Episode 11
How to Build an Adaptable Production Company (ft. Notch Video)
Ian Buck is the co-founder and managing director of Notch Video, a Toronto production company he built after more than a decade in PR, social, digital, and ad agencies. Ian took that agency experience and merged it with a passion for storytelling through video, then asked a sharper question than most founders do: not just how to make good videos, but how to build a company nimble enough to make almost any video, for almost any client, at almost any scale.
In this early episode of Creatives Grab Coffee, Ian joins Dario and Kyrill to talk about adapting your business model to a changing market. They get into how Notch analyzed where video production was heading and built a scalable model around a deep network of freelancers and production partners, how that network lets the company flex to any brief that walks through the door, and why key partnerships with marketing and advertising firms became a steady engine for leads and growth.
Key Takeaways
- Study the market before you build. Ian started by analyzing how the video production world was changing, then designed a company to fit where it was heading rather than where it had been.
- A deep network makes you nimble. By building a large database of freelancers, production companies, and talent, Notch can source the right people for any project and adapt to whatever a client needs.
- Scalability is a design choice. That sourcing model is what let Notch expand from Toronto across Canada without being capped by a fixed in-house roster.
- Solve the problem in front of you. A flexible model means you can take on almost any specific video production challenge instead of turning away work that does not fit a rigid setup.
- Partnerships benchmark your business. Ian found that partnering with marketing and advertising companies helped position Notch and gave it a credibility benchmark in the market.
- Partnerships bring a steady flow of leads. The right relationships create a reliable pipeline of clients, which keeps the business moving forward and growing.
Adapting to a Changing Market
Ian’s starting point was a question every founder should ask: how do I stand out, what makes this different, and how do I adapt as the market changes? Rather than copy the studios that came before him, he analyzed where video production was actually heading and built Notch to fit that direction. That is a very different exercise from simply opening a production company, and it shows up in choices like how you scale a growing business and even in how clients weigh a production company against an individual videographer.
A Network That Flexes to Any Brief
The engine behind Notch’s adaptability is its network. Ian and his partner built a large database of freelancers, production companies, and talent they can source from for any specific client project. That means the company can stay nimble, matching the right people to each brief and solving almost any video production problem that walks through the door, rather than forcing every job through one fixed team. It is a model that leans heavily on vetting and managing talent well and on the same instincts that make a fully remote, distributed team work. For clients, it is also a reminder of what to look for when choosing a production company: the roster behind the name matters as much as the name.
Key Partnerships as a Growth Engine
The other half of Ian’s model is partnerships. He was clear that key partnerships are necessary to help any business grow, and that partnering with marketing and advertising companies in particular can benchmark a production company and open up a steady flow of leads and clients. Those relationships help Notch operate, move forward, and grow, which is exactly why so much of this show comes back to building strong partnerships and finding new ways to generate leads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ian Buck?
Ian Buck is the co-founder and managing director of Notch Video, a Toronto production company. He spent more than a decade in PR, social, digital, and ad agencies, including Sid Lee and High Road Communications, before moving into video.
What is Notch Video?
A Toronto production company. It started as an online marketplace connecting brands with vetted video producers and works with a deep network of freelancers and partners to flex to any project. Site: notchvideo.com.
How do you build an adaptable production company?
In this episode the approach is to study how the market is changing first, then build a scalable model around a large network of freelancers and production partners so you can source the right people for any brief.
How does a freelancer network help you scale?
It lets you take on almost any project without being limited by a fixed in-house roster, which is how Notch was able to expand from Toronto across Canada.
Why do partnerships matter for a production company?
Partnering with marketing and advertising firms helps benchmark your business and creates a steady flow of leads and clients that keeps the company growing.
The Hosts
Dario Nouri and Kyrill Lazarov are the co-founders of Lapse Productions, a Toronto video production company, and the hosts of Creatives Grab Coffee, a weekly show about the business of video production.
About
Creatives Grab Coffee is a podcast about the business behind video production: sales, strategy, pricing, team building, and everything that happens off camera. New episodes every week on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
Lapse Productions is a Toronto-based video production company serving tech, finance, healthcare, and manufacturing clients with corporate, promotional, event, and testimonial video. New to commissioning video? Start with our guide to the types of corporate video.
Notch Video is a Toronto production company that connects brands with a deep network of video producers and creative talent. Founded by Ian Buck, it began as an online marketplace for video production and has grown into a full production team working with clients across Canada. Learn more at notchvideo.com.
