Nick Goldsmith runs Everything Is Illustrated with his wife, Charlie. Mostly, they make microfibre cleaning cloths for glasses, but that’s not what he’s known for. The producer tells Emily Ansell how he took a break from Hammer & Tongs production company to focus on solo film projects, but is now spending more time working on those trusty cloths
Nick Goldsmith knows more than a thing or two about the creative industry, having made dozens of music videos for world-famous bands, and even a few feature films, but he is beginning to become an expert in a very different field – product illustration – thanks to an idea that evolved when setting up home with his wife.
Goldsmith is best known as one half of Hammer & Tongs, a production company that he formed with director Garth Jennings. He’s produced videos for top music acts, including Fatboy Slim, Radiohead, The Wannadies, Blur and Robbie Williams. The duo also ventured into feature films with The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in 2005 and Son of Rambow in 2007. But, in 2010, Goldsmith was enjoying a cheeky pint in a London pub when he met Charlie, owner of Pickled ink illustration company.
Fast-forward two years and Goldsmith had married Charlie, but had a bit on the side. That bit on the side is called Everything is Illustrated (EII) and, thankfully, Charlie is fully aware of it as the pair work on the project together in their spare time.
The venture sees them collaborate with illustrators to transform mundane-looking objects into stylish items. Goldsmith is still very much a full-time producer, but announced an extended break from Hammer & Tongs in 2012. This means that, although he is still busily working on films and commercials, he now also finds space in his day to squeeze in work on EII.
Enlivening the everyday
EII’s first product, an illustrated microfibre cleaning cloth, comes in 14 different designs from artists featuring individual scenes. The idea came about after a chat with Goldsmith’s dad, who runs a spectacle frame company. “We choose products that wouldn’t normally be illustrated. We are constantly thinking about things that normally all the look the same and transforming them into something a bit different,” explains Goldsmith. “More and more, people need to keep spectacles, sunglasses and i-gadgets clean but are stuck with boring cloths made in shades of grey or black.”
Goldsmith says people don’t really expect to see a successful film producer making cleaning cloths, but he’s happy to admit that it actually offers a moment of respite from the pressures of production – he likes the fact that it’s a simpler way of making money.
“Doing this at the moment is a relief and a pleasure because it’s something tangible. In the sense of we make these things and we sell them. That’s it. I can explain to my mum exactly what it is that I do,” Goldsmith says, talking at his home in London’s Chalk Farm.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to explain what it is you do when you’re a film producer. I’ve done talks at schools where you try to describe a producer’s role and it’s a struggle – it’s not as easy as explaining the role of a cinematographer or designer.
“Doing EII is really nice because it’s practical and hands on. It’s a great balance against producing. Film producing takes a few years to get everything off the ground whereas, with these cloths, you just put them straight up on the website to sell. It’s a bit more instant. It’s fun and it’s different.”
When the couple started EII, it was quite whimsical and more of a hobby than a business. They were setting up home together and were sick of looking at everyday objects in the shops that lacked individuality.
They decided to “make some nice products” and see what happened. But the company has grown at an unbelievable rate and two new products – beach windbreaks and table mats – have recently been added to the range (this decision was made because they felt a company called Everything is Illustrated probably needed more than one product…).
“When we started it was a small thing we were doing for our enjoyment more than anything but it’s done better than we thought it would, especially at Christmas,” Goldsmith says. “We want to put more energy into it as it’s had such a good response. We’re about to do our first trade show, and I’d love it if we had a shop one day and I could work in the shop. I could say, ‘that’s £4.99, would you like me to wrap it for you?’”
Not giving up the day job
But, with the company taking off as it has, one can’t help but wonder whether Goldsmith will need to start spending more time on it. Could producing soon become the out-of-hours hobby instead? However, the producer says he’s still in love with film and has even managed to find a way of combining both jobs.
“The day job is still very much the day job, but I do sometimes find myself sneaking off to do a bit of EII,” he says. “We have also found there’s a bit of crossover – we made cleaning cloths for MPC, to give out as promotional gifts at Cannes. We’ve also done cloths for Holborn Studios and an Irish production company. They’re relevant to people in editing as they’re all tapping away on their iPads and gadgets.”
Although Goldsmith can’t see EII becoming a full-time venture, he does admit he’d like it to grow big enough for the couple to take on an employee. They’ve already someone lined up: their baby son, Spike. He adds: “It’s a nice thing that runs alongside our day jobs, and it’s currently at a size where that’s possible. I’m not ready to give up producing just yet. There are far too many films that I would like to make.”
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