Shotopop
What was the key motivation behind Shotopop?
Shotopop was born out of a desire to challenge ourselves and make our own mark instead of being told what, when and how to do things. That maybe sounds rebellious but I think it’s more about how we live. We moved country to open up the world to ourselves and the next logical step was to start something that was our own so that we could open that world even more.
How does Shotopop maintain an ongoing stream of work?
We have agents! Just like an actor or singer would and they take a cut of the project fee received. We have agents representing us in the US, France, China and the UK which really broadens our market reach. For us the cut that they take is worthwhile as it means that we can concentrate our efforts on crafting the work rather than searching for work and everyone’s talents are put to good use.
With such a broad range of specialties (Illustration, typography, motion design, animation and graphic design) how do you approach a new commission and decide the outcome for the brief?
Most often this is dictated by the brief itself. We are fortunate in that we can tackle all these different elements in-house and are able to provide a full service rather than outsourcing certain elements. It also means that there is more cohesion to the work and we can oversee everything to maintain a high standard for the final output. The best projects for us are the ones where we can take an all encompassing role, from conception to completion. As there are various ways in which any brief can be solved, the more involved in the process we are, the more we can taylor make our approach.
How do you feel being represented by an agency has helped Shotopop with your work to date?
Our agents have been instrumental in helping build our client base. As mentioned before, having an agent means we can concentrate on producing the work rather than dividing our time between finding work and doing the work. They also help sort out budgets and getting the money paid at the end of a project. They liaise with agencies and clients and make sure that project work flow runs smoothly. They also play a massive role in marketing us through various channels and have legal channels to advise if legal advice is necessary. In essence we see them as an extension of our business. They are the marketing, admin and procurement department of Shotopop and it makes us more effective and broadens our reach and the kind of jobs we can get.
Who and what keeps you inspired?
I think everyone in the company is inspired by different things. Inspiration is personal after all. I guess as a collective though we are inspired by diversity, travel, london culture, movies, music…. the list could go on.
What’s next for Shotopop?
Exploration! It’s always been at the core of what we want to be doing. We’ve had a bumper few months, which have been tiring but rewarding and we’re hoping this means we can take a breather from real life and get stuck in with exploring some new avenues… Keep posted, who knows what will come of it…
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