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Emma Crome's route to working in commercial filmmaking
Emma Crome's career in the outdoors market started in retail, and from there she's networked her way in to Coldhouse Collective, one of our leading adventure filmmaking houses.
Find out how she did it - it's not always about how you can handle a camera... You can listen to the full Emma Crome Podcast, or read on...
It's probably fair to say that most documentary filmmakers carving out a career have got there by doing a professional course or they are self-taught in the dark arts of shooting and editing film. In the more commercial production houses, there's more space to bring in people with different skills which will also help the business tick. And once you're in, you're in.
Emma Crome is now working on projects that combine her creativity and passions - but she got there via marketing and PR. Here she explains the stages of that journey and offers advice to filmmakers trying to land funding from brands.
Stage #1 - She jumped ship!
We talk to a lot of people who have thought at some point or another about making a documentary, or getting into adventure filmmaking specifically. For Emma, it was something that was always there in the back of her mind as she studied film at university. Working for an outdoor retailer helped her to understand the landscape, and eventually she made her way into marketing and PR, and it was there that a meeting with the founders of Coldhouse presented the opportunity to roll the dice.
It was a smart move for Coldhouse too, because when you are working on multiple projects and with a number of clients, you need people who can specialise in some of the tasks that are part of the business if not specifically about film. Emma had these skills, and because she had been working on the other side of the fence with outdoor brands, she had much more to offer.
"I was able to give them a bit of insider knowledge and then it just evolved quite quickly."
Stage #2 - Emma learned the business inside out
Even if you've arrived as a marketer, it won't be long before you find yourself experiencing every aspect of working in filmmaking. Film businesses are full of creative energy and its probably going to be a teamwork situation where one day you're writing some copy for a social and the next you're holding a big furry microphone.
In Emma's case being a production coordinator introduced her to everything from logistics to the creative side, and her skills in marketing were simply another tool in the box. After a while it became clear that her strength would become shaping and executing film projects at creative director level.
"Within one or two years, I was really kind of immersed."
Stage #3 - She learned to be a friend to the brand
Outdoor brands are often working to tough budgets too, so their outlay on a film is a major commitment and can represent a significant chunk of their annual budget. As Emma says it's not a cheap process. That means that when they sit down with you they need to feel you really get what they want. Emma's advice is to not only focus on what they want but to work out why.
It's about listening, learning, offering help and importantly asking lots of questions and ensuring you really do understand their objectives. This approach is what helped Emma land extra investment from Pertex when her film Adra was scaling up into a feature length project.
"Figure out what it is they want to create and more particularly why they want to create it."
Some advice on how to get that cheque!
Emma describes three different ways in which a project can get off the ground. The first is when the brand comes along with a specific idea in mind and they need collaborative help refining and delivering it. The second is where the idea is more fully formed, and the brand simply want it in the bag. The third way is the hardest of all - and unfortunately for a lot of filmmakers this is their starting position - which is taking an idea to a brand and selling it.
Let's face it, the chances that your brilliant film idea is going to slot into their marketing strategy for the year are pretty slim. So Emma advises playing a longer game. Do the research. Look at what they have done in the past. And then at least when you do go in you have more of an idea of what it's like in their shoes.
"Go in with a more open mind and an open strategy."
A last big top tip for working in filmmaking!
Emma talks about how Coldhouse has had a lot of success thanks to the access they can provide in reaching athletes around the world. So work on that network, and then you're not just offering yourself, you're also offering essential contacts and market reach.
#adventurefilmmaking #outdoorbrandmarketing #documentaryfilmmaking
