Artistic professionals are sometimes multi-dimensional. An architect may additionally design furnishings. A author might compose music. And a performer, equivalent to Matthew Gattozzi, founding father of Goodo Studios, might shift to images.
Till early 2020, Gattozzi was knowledgeable ballet dancer. A again damage pressured a profession change and the launch of his enterprise, which produces images and movies for ecommerce firms. “We work with established and up-and-coming manufacturers by understanding use and leverage content material for income,” he instructed me.
He and I lately mentioned his journey. The audio of our total dialog is embedded under. The transcript is edited for size and readability.
Eric Bandholz: Inform us about Goodo Studios.
Matthew Gattozzi: We create images and movies for shopper manufacturers. We do TikToks, user-generated content material, and high-end or paid media, utilizing all the pieces from cinema cameras to iPhones.
Earlier than Goodo I used to be knowledgeable ballet dancer. I danced all through the U.S. and Europe. I used to be dancing at Ballet Austin and injured my again. So I needed to cease that a part of my profession and shift to images and movies. I lately moved from Austin to Seattle. I used to bounce there, and I met my spouse there.
I based my firm in early 2020. It was simply me, and I didn’t begin in ecommerce. I labored domestically in Austin with many superb eating places, however issues got here to a halt with Covid. I needed to shift and rebuild. Now I work with a staff of photographers, creatives, and editors. It’s not simply me anymore.
Many consultants within the house went to highschool and discovered brand-building expertise. I didn’t go to school. I used to be supposed to bounce till I used to be 30 and ended up jobless at 21. I knew lots about social media, however folks weren’t taken with hiring me as a result of I didn’t have a resume. I needed to say sure to all the pieces at first, which was exhausting, nevertheless it was additionally good as a result of I might determine what I needed to do.
It helped me to understand that the folks I serve are advertising managers and paid media professionals. I tailored my communication to talk to them. I began taking what I do as a inventive and translating it into how they speak. Many creatives don’t do this.
I work with established and up-and-coming manufacturers by understanding use and leverage content material for income. Manufacturers spend money on content material, however additionally they have the mindset that the content material will generate earnings. So we converse to that and assist construct model methods — on natural channels, product pages, web sites. We study to adapt to the newest media consumption. For instance, after I began two years in the past, TikTok wasn’t as distinguished. Many of the movies I shot have been horizontal. Now all the pieces is vertical.
Bandholz: How do you deal with copyrights?
Gattozzi: My method is to be as beneficiant as doable. I inform my shoppers, “You should utilize this content material. You’re investing in these images and movies, and also you get unique rights, copyright makes use of, and industrial use all over, with no licensing.”
I would lose out as a result of I’m not nickeling-and-diming the model, however I’m attempting to determine a long-term relationship. I’m a bit non-traditional in that means. Some creatives say, “It is best to know your value; put your foot down.” However I wish to change how we produce content material. I wish to work with main manufacturers. I’m not going to get there until I do one thing completely different.
A buzzword you’ll hear lots is inventive technique. It boils all the way down to content material creation. Creatives for giant advertisers are lacking out by not adapting to how briskly media strikes and the way shortly manufacturers must create. We’re attempting to construct a content material engine for manufacturers. We give you concepts, take a look at these concepts, and execute them.
We contain staff members in all the course of. Disjointed manufacturing is frequent within the business. A terrific photographer who isn’t a part of the planning received’t perceive how the images can drive gross sales.
Bandholz: Describe a Goodo Studio engagement.
Gattozzi: Most manufacturers ought to concentrate on why customers are shopping for. Generally we’ll ask shoppers that, they usually’ll checklist their product options. Okay, cool, however what do your clients say? You’ll want to perceive your audience — speak to them and do surveys. The concepts are infinite should you study your buyer psychology. Most manufacturers miss that. So I advocate for the intent behind the images and the movies.
We do picture and video shoots. However we additionally do TikToks, user-generated content material, and advert enhancing. We take current belongings, and we extract worth from them. When a model involves us, we begin with enhancing earlier than we shoot something. The exception is an upcoming model or product launch.
We take a look at why clients purchase and undergo a course of to determine that out. Most manufacturers have a backlog of nice content material. They simply haven’t remixed it sufficient as a result of they don’t have the sources or the crew.
As soon as we’ve confirmed some ideas and generated concepts, we double down and scale these ideas and take a look at extra. Then we are able to herald creators which can be supreme clients for that model. We give you the briefs and ship the product out to them. They shoot all the pieces and ship it again to us. We edit all of it.
We’ll rent a crew, whether or not it’s in Seattle or in Austin, to work on the manufacturing. That’s how we flip round. We don’t do picture and video manufacturing with a model each month, however we do numerous enhancing. That offers us time to plan these shoots. Many manufacturers are hesitant to spend the cash for in depth manufacturing for worry it’ll flop. So we attempt to take a look at the ideas early with some low-lift inventive, then go to larger productions.
Bandholz: What makes somebody inventive?
Gattozzi: A wonderful inventive asks nice questions, interprets the solutions, and uncovers what the consumer needs. A awful inventive will say, “Okay, bought it,” and go away. Asking numerous questions helps the model pinpoint an issue. Some come to us and clarify what they want. It may be difficult for people to explain an concept of their minds. I’ll ask them questions. How is their enterprise? The place has their advertising been? The place are they attempting to go? Why do they want a inventive associate?
Generally, after the primary name, we understand they don’t want images or movies. They want enhancing. It can save you manufacturers 1000’s of {dollars} by asking the suitable questions.
Bandholz: How can listeners join with you?
Gattozzi: They will go to our web site, GoodoStudios.com, and subscribe to my publication. I’m on Twitter and LinkedIn.
