StartUp of the Week: Shots by Hanvey
Chris Hanvey is the founder of Shots by Hanvey, a film and photography company that creates independent films and has shot artists including Frank Turner. Currently in the process of crowdfunding neo-noir punk documentary A CALL TO LOVE, they're our StartUp of the Week - let's find out more!
We choose one Virgin StartUp company to be featured on Virginstartup.org each week. We ask our startups of the week to deliver the ultimate elevator pitch. What would they say if they had one minute in a lift with Sir Richard Branson? Please answer the questions below, keeping each answer to five sentences max.
Ground to floor 1 – Explain what your business does
SHOTS.BY.HANVEY shoots commercial stills and movies for digital, print and online promotion, alongside developing and producing independent movies and plays.
Floor 1 to 2 - Where are you based?
London – but our work is international.
Floor 2 to 3 – What’s the business model?
Our core revenue comes from our promotional commissions. Within that our model remains as diverse as possible when it comes to rates, timeframes and clientele.
Floor 3 to 4 – Who are your competitors?
Our competitors are also our influences, and are drawn from the commercial and creative sectors. These include: Anton Corbijn, David Bailey, Rankin, Ridley Scott, and Harvey Weinstein. SHOTS.BY.HANVEY takes the very best of their successful mix of art and commerce, and improves upon it.
Floor 4 to 5 – What’s your USP?
Inspired by a neo-punk mix of classic film noir and contemporary European vérité, SHOTS.BY.HANVEY merges art and commerce in the production of promo and creative content that is unique, iconic and influential.
Floor 5 to 6 – Where did the idea come from?
SHOTS.BY.HANVEY was born out of necessity. I initially trained professionally as an actor, and did some television and film. Yet I understood the essential need to learn the business of the entertainment industry. So I taught myself how to write scripts, produced those scripts in London, and found myself both critically acclaimed and derided. After a decade financing these productions on minimum wage jobs, I got tired of the vast space between projects. So I picked up a camera, shot some visuals, and became SHOTS.BY.HANVEY.
Floor 6 to 7 – How much funding did you receive from Virgin StartUp?
£12,500
Floor 7 to 8 – How are you going to use it to grow your business?
The money will be used for: core running costs, equipment acquisition, advertising, financing the development of our music promo pilot A CALL TO LOVE, and the promotion of our Kickstarter campaign for that project.
Floor 8 to 9 – What’s your workspace like?
My workspace is anywhere with wifi that can fit a camera, a microphone and a laptop.
Floor 9 to 10 – where will your business be in 12 month’s time?
SHOTS.BY.HANVEY will be working extensively within the music industry, working in close collaboration with artists and management, shooting and producing their promotional content. We will also be acquiring the financial infrastructure to develop our production division, starting with the production and release of our debut feature Film JUSTICE (based on our acclaimed stage play). This will require external investment, but it is sure to help originate a vibrant independent cinema movement in the UK. Connect with SHOTS.BY.HANVEY on Twitter and Facebook, and for more information about A CALL TO LOVE visit the official website.
