position and has absolutely crushed it. He has the drive to learn and become better at his craft, more than anyone else.
Chase Andrews, he co-founded Remedy with me and was an integral part of the company and it’s growth in the first 6 years. Without his quick start personality, I would probably still be talking about starting this company.
Mentors and Friends: Glen Jackson, Mike Williams
Contractors and Partners: Marc Sugrue, Andrew Howell, Bradley Hayes, Kyle Anderson, Beth Pilgreen, Heidi Freeland, Heather Breslin, Linda Morrison, Matt Sharp, Tim Nagle, Joshua Sims, Jessica Anderson, Matt Aston, Brookline Sound, Will Fortanbary, Andy Kaefer, Ian Maney, Peyton Barrett, Eason Duncan, Daniel Minchew and I am sure there are a dozen or so I am not thinking of currently.
Pricing:
- Individual Video Projects starting at $7500
- Retainer Content Creation starting at $2500/month
- Broadcast Commercial starting at $30,000
Contact Info:
- Address: 554 W Main St Bldg B Ste 200 Buford, GA 30518
- Website: www.RemedyFilms.com
- Phone: 770-527-5886
- Email: jamie@remedyfilms.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/remedyfilms
- Facebook: facebook.com/remedyfilms
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/remedy-films-buford
- Other: https://upcity.com/local-marketing-agencies/profiles/remedy-films
Image Credit:
Shawn Herold, Marc Sugrue
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