London: Electric Theatre Collective; Worth a Punt

Before we get to the bit about who Electric Theatre Collective are, we first have to establish what it is, and this is more complicated that it may sound. In the past a company such as ETC would have been referred to as a post house, or a post facility, but these days that’s a potentially limiting term, denoting involvement only at the end of the process.

Of course, that’s not the case anymore and, during the course of the interview, a long and spirited discussion about whether ‘post production’ is a derogatory phrase or whether it is just lazy industry shorthand ensues. After a while, we agree that ETC is probably a visual effects company but, more presciently, as James Sindle [below, bottom] puts it: “To be honest, it doesn’t really matter what you’re called, it’s the work that does the talking.”

Sindle, a CG artist, is one of four co-founders of ETC, the other three members being Flame artist Giles Cheetham [above, top], technical director Dan Marum and producer Lee Pavey. The four-strong team met while working at The Mill – both in London and the US – and became firm friends as well as colleagues. Over time they realised that opening their own company was something they needed to do, but it wasn’t because they didn’t enjoy life at The Mill. “It was weird,” explains Sindle. “We weren’t leaving because we hated our jobs. We loved working there, it was just that this opportunity felt more exciting.”

Crunch time in LA

They had been discussing the possibility of setting up on their own for some time. Pavey and Cheetham were working in LA, Marum was in New York and Sindle in London, but when they all found themselves in LA for work it was crunch time. “It was the day before I was leaving LA,” says Sindle, “and I said, ‘I’ve got a flight tomorrow. Are we going to do this or not?’ And it was, like, ‘yeah, I suppose we are’.”

The three members of the team who were living in the US moved back to London, found premises near Oxford Street and opened their doors in September of 2011. “What I remember from opening,” explains Cheetham, “is the echo in the place. When we first moved in here we were conscious of where people were sitting to try to fill the space because we were six people when we started; us four, my wife as the bookkeeper and Helen, our runner [now head of scheduling].” From there the company has exploded in size. They now have 30 full-time staff and have expanded the premises twice to incorporate more machines and be able to service more jobs. “Yeah, there’s not much echo these days,” laughs Cheetham.

But what is it that sets ETC apart from other VFX companies such as their former employer? “Before we set up, a small part of our business plan was the figures and finance,” says Cheetham, “but the biggest aspect was working out what values we wanted to stand for. We wanted to take the great things about The Mill but then put in a few extra things that they, and other big companies, struggle to do.” What ETC thought it could add was “some better face-to-face service”. They are small, compared with more established VFX companies in London, and they believe their size allows them to be more nimble and accommodating without compromising on the quality of the work.

“We wanted to take the work ethic, experience and attention to detail of somewhere like The Mill and wrap it in a different environment,” continues Cheetham. “All our suite doors are two metres wide so we’re essentially open plan but can slide them shut if we need to. We don’t really have a reception. People can come in and see their producer or one of the owners or the artist working on their job. Bigger companies aren’t like that.”

“And clients are really responsive to that,” adds Sindle. “There’s a really good energy here.”

When they opened the biggest difficulty they faced, and to a degree still face, was that as a fairly new company they needed people to trust them. “Yes,” says Sindle, “the biggest challenge was earning people’s trust. We are completely confident we can gain that trust, it’s just getting people through the door for the first job and taking a punt on us over more established names.”

If the work is anything to go by, it shouldn’t be an issue. The company has worked on some fantastic campaigns since opening, from its first piece for Kasabian’s tour visuals through to the recent Axe Soulmates spot, with films including TalkTalk’s Date Night, Nike’s Endless Possibilities and Dulux’ Colour Prohibition nestled in between.

Riding London’s creative wave

The fact they have been able to put their name to such an array of creative advertising is, Sindle and Cheetham think, testament to London’s current creative standing. “I think London is doing brilliantly across the board,” says Cheetham. “In advertising, in technology, in creativity in general. When I returned from LA I was surprised at the energy in London. LA always seemed so sleepy in comparison. There’s more energy every year. It’s an incredible place, a real creative hub just now.”

Of the future they say they have no aspirations to grow into a huge VFX company, they “just want to be the best VFX company,” and their plan, like many in the industry, is to foster relationships with other creative people and collaborate on a variety of projects. “I think that’s the only way forward,” states Sindle. “Everybody’s diversifying because there isn’t one channel of advertising anymore.”

“We’ve got to a size we’re happy with now,” concludes Cheetham. “We’ve got the space, the team and the infrastructure that we need so now it feels like we can just concentrate on the work. We’re less of a punt.”