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Micah David of STUDiiO on running a Las Vegas video company at 21: learning the business side, a fixed workday over the grind, pricing from an hourly rate, selling social media retainers to restaurants and cafes, losing a Fiverr account, and role-playing cold calls with Claude. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:16 A fifth-grade YouTube bet that started it all 2:57 Running a company at 21 3:55 From hobby videos to paid work 6:38 Learning the business side 9:12 The details of selling yourself 10:49 Does being young cost you clients? 14:59 One thing a day compounds 16:14 Why the always-grinding mindset backfires 21:16 A website built in a trade for video 23:27 Claude, ChatGPT, and using more than one AI 30:12 The Las Vegas video market 32:16 Why social media retainers are hard to sell 34:14 Pricing from an hourly rate behind the scenes 37:47 Selling benefits, not features 39:07 Restaurants and cafes as retainer clients 41:00 Why retainers are harder with corporate clients 45:00 Video company or marketing agency? 48:51 Inbound leads vs cold calling 52:49 Instant verification on Google Business 55:43 The risk of relying on Google 56:57 Losing a Fiverr account and owning your leads 1:01:07 Role-playing sales calls with Claude 1:03:49 AI-built call lists and finding decision makers 1:06:06 Email and LinkedIn outreach is a volume game 1:07:11 Training AI on your books, calls, and emails 1:14:22 Why the next generation is ahead 1:16:06 Ten thousand hours in the age of AI 1:19:41 Where to find Micah and STUDiiO Creatives Grab Coffee is produced by Lapse Productions, a Toronto video production company.

Kyler Beal of Minivan Productions on moving a production company from Virginia to San Diego with a city scoring system, a partner who fired himself from the day-to-day, slicing pie equity, quarterly profit sharing in four buckets, moving owners onto salary, why Minivan avoids retainers, and the grant funding behind its documentary work. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:31 Meet Kyler Beal and Minivan Productions 1:47 Why Minivan moved from Virginia to San Diego 3:20 From a bedroom office to a team of three 5:35 A scoring system for picking a city 6:38 Travel days and documentary work 7:42 Team size and the San Diego studio 8:52 The partner who fired himself 11:48 Replacing a partner's many roles 17:02 From creative to company leader 19:17 Slicing pie equity after a partner steps back 24:16 How Minivan sets its profit sharing 24:56 Four buckets of quarterly profit sharing 27:10 Why quarterly beats annual 30:08 Moving the owners onto salary 33:05 The fear of guaranteed payroll 34:27 Salary and a lower tax bill 37:28 Why Minivan avoids retainers 41:01 The first retainer, by exception 43:54 Retainers at agencies vs production companies 46:50 What is next for Lapse 48:37 Seventy percent commercial, thirty percent docs 50:33 A grant-funded documentary series 52:05 More funding than people think 54:00 Business brain or creative brain? 56:55 Do grant funders check the final film? 59:07 Is most work out there mediocre? 1:01:59 Gambling ads and AI content 1:04:33 Filtering for client fit 1:07:24 Lessons from non-creative industries 1:11:30 The story behind the Minivan name 1:15:20 Where to find Kyler and Minivan Creatives Grab Coffee is produced by Lapse Productions, a Toronto video production company.

Carlos Foster and Stephen Alberts of San Diego's Blue Barn Creative on fourteen years of owner-led production, earning 70 percent repeat business without retainers, using AI to buy back human time, why testimonial clients now want the stumbles left in, and how they kept the company going after losing a founding partner. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:43 Meet Carlos Foster and Stephen Alberts of Blue Barn Creative 2:40 2012 and the birth of the brand film 3:45 First steps: an office and a glorified freelance outfit 6:55 Early clients, cold calls, and wedding films 9:17 Small jobs that grew into big brand relationships 11:40 Be the helper, not the hero 13:04 Moving beyond word of mouth 17:09 Yelp, Google, and ChatGPT referrals 20:41 Seventy percent return clients, no retainers 22:24 Differentiating on relationships 26:01 Owner-led as a brand position 28:17 Why early competitors did not survive 31:10 The Lapse parallel 33:38 Using AI to get hours back 38:26 When a client's AI invented sound bites 39:55 Why people-driven work feels protected 41:40 A reality check on generative AI 45:55 Testimonials that keep the stumbles 50:23 Authenticity, UGC, and coaching interviews 55:25 Why Blue Barn runs the interview 56:53 Leading clients instead of following them 58:25 Losing a founding partner 1:00:13 Partnership paperwork and owning your shares 1:02:19 The week everything changed 1:06:28 Visionaries and integrators 1:11:47 Grief, restructuring, and leveling up 1:14:13 Choosing to keep Blue Barn going 1:17:52 The story behind the Blue Barn name 1:21:40 Where to find Blue Barn Creative Guest: https://bluebarncreative.com/ Creatives Grab Coffee is produced by Lapse Productions, a Toronto video production company.

Vlad Lapich of LV Productions on going from free promo videos to tech launch videos, rebuilding his website with AI, automating proposals, why cold email died, SEO vs Google Ads, scaling post production, and what to do when a client stops paying. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:38 From Belarus to San Francisco: photographer turned videographer 2:06 Free promo videos and the Instagram DM that changed everything 4:46 Wearing five hats at a startup, then going solo 7:21 GPT-3 cold emails and the first big clients 8:13 The team: freelance editors, animators, and DPs 8:52 The bottleneck: scaling post without losing quality 12:12 Junior prep, senior storytelling: the editing pipeline 14:44 Paying editors: hourly vs per project, and picky clients 17:30 Rebuilding the website in a week with Cursor 22:03 AI for lead intake, proposals, and Video Galaxy 27:41 Pricing on the website and the proposal tool 30:04 Cold email is dead: 80 percent SEO, 20 percent referrals 32:22 SEO takes years, and one Google update can undo it 34:00 Why Google Ads did not work in San Francisco 38:37 Weddings vs corporate at Lapse 41:28 Networking for introverts 42:11 Premiere vs DaVinci Resolve 44:44 Animation: from 10K videos to offshore competition 47:43 Goals for the rest of the year 50:53 Claude as bookkeeper: margins, salary, and a missed invoice 54:08 LLC vs corporation 59:02 Clients who do not pay 1:03:46 Invoicing: 50/50 deposits and net terms 1:06:38 The story behind the name LV Productions Creatives Grab Coffee is produced by Lapse Productions, a Toronto video production company.

Rob Arevalo of 17 Projects on launching a video company two months before COVID, marketing with no budget and then with real money, cold calling in New York, government RFPs, toning proposals down for corporate buyers, and why client retention drives growth. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:46 Meet Rob Arevalo and 17 Projects 3:13 From the Air Force to launching during COVID 6:35 Why keep going when the industry stopped 8:13 Corporate clients and the easiest path in 10:31 Client retention beats chasing new clients 12:59 Systems that keep clients happy as you grow 14:38 A two-person core with a deep freelance roster 15:57 A thousand cold emails: marketing with no budget 18:56 The marketing bets that took 17 Projects full time 20:18 How Lapse grew: SEO over paid ads 22:40 Evolving the marketing mix year to year 24:03 Do mass cold emails still work? 27:32 Cold calling in New York 29:07 Timing, brand awareness, and staying on the radar 32:08 Government contracts and RFPs 38:38 What RFPs teach you about proposals 39:32 Corporate proposals: make them boring 44:24 Expanding to LA, Chicago, and Miami 48:54 Competing in NYC: do your recon 51:01 Why the name 17 Projects Creatives Grab Coffee is produced by Lapse Productions, a Toronto video production company. (https://www.lapseproductions.com/). To learn more about the show, visit: https://www.creativesgrabcoffee.com/

Gabe Nazario, founder of Offbeat Creative in Jersey City, joins Dario and Kyrill for a candid, tactical conversation about the business of video in the New York metro. He built Offbeat on the side of producer and editor roles at Fox, Disney, and JP Morgan, then went full time once the profit matched his salary. In this episode: growing slowly and hiring deliberately, why a lean 1099 crew sometimes scares clients, treating AI consulting as an SEO play, the tools that speed up the work, chasing simple-deliverable retainers, and why in a market where everyone makes good videos, you win on trust and follow-up. Guest: Gabe Nazario, Offbeat Creative (https://www.offbeatcreative.co/) Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:19 Meet Gabe Nazario and Offbeat Creative 2:07 From Fox, Disney, and JP Morgan to going solo 5:09 Making the leap from a corporate job 8:51 A lean core team plus 1099 crew 10:26 Why a small team spooks some clients 12:29 AI consulting as an SEO play 16:39 The AI tools Offbeat actually uses 28:32 Social media: phone-tier content and volume 33:08 Corporate and commercial: the bread and butter 35:00 Chasing retainers for a monthly pillow 42:30 Google reviews, SEO, and the 70/30 split 45:31 Take the one-off 46:59 Jersey City vs New York 49:41 Competition and winning on trust 53:14 The sale is closed on the hello again 1:01:42 The story behind the name Offbeat Creatives Grab Coffee is a podcast on the business of video production, hosted by Dario Nouri and Kyrill Lazarov and produced by Lapse Productions (https://www.lapseproductions.com/).

What happens when a sales guy, not a camera guy, builds a video production company? Rob Weiss started MultiVision Digital 15 years ago in New York City with no portfolio and no editing skills, and has since produced more than 1,700 videos. In this episode he sits down with Dario Nouri and Kyrill Lazarov to break down the system behind that run: batch producing so one shoot day becomes ten deliverables, selling clients on a video-first strategy instead of one-off projects, a trade show sales machine built on business cards and a script he has used for years, niching so hard into manufacturing that he launched a second website, and going chest-deep into AI without burning through the budget. In this episode: - Batch producing, and why you never make just one cookie - How to sell clients on a video-first strategy - Where clients really are on video adoption (a 1 to 10 scale) - The 14-FAQ-video story: aligning budget to goals - A trade show playbook built on "I just want to say hi" - Niching down until you need a second website - The YouTube Shorts epiphany and repurposing to TikTok - Using AI in real client workflows, and pricing it with contingency days Chapters: 00:00 Intro: A Sales Guy Who Built a Video Company 03:29 Batch Producing: Why You Never Make Just One Cookie 05:23 Stop "Just Carving Out Snippets," Plan Your Reels 08:41 Selling Clients on a Video-First Strategy 11:19 Where Clients Really Are on Video (a 1 to 10 Scale) 14:21 Aligning Budget to Goals + the 14-FAQ-Video Story 17:34 A Softening Market and Smarter Client Questions 20:38 Trade Shows, Business Cards & Planting Seeds 24:05 The "I Just Want to Say Hi" Sales Approach 29:01 Postcards, QR Codes & Email Sequencing 33:57 Running Sales While Running a 5-Person Team 40:09 Coming From Sales, Not the Camera 43:25 Long-Term Freelancers and a Team Mentality 47:21 Why Manufacturing Became the Niche 49:55 A Separate "Video For Manufacturing" Website 53:46 The YouTube Shorts Epiphany 57:40 Going Chest-Deep Into AI Video 1:04:07 Pricing AI Work With "Contingency Days" 1:08:29 Where AI Video Editing Goes Next Guest: Rob Weiss, MultiVision Digital — https://multivisiondigital.com Hosts: Dario Nouri and Kyrill Lazarov of Lapse Productions — https://www.lapseproductions.com Creatives Grab Coffee is a weekly podcast about the business of video production. If you are enjoying the show, follow and leave a review, it genuinely helps. Watch the full video episodes on YouTube and find every episode at https://www.creativesgrabcoffee.com

In this episode of Creatives Grab Coffee, we sit down with JD Gonzalez, founder of LivaLittle, a boutique production company based in Brooklyn, New York. JD is a cinematographer, producer, and director who's built his business around a unique philosophy: experience-based hiring — rotating crews and giving people the opportunities they need to grow their careers. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – Intro: Meet JD Gonzalez of LivaLittle 01:50 – Experience-based hiring & a DEI-focused production company 03:58 – Building a network by rotating crews 10:23 – Getting remembered in a new market: consistency over time 12:17 – JD's backstory: film school & teaching high school film 17:00 – Crafting the Image: running free filmmaking workshops 23:46 – Virtual production & partnering with rental houses 25:09 – Why film education should be free 27:19 – No one can steal your perspective 30:10 – Could Creatives Grab Coffee go live & in person? 31:21 – Why JD moved from Denver to New York City 34:30 – Breaking into the NYC market 36:38 – Does owning a camera still win you work? 39:11 – Consigning gear with a rental house 40:41 – The logistics of filming in NYC: trucks, insurance & freight elevators 48:22 – Branding, SEO & landing direct-to-client work 51:23 – Running a lean, direct-to-client production model 53:05 – Building PrepViz: a scene design & previz app made with Claude Code 56:31 – Pre-Checklist: simplifying gear lists & prep 58:49 – Teaching yourself to build apps with AI 1:02:41 – Building a custom CRM 1:03:54 – Are you locked into one AI platform? 1:09:44 – The ups and downs of the AI train 1:11:41 – Standing out when everyone uses AI: you get out what you put in 1:16:04 – Wrap-up & where to find JD Connect with JD Gonzalez: Website: https://www.livalittle.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdgonzalesdp 🎧 Hosts: Dario Nouri & Kyrill Lazarov — Lapse Productions, Toronto https://www.lapseproductions.com 🎙️ About Creatives Grab Coffee: Creatives Grab Coffee explores the business of video production, featuring candid conversations with studio owners and filmmakers around the world on scaling, creativity, and industry evolution. 👇 Follow & Subscribe: Website – https://creativesgrabcoffee.com Instagram – https://instagram.com/creativesgrabcoffee LinkedIn – https://linkedin.com/company/lapseproductions #VideoProduction #Filmmaking #Podcast #CreativesGrabCoffee #VideoBusiness #Cinematographer #ClaudeCode #AITools #NYCFilmmaking #ProductionCompany

Brigitte Sachse of Bee Video Productions returns for her third visit to talk shop with Dario and Kyrill. We get into how Bee Video landed a documentary series on TVO ("The Nature of Design"), why animation became their secret weapon, and the recurring theme of the whole episode: diversifying your work, your income, and even your project timelines so you never have all your eggs in one basket. We also dig into whether AI video is actually a threat (spoiler: not yet), the great raw-footage-and-project-files debate, the pain of government RFPs, public pricing, SEO, and a couple of brutal "client didn't pay us" war stories — plus the copyright-strike trick that gets you paid. 🎧 More episodes: https://www.creativesgrabcoffee.com/episodes/ Timestamps 00:00 Catching Up with Brigitte (Bee Video Productions) 01:00 "The Nature of Design": Pitching a Doc Series to TVO 05:20 How Animation Became Their Secret Weapon 07:30 Working with a Broadcaster vs. a Corporate Client 11:10 Making a Passion Project Profitable 14:15 Why a Diversity of Timelines Prevents Burnout 19:35 Why Is Everyone So Busy Despite the Economy? 21:45 Is AI Video a Real Threat? 29:45 Raw Footage, Project Files & the "Costco Hot Dog" of Post 41:45 Government RFPs: The 50-Page Slot Machine 55:00 What's Next: Personalized Video & a Shared Studio 01:03:30 The Real ROI of a Podcast + SEO 01:06:15 Should You Make Your Pricing Public? 01:14:40 Getting Stiffed & the Copyright-Strike Fix 01:25:35 Wrap-Up 🎧 Hosts: Dario Nouri & Kyrill Lazarov — Lapse Productions, Toronto https://www.lapseproductions.com 🎙️ About Creatives Grab Coffee: Creatives Grab Coffee explores the business of video production, featuring candid conversations with studio owners and filmmakers around the world on scaling, creativity, and industry evolution. 👇 Follow & Subscribe: Website – https://creativesgrabcoffee.com Instagram – https://instagram.com/creativesgrabcoffee LinkedIn – https://linkedin.com/company/lapseproductions #CreativesGrabCoffee #videographyhacks #videography #videographer #videoproduction #businesspodcast #videoproductionpodcast #lapseproductions #videomarketing #videoproductioncompany #videoproductionservices

Welcome back to another episode of Creatives Grab Coffee! In this episode, we are joined by Ed Rowe and Celia Hodgson from Tiny Studios. Tiny Studios is a B Corp certified production company based in London. They work across various sectors to produce impactful web and social content that truly shifts the needle. Today, we dive into their journey from freelance life to agency ownership, the importance of building a healthy on-set culture, and what it's like to navigate an agency acquisition while staying true to your core values. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Tiny Studios 07:00 The Journey from Freelancer to Company 13:56 Building a Team and Company Structure 19:57 Navigating Client Expectations and Budgeting 29:02 Lessons Learned and Future Aspirations 29:48 Building Through Word of Mouth 34:25 Navigating Gender in the Industry 37:47 Creating Inclusive Spaces for Filmmakers 41:06 Challenging the Burnout Mentality 49:29 Understanding Client Value Propositions 53:42 The Journey of Acquisition and Integration 01:04:37 Building a Pipeline for Success 01:06:55 Navigating the Acquisition Process 01:09:59 The Value of B Corp Certification 01:16:00 Preparing for B Corp: A Guide for Businesses 01:21:04 The Importance of Documentation and Processes 01:25:01 Final Thoughts and Future Directions 01:30:02 Outro 🎧 Hosts: Dario Nouri & Kyrill Lazarov — Lapse Productions, Toronto https://www.lapseproductions.com 🎙️ About Creatives Grab Coffee: Creatives Grab Coffee explores the business of video production, featuring candid conversations with studio owners and filmmakers around the world on scaling, creativity, and industry evolution. 👇 Follow & Subscribe: Website – https://creativesgrabcoffee.com Instagram – https://instagram.com/creativesgrabcoffee LinkedIn – https://linkedin.com/company/lapseproductions #CreativesGrabCoffee #videographyhacks #videography #videographer #videoproduction #businesspodcast #videoproductionpodcast #lapseproductions #videomarketing #videoproductioncompany #videoproductionservices

In this conversation, Andrei from Tone Films shares his journey of starting a videography business during the pandemic, the challenges he faced, and the strategies he employed to grow his company. He discusses the importance of SEO, building a reliable team of videographers, and the creative processes involved in producing high-quality content. Andrei also reflects on his aspirations for the future, including a potential transition into accounting and the importance of work-life balance. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The Birth of Tone Films 03:08 Learning the Videography Trade 05:43 Expanding the Business 09:03 Building a Reliable Team 12:09 The Importance of SEO 14:56 Vetting Videographers 17:47 Editing and Delivery Process 21:00 Creative Projects and Pre-Production 23:48 Communication and Client Relations 27:09 Future Aspirations and Career Transition 46:43 Reflecting on Life and Happiness 49:06 Balancing Work and Personal Life 51:37 Daily Routines and Time Management 54:03 Exploring Career Paths and Future Aspirations 57:06 The Challenges of Live Production 01:00:08 Building a Business and Future Ventures 01:03:41 Outro 🎙️ About Our Guest Andrei Tone Founder & Creative Director — Tone Films 🎧 Hosts: Dario Nouri & Kyrill Lazarov — Lapse Productions, Toronto https://www.lapseproductions.com 🎙️ About Creatives Grab Coffee: Creatives Grab Coffee explores the business of video production, featuring candid conversations with studio owners and filmmakers around the world on scaling, creativity, and industry evolution. 👇 Follow & Subscribe: Website – https://creativesgrabcoffee.com Instagram – https://instagram.com/creativesgrabcoffee LinkedIn – https://linkedin.com/company/lapseproductions SPONSORS: Canada Film Equipment: www.CanadaFilmEquipment.com Audio Process: www.Audioprocess.ca #CreativesGrabCoffee #videographyhacks #videography #videographer #videoproduction #businesspodcast #videoproductionpodcast #lapseproductions #videomarketing #videoproductioncompany #videoproductionservices

In this episode, we sit down with Noam Shalev, founder of Highlight Films, to discuss a side of the production industry few get to see. Based in Israel, Noam’s team handles everything from high-end corporate shoots to gritty news coverage in active conflict zones. We dive into what it really means to be a "fixer" , how remote production technology has allowed directors in LA to direct crews in Tel Aviv , and the massive logistical pivot Noam’s company made on October 7th—shifting from seven corporate productions to managing 15 news crews overnight. Noam also opens up about the emotional toll of documenting history , the safety protocols required when filming under fire , and why, despite the chaos, he refuses to leave. Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 00:21 - From Doc Filmmaker to "The Fixer" 02:08 - Defining the Role: What does a Fixer actually do? 02:45 - How COVID changed remote production forever 07:17 - Why Noam started doing corporate work 11:09 - October 7th: Pivoting from corporate shoots to war coverage overnight 15:56 - Safety Logistics: Walkie-talkie apps and missile alerts 17:22 - Storytime: Hiding tapes in underwear in Iraq 20:55 - The emotional toll of interviewing survivors 34:55 - The impact of political instability on the tech sector 37:40 - Managing a business when staff are called to reserve duty 43:12 - Why stay? The pull of "Home" vs. moving to LA 47:51 - "Real Chaos": Why cameras are treated like weapons 50:47 - Building a reputation without advertising 56:01 - Protecting the business: Deposits and spotting bad clients 1:05:40 - Closing thoughts 🎙️ About Our Guest Noam Shalev Founder & Creative Director — Highlight Films 🎧 Hosts: Dario Nouri & Kyrill Lazarov — Lapse Productions, Toronto https://www.lapseproductions.com 🎙️ About Creatives Grab Coffee: Creatives Grab Coffee explores the business of video production, featuring candid conversations with studio owners and filmmakers around the world on scaling, creativity, and industry evolution. 👇 Follow & Subscribe: Website – https://creativesgrabcoffee.com Instagram – https://instagram.com/creativesgrabcoffee LinkedIn – https://linkedin.com/company/lapseproductions SPONSORS: Canada Film Equipment: www.CanadaFilmEquipment.com Audio Process: www.Audioprocess.ca #CreativesGrabCoffee #videographyhacks #videography #videographer #videoproduction #businesspodcast #videoproductionpodcast #lapseproductions #videomarketing #videoproductioncompany #videoproductionservices

Welcome to Season 6 of Creators Grab Coffee! To kick off 2026, we’re joined by one of our OG guests—Chris Stasiuk from Signature Video Group. Chris is celebrating 16 years in business, and in this episode, we go deep into what it actually takes to survive and thrive for nearly two decades in the creative industry. Chapters 00:00 Celebrating Six Years of Podcasting 02:58 Reflecting on Business Growth and Goals 06:07 Maintaining Momentum in Business 09:02 The Importance of Marketing and Content Creation 11:59 Navigating Business Challenges and Scaling 15:10 The Role of Freelancers and Partnerships 17:53 The Impact of Goal Setting and Manifestation 33:32 Trusting the Process 36:56 Navigating Client Loss and Diversification 39:27 Maintaining Client Relationships 42:36 Maximizing Content Value 43:39 The Impact of Generative AI on Content Creation 49:35 AI as a Tool for Creatives 52:11 The Future of AI in Creative Industries 🎙️ About Our Guest Chris Stasiuk Founder & Creative Director — Signature Video Group 🎧 Hosts: Dario Nouri & Kyrill Lazarov — Lapse Productions, Toronto https://www.lapseproductions.com 🎙️ About Creatives Grab Coffee: Creatives Grab Coffee explores the business of video production, featuring candid conversations with studio owners and filmmakers around the world on scaling, creativity, and industry evolution. 👇 Follow & Subscribe: Website – https://creativesgrabcoffee.com Instagram – https://instagram.com/creativesgrabcoffee LinkedIn – https://linkedin.com/company/lapseproductions SPONSORS: Canada Film Equipment: www.CanadaFilmEquipment.com Audio Process: www.Audioprocess.ca #CreativesGrabCoffee #videographyhacks #videography #videographer #videoproduction #businesspodcast #videoproductionpodcast #lapseproductions #videomarketing #videoproductioncompany #videoproductionservices

In this episode of Creatives Grab Coffee, Jon Corbin — Founder of Corbin Visual — returns for his third appearance on the show, making him the official CGC Champ.  Jon dives into the new era of creative entrepreneurship: How vertical dramas are transforming storytelling online, why client value beats trend-chasing, and what it takes to stay profitable during hard economic times in the video industry. Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 02:18 — Jon returns: The Hat-Trick Episode  07:25 — From trend-chasing to client-value 11:33 — Understanding real business challenges 18:32 — Outbound vs. inbound sales realities 27:47 — The new bar for “good enough” in marketing 33:59 — Adapting in tough economic times 41:07 — The isolation of being a creative business owner 52:16 — Enter: Vertical dramas 55:10 — Hiring the right team + not doing it all yourself 1:04:27 — Staying ahead of industry shifts 1:25:17 — What’s next for Jon & the future of CV  1:26:40 — Sign-off 🎙️ About Our Guest Jon Corbin Founder & Creative Director — Corbin Visual Toronto-based creative agency specializing in video strategy, branded content & next-gen storytelling formats. 🎧 Hosts: Dario Nouri & Kyrill Lazarov — Lapse Productions, Toronto https://www.lapseproductions.com 🎙️ About Creatives Grab Coffee: Creatives Grab Coffee explores the business of video production, featuring candid conversations with studio owners and filmmakers around the world on scaling, creativity, and industry evolution. 👇 Follow & Subscribe: Website – https://creativesgrabcoffee.com Instagram – https://instagram.com/creativesgrabcoffee LinkedIn – https://linkedin.com/company/lapseproductions SPONSORS: Canada Film Equipment: www.CanadaFilmEquipment.com Audio Process: www.Audioprocess.ca #CreativesGrabCoffee #videographyhacks #videography #videographer #videoproduction #businesspodcast #videoproductionpodcast #lapseproductions #videomarketing #videoproductioncompany #videoproductionservices

In this episode of Creatives Grab Coffee, Dario Nouri and Kyrill Lazarov speak with Amr Khani, founder and creative director of AK Films, a Dubai-based production company operating at the intersection of high-end corporate and creative work. Amr shares how he built a successful production house in one of the world’s most competitive creative markets, what it’s like running shoots in the UAE, and how Dubai’s film landscape has shifted from cinema to corporate over the past decade. He also dives into the realities of pricing, international collaboration, and why strong systems matter as much as creative talent. Topics Covered: 00:00 – Intro & background of AK Films 05:00 – How Dubai’s film scene evolved over the last decade 10:00 – The decline of film festivals & rise of corporate media 15:00 – Industry diversity in the UAE 17:00 – The reality of competition and pricing in Dubai 25:00 – Why most clients are international 31:00 – How AK Films structures its in-house and freelance teams 36:00 – Scaling to a 7-person production company 41:00 – Finding the right time to hire permanent staff 47:00 – Client education and self-sabotage in production 49:00 – Inbound vs outbound lead generation 52:00 – Long-term goals and returning to filmmaking Key Takeaways: Dubai’s production market is booming — but competition is relentless.The corporate sector has overtaken cinema as the main driver of production work.Strong business systems and communication protect creative integrity.Local partnerships are essential for foreign productions due to legal structure.Balancing creative ambition with sustainable operations is the key to long-term success. 🎥 Guest: Amr Khani – Founder & Creative Director, AK Films 📍 Based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates 🎧 Hosts: Dario Nouri & Kyrill Lazarov — Lapse Productions, Toronto https://www.lapseproductions.com 🎙️ About Creatives Grab Coffee: Creatives Grab Coffee explores the business of video production, featuring candid conversations with studio owners and filmmakers around the world on scaling, creativity, and industry evolution. 👇 Follow & Subscribe: Website – https://creativesgrabcoffee.com Instagram – https://instagram.com/creativesgrabcoffee LinkedIn – https://linkedin.com/company/lapseproductions SPONSORS: Canada Film Equipment: www.CanadaFilmEquipment.com Audio Process: www.Audioprocess.ca #CreativesGrabCoffee #videographyhacks #videography #videographer #videoproduction #businesspodcast #videoproductionpodcast #lapseproductions #videomarketing #videoproductioncompany #videoproductionservices