Mark Smith
We create visual experiences designed to move people and inspire human connections through stories that range from branded content and commercial television to documentaries and feature-length films.
Tell us about yourself?
I always loved movies, and thought it would be lots of fun to be in this business. And I wasn’t wrong, it is lots of fun to be involved in this business! In my early 20’s, I had pivotal personal life moment occur, and it pushed me to really go after this dream, and at the same time figure out how I could make a living from it.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
Take more time to celebrate the wins and accomplishments along the way. It’s easy to get caught up in the next project, the next opportunity, and forget to take a few minutes to reflect and enjoy on what you’ve already completed.
What problem does your business solve?
We tell the stories of our clients and partners in a visual medium.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
We wanted to create a culture that embodies the values of integrity, honesty, inclusion, learning, and wellness. These values influence our creative partnerships, strengthen our client relationships, and guide our approach to the work.
What is your magic sauce?
There’s never a “one size fits all” approach. Every project needs specific nuances to set it apart and raise the production value. And perhaps that’s what our secret is to an extent, uncovering the smaller pieces of the puzzle that makes something great, instead of something good.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
We’ve been fortunate enough to reach a point in our careers where it’s time to start offering the knowledge and learning lessons we’ve acquired over the last 10 years to others.
After all, it takes 10 years of experience to gain 10 yeas of experience. We’d really like to see the creative talent pool and partnerships at FreshFly double over the next few years.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
One of the biggest challenges we faced early on was how producing video content became ubiquitous and accessible for everybody.
I lost count of how many times I’ve heard somebody say “I could get my cousin Johnny to make this video for $2,000.” So the question became what value did FreshFly provide that cousin Johnny didn’t?
The answer is simple as we came to find out, it’s the ability to to tell stories in powerful and meaningful ways. That’s a skillset, and it’s how we began to position ourselves to our clients and partners… and we never looked back.
How do people get involved/buy into your vision?
We’re very interested in corporate partnerships where we get to tell the stories behind a brand or product. You can see examples of this type of work on the Patient Stories and Branded Content section of the FreshFly website. Contact Chayne Gregg if you’re interested in starting a conversation and learning more about the services FreshFly offers.
