has its advantages in the world of video production? TW: I don’t mean to come across like a micromanager, but it’s hard for me to let go sometimes. With film production for instance, I enjoy the whole process. I love being behind the camera for the shoot, but it’s also beneficial to the project that way. If I wrote something, I know the way I want it shot – it saves time. I’ve been brought in to write for other production compa- nies, for instance. I’ve worked on a lot of projects for things like Kelley Blue Book, Autotrader and IHG Hotels to name a few. I’ve written videos for those companies and even though all I have to do is write it and hand it in, I still prefer to go down to the location the day of the shoot just to be a part of the process. To write something and then see it come to life and take on meaning for other people – there’s a lot of enjoyment in that for me. Atlanta has earned the nickname ‘Hollywood of the South’ in recent years. How has this transplanted industry impacted Terebinth Tree? TW: It’s definitely booming. Last year I believe it was a $9 billion year for the Atlanta and Georgia film industries. It’s been escalating for the past 10 years but feature films and TV doesn’t necessarily equate to a lot of work for me. I’m more on the producer-writer-director-side and when studios come here for productions they usually have all that dialed-in and set. I’m also not crew; I’m not out there working lighting or grip or jobs like that on set. In other words, I don’t get a lot of business from the business that’s coming here. What it does give me is a lot more resources. I grew up in this area and there was no film industry to speak of here to encourage me to go that direction. Now there’s whole generation of kids here who clamored to film schools who are looking for extra work to build-up their portfolios . Does Terebinth Tree stayed grounded in the Atlanta metropolitan area, Tommy? TW : No, we also work out-of-state. Earlier this year I went to Kansas to shoot a professional speaker and then edited his demo reel from that. That wasn’t a full-scale production with a crew by any means but it’s something we offer. But we mostly do work here in Atlanta. Aside from political ads we get a lot of industrials. We’ve been working with a public relations company that represents a lot anesthesiology groups across the Georgia and across the nation. We’ve also done work for Grate Chef Grill Products and Fabritex steel manufacturing, among others. When it comes to pro- ducing videos like promotional pieces for local broadcasts and websites and instructional films for B-to-B purposes, we have a national and a regional reputation for quality. Aside from your video production examples found at terebinthtree.com, how do you communicate your process and your product to prospective clients? TW: I tell people that I like to shoot for profound. Everybody,
of course, wants to create something profound, but what I mean is profound through simplicity. A truly profound piece of art, whatever it might be, has got to be basic but has to communicate. The simplest version of anything is usually the purest. It makes people look at it and wonder if there’s something deeper the very first glance. Branding, giving a company an image, across the board – I mean from marketing needs, to logos and banners on a website, to trucks out on the road – is something I really enjoy. I get a lot out of working with companies and giving them exactly what they’re looking for. Alongside your profile on the Terebinth Tree homepage is the profile of a young drummer and percussionist – and Audio Engineer-in-training – by the name of Tré Wood. Can you please introduce Tré to the Spotlight on Business readers? TW: Tré is my son and he’s starting his third year in college. He’s an excellent writer and an amazing musician. It’s my hope that his involvement in the company will give him a chance to really explore his creative side. He’s really immersed himself in his writing; he’s written an entire album that he is nearly done with. I know the time is coming when I need an original score that I’ll be able to turn to him. There’s a lot of potential for him that way. He’s also written three screenplays and we’re writing one together currently – and he’s just 20. He’s going to keep chasing the rabbit and becoming an even more vital component and I’m proud of him. Any milestone this company has reached over the past few years – like 15 or so – it’s been a bit of a roller coaster getting there. I had one friend tell me, ‘If I had have done what you did, my wife would have left me by now,’ but my wife has been awesome. She is along for the ride and she kind of knew what she was getting into – for the most part. Please visit terebinthtree.com for more information about design and video production services. For more informa- tion about Bootlikker Hot Sauce, please visit bootlikker.com and join the email list! Orders can be placed at Amazon. com. ‘Grilling Bobby Hicks’ is available to stream online for US subscribers of Amazon Prime Video
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NOVEMBER 2018 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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