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Artwork for Crossing the Axis

Crossing the Axis - The Commercial Side of Film Production

James Keblas
Fractional Production
Storyx
Toast
London
Agency Production
Wild Gravity
Linkedin
Email Outreach
Direct To Brand
Agency
Google
Nokia
BBC Global News
Storytelling

Dive into a dedicated space for commercial film production company owners. Join the conversation as we unravel the intricacies of business growth and sustainability in the ever-evolving client-driven film world. Benefit from the unique insights of buyers on acquiring fresh business opportunities and gain firsthand knowledge of best practices shared by your fellow industry peers. Chart your course ... more

PublishesInfrequentlyEpisodes53Founded5 years ago
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Artwork for Crossing the Axis

Latest Episodes

Everyone talks about being “top of mind.” Very few people can explain how it actually happens.

Chris Whitten has seen this challenge from every angle. He’s been a freelancer looking for work, an agency producer hiring creative partners, and now an e... more

YouTube

Production companies want to work directly with brands, but that shift comes with real responsibility. Going direct-to-brand means taking on more than execution. It means stepping into strategy, diagnostics, and early thinking that agencies have trad... more

YouTube

Production companies are increasingly finding growth by building direct relationships with brands and proving the value they can deliver. That’s the heart of Jon Sneider’s book Hacking Advertising, and it’s the focus of this episode. Jon draws on his... more

YouTube

What if the commercial production industry’s two biggest challenges could finally share the same mic?

In this simulpod crossover, James Keblas and Jordan Brady (from the hit podcast "Respect the Process") team up for a connected two-part conversatio... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Chris Whitten
Executive producer in brand partnerships; coach to photographers and directors
Episode: [Client-Side Conversation] How to "Stay Top of Mind" with Chris Whitten
Sophie Bell
Managing Director, Toast
Toast
Episode: Using AI as a Strategy Engine with Sophie Bell
Jon Sneider
Author of Hacking Advertising; founder of Wild Gravity
Wild Gravity
Episode: Hacking Advertising with Jon Sneider
Jordan Brady
Director in the commercial production world and owner of True Gent; runs Commercial Directing Film School
True Gent; Commercial Directing Film School
Episode: Win the Work and Do the Work with Jordan Brady
Ross MacRae
Guest expert on lead generation and cold outreach
Agency Source (and Bikini List)
Episode: Best Practices for Cold Outreach with Ross MacRae
Dani Dufresne
Founder of Aux Co (Auxiliary Company), advocate of fractional production
Aux Co
Episode: Landing Agency Clients with Dani Dufresne

Host

James Keblus
Host of Crossing the Axis

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 16 ratings
  • High Value

    As an owner of a production company this show is so useful. Great advice and relevant topics. James gets guests who genuinely add value to your day and he does a great job of getting the good nuggets out of them. Highly recommend.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Seansplace23
    United Statesa year ago
  • Pleasant Surprise

    I tuned into this show because a friend of mine was a guest on it, and turns out an acquaintance of mine was the host.

    But here’s the kicker, it’s a great show, and I’m not saying that because I know people involved. I just launched a little commercial production company last year, and I am gobbling up all the episodes as fast as I can. It’s really informative, especially for someone like myself who understands the production side of things, but is struggling to grasp the business side of thing... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Scotopia
    United States3 years ago
  • Insightful discussions

    James and Max provide great insight into the world of production and running an SMB. Much of the advice and perspective shared can even be applied to other industries. Worth a listen!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Gdswq
    United States3 years ago
  • I love audiobooks and never could get into podcast but this single episode changed my mind I will definitely be subscribing to Studio Sherpas

    Audible
    5
    dreacraftie28
    United States5 years ago
  • New convert

    I love audiobooks and never could get into podcast but this single episode changed my mind I will definitely be subscribing to Studio Sherpas

    Audible
    5
    dreacraftie28
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The format emphasizes business tactics over purely creative talk.
Host pulls practical insights from guests without hype.
Clear, actionable takeaways that apply to SMB production shops.
Guest selection consistently adds value for running and growing production businesses.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Best Practices for Cold Outreach with Ross MacRae
Q: What is the practical sequence for outreach among top accounts—should you start on email or LinkedIn?
Start with an email to lay out a tailored value proposition, then, if there's no response, initiate LinkedIn outreach after a week or two. LinkedIn is particularly effective for direct-to-brand outreach and for nurturing relationships when emails stall.
Best Practices for Cold Outreach with Ross MacRae
Q: Okay, number one, silo your prospects into key accounts, dream clients, and marketing addressable clients. Can you explain this framework and how it should be applied?
The framework prioritizes five to ten key accounts that you will pursue aggressively, followed by tier-two dream clients, with a third category for broader marketing addressable prospects. Each tier requires a different approach and level of research, with a long-term commitment to engagement rather than quick wins.
Landing Agency Clients with Dani Dufresne
Q: What should agencies look for when choosing a production partner early in a project?
Look for partners who can think beyond fixed formats, challenge the brief, provide a broad talent network, and align with the agency's style and client goals, ensuring the partnership adds strategic value from the outset.
Landing Agency Clients with Dani Dufresne
Q: How does fractional production differ from the traditional agency-plus-production bidding process?
Aux Co embeds with agencies early, helps with pitch development, and offers on-demand production expertise across multiple disciplines, allowing for more adaptable planning and execution compared to being handed a fixed plan to execute by external producers.
Landing Agency Clients with Dani Dufresne
Q: Did you start Aux Co with a chip on your shoulder, or was it about filling a gap in the industry?
Dani explains it was about recognizing a gap where creativity was being sacrificed for cost efficiency; Aux Co aims to keep creative standards high while offering affordable, flexible production support through fractional collaboration.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Crossing the Axis

What is Crossing the Axis about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A practical, business-focused discussion space for commercial film production company owners and leaders. Episodes explore how to grow and sustain client-driven studios, with a strong emphasis on outreach, relationships, and value-driven storytelling. Guests bring hands-on playbooks on direct-to-brand work, fractional production, AI-assisted strategy, and scalable systems, all aimed at helping smaller to mid-size shops win more work and deliver consistently strong campaigns. The show stands out for its actionable frameworks, candid industry anecdotes, and emphasis on long-term partnerships over one-off pitches, making it useful for listeners who run or are scaling production businesses.

Noteworthy angles include a strong tie between client... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Crossing the Axis?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Crossing the Axis:

1. Respect The Process
2. Scriptnotes Podcast
3. The Big Picture
4. The Ezra Klein Show
5. The Rewatchables

How many episodes of Crossing the Axis are there?

Crossing the Axis launched 5 years ago and published 53 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Crossing the Axis?

Recent guests on Crossing the Axis include:

1. Chris Whitten
2. Sophie Bell
3. Jon Sneider
4. Jordan Brady
5. Ross MacRae
6. Dani Dufresne

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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