Shanghai, China. Gustavo Karam Co-Founder and Executive Producer & Chris Colman Executive Producer at Final Frontier
What has been the Final Frontier’s secret of success?
On one hand, we strive for quality in everything we do and we don’t compromise on that. It’s not just the work we ultimately put out, but also the process we work with from the earliest client presentation right through to delivery. We are constantly refining and improving that process, and we never break away from it, even if that might not always be the ‘easiest’ thing to do in the short term. In tandem, I think we took the leap to open in China where no-one else dared, and I think that boldness has brought us a lot of opportunity.
Do you accept all the projects or have you rejected productions?
I guess you could say we are picky, and maybe that’s part of the reason we have enjoyed some success. We always seek to make something that stretches us creatively, or that we can proudly share with our peers. If for whatever reason – whether it is time, budget, creativity – that isn’t possible, we are less inclined to take that project. It means we don’t drain time and resources chasing the field mice, and keeps us free to hunt the antelope.
When you see a production of yours that is already on air, do you feel that desire to change something?
We try not to look back. Of course it’s easy to think if we just had that bit more time, or that bit more budget, a project could have been that bit better. But the nature of the business is that you make the best possible piece that you can under all the circumstances and we operate in a way that means we come away from productions knowing with confidence that we have done exactly that. We learn lessons for sure, but we don’t waste time wishing things could have been different.
Are there still a lot of clichés in advertising?
Undoubtedly.
Are clichés in advertising bad?
It’s not for us to say if they are ‘bad’. If clients feel it serves them, then that’s their call. All I’ll say is that we love it when a client comes with an open mind, looking to make something that hasn’t been made before. Animation is by nature a medium that allows you to create absolutely anything you can imagine, and we love it when a client comes with that attitude.
For creative agencies, is it profitable to hire production companies in China?
Yes, if they hire Final Frontier, haha.
What is this differential that makes Chinese producers unique?
I don’t know if there is any particular differential that runs throughout all the China-based production companies versus the rest of the world. I just know that Final Frontier is pretty different from the others, and we like it that way.