Crossing the Axis - The Commercial Side of Film Production
Episodes
Best Practices for Cold Outreach with Ross MacRae
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cold outreach is tough, but necessary. Whether you’re in commercial film production or working inside an agency, building relationships with new cli...
Landing Agency Clients with Dani Dufresne
03 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re a production company trying to land agency work, this episode is your tactical playbook. Dani Dufresne, founder of The Aux Co, a fractiona...
[Client Side Conversation] The Indie Production Advantage with Jillian Gibbs
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As holding companies expand their grip on marketing budgets, independent production companies risk getting pushed to the margins. But in today’s fra...
Going Beyond the Brief with Jason Bellue
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most people underestimate the importance of the first intake call and going beyond the client’s creative brief. In this episode, I sit down with Jas...
Freelance vs. Roster Directors with Luke Lashley
12 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The commercial production landscape is changing, and directors have more options than ever. While the traditional model of exclusive production compan...
Change is Hard with Craig Brooks
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Change is hard—but it’s essential to longevity. In this episode of Crossing the Axis, I sit down with Craig Brooks, co-founder of Kontent Partners...
Think Like an Agency with Alex Cohn
08 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is for production company owners who want to elevate their value when working directly with brand clients, stepping into roles traditiona...
Sell Like an Expert with Blair Enns
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, I sit down with Blair Enns—founder of Win Without Pitching, author of the industry-shifting book of the same name, and co-h...
[Client Side Conversation] How To Win Business With Kevin Knutson
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get ready for an insider’s perspective on winning the client-side game in this conversation with Kevin Knutson, a seasoned industry leader in creati...
Built to Sell with Amy Balliett
10 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join this information-packed crash-course discussion with Amy Balliett on getting your production company acquired. Amy is the founder of Killer Visua...
Elevating Account Management with Rob Meyers
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hear Rob Meyers from Versus, a NYC-based creative production studio that has built a stellar reputation for its culture-defining work and client-centr...
Production at Scale with Alex Portera
08 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Crossing the Axis, we’re joined by Alex Portera from Rally on Media, a powerhouse in the production world, to uncover the secrets...
Mastering Sales Trips with Jeff Oswalt
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for a chat with Jeff Oswalt, owner of 14Four, a digital marketing agency known for creating unforgettable campaigns. Jeff shares how in-person...
Strategies for Landing Professional Sports Clients with Anthony Santa
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to hear Anthony Santa, Director of Sports & Entertainment at Diamond View, a production company based in Tampa, Florida, share their path t...
Expanding Abroad with Ryan Christopher McGuire of Cutters Studios Tokyo
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Discover what it takes to expand internationally with Ryan Christopher McGuire of Cutters Studios, a commercial film production company based in Tokyo...
A Case-Study in Proactive Sales with Aaron Straight
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dive into the innovative—and risky—world of proactive sales with Aaron Straight, Founder of the film studio Soulcraft Allstars. Moving beyond trad...
Should You Hire a Sales Rep?
07 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is it time for your production company to partner with a sales rep? The right sales representative can provide industry insights, valuable relationshi...
Improve Your Agency's CRM Sales Strategy with Copper CEO Steve Holm
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a client-driven business, developing and maintaining relationships is essential for growth. Join my conversation with Steve Holm, CEO of Copper, to...
Shaping the Future: Lessons From a DEI Internship Journey
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Explore the transformative power of diversity in the advertising industry with Tony Fulgham, owner of the commercial film studio All is Well, as he un...
[Client Side Conversation] Biz Dev Real Talk with Anne Milan Alo
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Prepare to be enlightened in this must-listen episode featuring the insightful Anne Milan Alo, a luminary in the world of marketing and business devel...
Should Your Production Company Go Union Signatory?
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wondered about the perks and challenges of becoming a union signatory? Dive into our latest episode where Melissa Purcell, a Business Agent for I...
[Client Side Conversation] Paul Killebrew on Hiring Boutique Production Companies
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Killebrew boasts experience as both a seller and buyer within the production industry. His tenure in sales cultivated his fondness for smaller bo...
How Science Fiction Shaped a Business Niche in Customer Stories
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the business of commercial film production, making brand case-studies are often seen as just a step above an infomercial. But that’s when they ar...
[Client Side Conversation] How to Offer Your Services to Brand Clients with Nicholas Incorvaia
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know Nicholas Incorvaia and hear his take on what motivates him to hire production companies, and what doesn’t. Nicholas is a leader in produ...
Why Company Culture Matters with Sam Kelly, Jr.
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you realize it or not, your production company has a culture. It is shaped by the owners, the employees, partners and your clients. But, shoul...
[Client Side Conversation] Do Your Narrative Projects Attract Client Work?
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This must-listen episode welcomes Nate Barr to help you navigate the very difficult path of using your own original narrative content to attract clien...
[Client Side Conversation] Selling Direct to Brands with Thig Gishuru
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet Thig Gishuru, a creative director with over 10 years of experience in both the agency-side and client-side of advertising; primarily creating, pr...
[Client Side Conversation] Selling to Ad Agencies, with Undnyable
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet Justin Hooper and Steve Williams, partners at Undnyable, an advertising agency with a reputation of turning heads with their funny, creative and ...
Passing the Mic
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Max introduces James Keblas as the future host of Crossing the Axis. Get to know James and how he plans to lead the show moving forward. Max shares hi...
Evolving from Production Company to Agency with Alan Nay
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week we interview Alan Nay of the Seattle powerhouse World Famous. World Famous works as a full-service agency with Nike, Wendy's, T-Mobile...
The Creative Work You do Between Gigs Defines You and Your Company
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I sit down and talk to Chris Donaldson and Julien Scherliss of Moment.film (www.moment.film) about what it takes to regularly put out great, personal ...
From "Selling Out" to Selling Big - The Path of the Passionate Professional
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Channel Your Passion into Client SuccessMax talks to Caleb Young, creative director at world-class video production company, Hand Crank Films of the P...
Max & Jake Bore You To Death About Budgeting
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You seriously need to take budgeting seriously. Basically, budgeting is the activity that makes or breaks your operation. How you handle it makes all ...
Get All the Answers with Ryan Koral of Studio Sherpas
17 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today Jake and I got to sit down with Ryan Koral, the head of Studio Sherpas. Studio Sherpas is advertised as "Everything You Need to Grow Your Video ...
The Case for Keeping the Team In-House with StoryFarm
10 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
John Sherman is the CEO of StoryFarm out of Baltimore, Maryland. John and his team have been (very) successful creating a host of different types of v...
Death to the Corporate Video with Guy Bauer
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine bringing in revenue of $3.5M one year only to find that you’re actually $1M in debt? That’s where Guy Bauer found himself at the end of 20...
Cole Heilborn: The Hustler
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we meet Cole Heilborn of the pacific northwest production company, Portside Productions. We at Crossing the Axis call Cole "the hustle...
The Business of Wedding Films with Emma Wilson
12 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Emma Wilson of Wengen, Switzerland makes the most beautiful wedding films you've ever seen. Forget about the cheese that can sometimes sneak into this...
Important Takeaways from the First Ten Episodes
05 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today, as a celebration of finishing 10 podcasts, we’re going to do a recap podcast where we go back and cover incredible tips we’ve learned from ...
How to Make a Profit in Video Production
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Max and Jake break down the importance of making a profit, what you can do with the profit, and how to insure that you make the profit you need. What...
Growing Your Production Company with SEO
19 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Max and Jake speak with Blake Barnett of Blare Media about how they have successfully scaled their operation through very unusual and clever tactics l...
The Difference Between Good and Great Production Companies
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hear what industry veteran Shane Dillon sees as the difference maker between the good and the great production companies.Shane and his company LightPr...
Doing Well by Doing Good with Soulcraft
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Max talks with Aaron Straight of Soulcraft Allstars, a production company that has proven you can be the change you believe in.Aaron and his team have...
Creating a TRULY Creative-First Video Production Company
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Max interviews creative director, writer, director, production company-owner Tony Fulgham of All is Well (www.alliswellstudios.com) about how to creat...
Creating Systems to Grow Your Video Production Company
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Max & Jake discuss how you can (and should) create systems to help grow your video production company. We also include some examples of syst...
Making Sales Easy by Going After Low-Hanging Fruit
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Max talks to uber Producer Jennifer O'Brien about going after "low hanging fruit" to increase sales and even out your sales cycles.Jennifer has over 1...
Managing Client Relationships for the Win
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What do you think of when you think “Client Experience”?What is the revenue value of creating a positive client experience? The improvement ...
The Seasons of Sales
30 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In "Seasons of Sales" Max and Jake pontificate on some tricks and tips to help you get off of the "feast or famine" roller coaster of work and achieve...
Hiring Your First Sales Person for Video Production
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Max & Jake discuss what you should be looking for in hiring your first sales person for your video production company. First lesson - don't call t...