Business: Cap Gun expands into original content
Matt Abramson
Issue: December 1, 2014

Business: Cap Gun expands into original content

Matt Abramson
Co-Founder and Executive Producer
Cap Gun Collective
Los Angeles/Chicago/London
http://capguncollective.com 

Since starting Cap Gun Collective as a production company in early 2010 with director Alex Fendrich and producer Kaitlyn Parks, we’re proud of the success we’ve achieved. By virtue of a vision shared with our managing director David Brixton of The Whitehouse, we created Cap Gun TV (CGTV) as a hybrid production studio to develop, produce, and market original content for multiple platforms. So, while focusing on commercial production, we have put equal energy into CGTV. That strategy has been supported by the opening of our London studio with EP Ollie Allgrove (2011), the addition of producer PJ Fishwick (2012); the opening of our LA office with EP Jason Botkin and the addition of Bill Hamm in LA as EP for original content (2013); and the ongoing addition of new directorial talents.
 


In our case, since we are already committed to creating great advertising, all the tools required to produce broadcast-quality content are readily available to us; and due to our partnership with The Whitehouse, we had the infrastructure in place for expanding into original content. We have backgrounds in improv comedy and are always looking for the best creative opportunities for the talent we represent, so it was a natural next step to use our network to find creative people to partner with in making Web series and Web content. These new projects have fit very well within our creative offerings, giving us something we can create, launch, and build audiences around.
 
An exciting CGTV development is our original Teachers Web Series, directed by Matt Miller and written by/starring the Katydids. It was recently ordered as a television series by TV Land, where it will premiere in 2015. Meanwhile, Alex has directed the entire current season of the original Web series Tough Season, being produced by The Onion Labs for Lenovo. Our half-hour Apartment Guy sitcom pilot, directed by Alex written by/starring Bill Boehler, was an official selection of the Independent Pilot Competition at the 2014 NYTV Festival, and The Venue (also directed by Alex) won the 2012 NYTVF Comedy Central Pilot Competition.
 


Across all the Web content projects we’ve produced so far, each is something that we and our colleagues have fallen in love with, where everyone has gotten involved for all the right reasons to create something great. Thankfully, our projects always reflect The Whitehouse’s top-tier editorial and finishing (Carbon VFX) talents, and aim to showcase people we deeply respect. In the best cases, everything comes together in something viewers love and subscribe to.
 
As you plot your next moves in this realm, here’s my best advice: Partner with talented people you believe in. Try to set goals for what the project will become, how it will look, and where it can live. Do your homework and focus your goals, give it your best shot, and promote it far and wide.