I learned the hard way, so you don't have to.

My biggest mistake was trying to figure it all out alone. While I had business mentors, none of them understood the unique chaos of running a production company. That gap cost me years of trial and error. I built these playbooks to be the exact resource I wish I had: an industry insider's cheat sheet to win more clients, increase profit, and successfully exit.

2012

SIXTYFOUR FILMS launch

At its peak, SIXTYFOUR FILMS delivered 25+ projects per month, generated seven figures in revenue, and six figures in profit. We started with $3k projects and scaled to $300k production budgets by 2019.

I co-founded the business with a shooter-editor to service the emerging social video market. At the time, most production companies ignored budgets under $100k, so we positioned ourselves around $3k–$15k projects where demand wasn’t being met.

As the business grew, I led operations and sales while my business partner owned delivery and creative standards. We built a scalable production pipeline supported by 8 full-time staff, contractors, retainers, and preferred supplier agreements with enterprise clients.

Over seven years, we went from two founders spotting an opportunity to a profitable studio with the internal capability and equipment to produce commercials and short films entirely in-house.

2019

SIXTYFOUR FILMS exit

SIXTYFOUR FILMS launched with a five-year plan to reach $1M in revenue and establish itself as a leading Australian production company. By 2017, we had surpassed that milestone and were recognised by AdNews as one of the top four production companies in Australia.

The year that followed was challenging. Despite strong performance, we were burnt out and unclear on the next phase of growth. My business partner wanted out.

With no prior exit experience, I bought my partner out and sought broker advice. The consistent message was to grow revenue to $3M–$5M to maximise value. I understood the logic, but wanted to extract value without taking on additional risk.

I took a direct approach, identifying strategic buyers who would value the team, systems, and client base we had built. After a few meetings we had two interested parties, and eventually sold to Engine Room Productions.

The year that followed was challenging. Despite strong performance, we were burnt out and unclear on the next phase of growth. My business partner wanted out.

2021

Story Machine launch

After completing transition services and taking a year off, I launched Story Machine as a hybrid production company that delivered broader range of creative services.

The operating model was intentionally lean. We ran a small core team of four full-time staff and scaled through senior contractors and specialist partners. This approach protected margins, reduced payroll risk, and allowed us to focus on larger, higher-value projects.

Within the first 12 months, we secured two key clients, each generating around $400k in revenue. Supported by additional project work, the business surpassed $1M in revenue, reaching that milestone four times faster than SIXTYFOUR FILMS.

Story Machine was built with enterprise expectations in mind from day one, with clear positioning, disciplined sales, and production systems designed to scale without relying on volume alone.

After completing transition services and taking a year off, I launched Story Machine as a hybrid production company that delivered broader range of creative services.

Story Machine was built with enterprise expectations in mind from day one, with clear positioning, disciplined sales, and production systems designed to scale without relying on volume alone.

2023

Fox & Co Australia launch

In 2022, Story Machine received a $750k USD animated film brief from the Middle East. With limited in-house animation capability, I brokered a partnership with an NZ-based animation studio to co-pitch the project and establish an Australian animation operation.

We secured $500k USD of the brief, winning two of the three films pitched, and launched Fox & Co in Australia while I continued to run Story Machine.

Leveraging Story Machine’s existing client relationships, we also delivered animation projects for Fortescue, Ausenco, and Mentos, generating over $1M AUD in revenue within eight months.

Following the successful delivery of the first two films, we negotiated a three-year contract for nine animated films, valued at $1.9M USD.

2025

Story Machine exit

After 14 years building and running three creative businesses, I decided it was time to step out of day-to-day operations and focus on applying my experience to help other creative businesses grow, while supporting brands to improve the quality and effectiveness of their marketing and creative output.

With that decision made, I prepared Story Machine for sale. This included rebranding the business, rebuilding the website, strengthening SEO and AEO performance, and beginning conversations with potential buyers.

In early 2025, I met with two US-based production company owners planning a return to Australia. They were preparing to launch a new business, Content Machine, and acquiring Story Machine offered a faster and lower-risk path to market. The acquisition gave them an established client base, a proven portfolio, and an inbound marketing engine from day one.