SpeedMedia, a bicoastal post-production studio headquartered locally in Venice Beach, turns 10 years old this month. Having led the way in screen synergy, including post-production needs, video distribution and asset management, SpeedMedia is celebrating how their ability to connect with clients and anticipate new trends allowed for increased flexibility and individualized attention for unique brands. To honor SpeedMedia’s 10th anniversary, President Kenny Francis reflected and commented on the progress of his brand, and how their ability to adapt and meet client needs helped them grow and stay competitive.  

“For any business, that’s a mark of success,” Francis said, speaking on what 10 years in the post-production industry means to him. “This industry has a high turnover rate, at every degree, so one of our greatest strengths has been maintaining solid brand and studio relationships, building our own brand equity in the process.” Part of staying competitive and successful means that you understand how to grow and adapt to technology changes and consumer expectations. “At the time we started the company, High Definition television content was new to the marketplace, with only a handful of vendors that had updated technology and systems that could handle this larger file size,” he explained. “Most existing vendors were using antiquated machines and methodology in an attempt to distribute HD, causing major bottlenecks at the station level.  We built SpeedMedia in anticipation of this new trend, which allowed us the flexibility to properly manage our clients post-production and distribution needs, while giving us a technological advantage over the competition.”

Imagine yourself as a media consumer in 2007. Did you ever think you’d be able to watch a TV show, film or other video on a device that could fit in your pocket? Did you understand what social media was or how native advertising could play a role in your life outside of billboards or standard commercials? 

Francis said that “Staying relevant as a company, as a vendor to our customers and trying to evolve with the times and their needs” is the primary focus of SpeedMedia. “We’re living in an age of online campaigns and guerrilla marketing campaigns where advertising has already become so wildly diversified… staying relevant is key. SpeedMedia prides itself on anticipating industry trends, and is nimble enough to reconfigure our equipment to cater to these new specifications.”

Just like the last 10 years have been filled with changes, SpeedMedia knows that the next ten years will require the same amount of adaptability. “We’re constantly accruing new business, so we’re looking forward to building onto our list of stellar accounts. As veterans in this marketplace, we’ve seen a lot of competitors come and go, but we were here before most of them.  And we’ll be here after the latest tech trends fizzle out,” Francis confirmed. “As a new technology launches, emerging companies compete, one acquires them all and becomes a monopoly, and then the cycle repeats itself. We have been through a few of these cycles, and plan to see many more in the years ahead.

Francis also believes that the community atmosphere that’s been created for his team also contributes to the overall success and growth of his company. “It’s been about building a home for our talented team, and giving them a platform to grow,” he shared. “Our team is family. My uncle used to tell me, ‘If you concentrate on building a business and not the person, you will not achieve.  But, if you concentrate on building the person, you achieve both.’ Many of our biggest competitors just look at the bottom line and focus on building an empire, acquiring others along the way, catering to investors… SpeedMedia has been focused on building a team and prides itself on supporting one another.” 

You wouldn’t ever want to live in your office, but if you work at SpeedMedia, you might just make an exception. Francis wanted to make the workspace as “comfy as possible”, and with the amazing Venice Beach location, he’s been able to create a home away from home for his editors and employees. “We’ve got big couches, a kitchen, televisions, even our own stocked bar for the monthly company mixers. Stop by and you’ll see a little bit of Matrix code scrolling down some of the walls, as this historic building was actually Joel Silver’s production office back in the day.  If these walls could talk…”

Working with clients like Burger King Corp., Adidas, Old Navy, Expedia and Jaguar Land Rover (just to name a few), SpeedMedia has been able to keep itself as a top bicoastal, post-production company, while still maintaining that personable atmosphere for its staff and clients.

 Seriously, check out some of these photos from the SpeedMedia location in Venice Beach:

Though the Venice Beach location is like a home for SpeedMedia, the company does have a presence on both coasts. “We have some great clients in NYC and it’s nice to actually be local for them,” he said. “We’re basically hard-lined together, operators in SoHo working remotely with Venice Beach and vice versa, sharing assets and equipment, collaborating simultaneously in perfect harmony, 24-hours a day.”

But how are they able to stay so in-sync? “All thanks to our proprietary order management software system MATRIX,” he explained. “This one of a kind system allows SpeedMedia the unique ability to seamlessly integrate with every digital distribution network globally via API tap-ins with our various technology partners. Thus, providing SpeedMedia with the largest global footprint for delivery of digital content.” 

SpeedMedia is excited to celebrate its 10th anniversary this week. Francis reflected on how the company was founded, saying that it was “because we listened to our clients, and wanted to make sure they had a logical and reliable alternative in the marketplace for post-production, distribution, and asset management.”

And they’re still ahead of the curve 10 years later.

Outside of the office, Kenny Francis is a big fan of Harley Davidson motorcycles and surfing, and is also a former 90s limbo champion of Los Angeles! For more information regarding SpeedMedia capabilities and services, please email: info@speedmedia.com. For more updates and happenings, be sure to follow SpeedMedia on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!