Matt Samperi and Andrew Seaton are the Founders of Mint Films, a Sydney-based production company that produces TV commercials for global brands and advertising agencies. They’ve worked with brands like Woolworths, Bunnings, CommBank, Amazon, VW, and TAB. Since 2008, Mint Films has consistently produced high-quality commercials and films, whilst still keeping things fun and enjoyable.
For more details, visit their website here.
Here we sit down with Andrew and Matt to learn a bit more about their journey as entrepreneurs.
Q. What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Andrew: Matt and I never had aspirations of being entrepreneurs. Rather we found ourselves with a passion to do something creative and built our business around this passion. For 15 years now we’ve been creating engaging work for a wide range of clients and loving every minute of the varied, challenging, and creative work we do.
Q. How did you get started?
Andrew: Matt and I started making films together in school. We’d use MiniDV camcorders and shoot makeshift films with our mates. We had a passion for the artistry, technology, and process of making films.
In 2008, we were both studying at University, I was studying Media Arts and Production and Matt was studying Digital Media. At the same time, we were both working in the film and television industry in various capacities. I was working in art departments on TV shows and commercials and Matt was working in camera departments and production roles too.
We continued making our own work together too. We were early adopters of the Canon 5D Mk II and so were able to create high-quality video content on a nimble camera system that was a fraction of the price of the other high-end cameras on the market. It was using this new technology that got us our first commercial client, Barilla Pasta. As two 19-year-olds, we were blown away by the fact that we were going to get paid to do something we enjoyed so much.
We quickly needed to form a business to properly address the needs of our new client. We formed the partnership and haven’t looked back since. Our client list grew, doing work for direct clients and then through advertising agencies like M&C Saatchi. Once we moved into our Glebe production offices we started to grow more rapidly. We brought on a full-time producer, Nick Mutton, who after years of working as a contractor now expertly took over the day-to-day producing roles. This freed up Matt and I to focus on the creative side of projects and overarching strategic goals.
Our inspiration behind the business sprung from our passion for filmmaking. We loved what we were doing and were lucky enough to turn a hobby into a career. We were inspired by wanting to have an entity to continue to gain more commercial work whilst also having the freedom to create our own work. In this industry, you either make your own projects or work on someone else’s, and we loved the idea of creating our own work.
Q. What was your biggest startup challenge? What steps did you take to overcome it? What did you learn?
Andrew: We started our production company when we were 19 and faced many challenges, the main one being our youth. We were seen as too young and inexperienced to take on larger, more challenging jobs. Instead of shying away from this, we leaned into our youth as a strength and our freshness became one of our key selling factors. Some clients resonated with this and saw our youth and energy as a positive but others still saw it as a hurdle.
For those who were sceptical, we pushed hard to illustrate how, despite our age, we would be able to deliver. This was generally about taking on smaller projects and executing them at a higher standard and quality than a client ever expected. Going above and beyond to demonstrate that our youth wasn’t a bad thing.
As our business has grown and changed, we’ve had to deal with our perception within the industry. We’ve gone from fresh-faced filmmakers to quite a bit older but far more experienced. We’ve worked hard to educate our existing clients in the ways our production company has evolved. We’ve taken the time to illustrate to these existing clients the ways we’ve matured and grown as a business, showcasing the breadth and quality of work we are creating.
Q. What is the most memorable thing you’ve done since you started your business?
Andrew: There have been many memorable moments for our business; celebrating over fifteen years of business, growing and achieving financial milestones in terms of annual turnover, and getting to film in amazing locations across Australia. We’ve also worked with incredible artists and actors like Miranda Tapsell, Richard Roxbrough, and Matt Nable. We’ve filmed with sports stars like David Warner, Steph Gilmore, Glen McGrath, and Brad Fittler. We’ve collaborated with comedians like Merrick Watts, Sam Simmons and Hamish & Andy, as well as international stars like Jamie Oliver, Bryan Callan, and Bruce Buffer.
One of the most memorable successes since starting the business was shooting a high-end commercial in Los Angeles. We secured the job with a long-standing client and went across to America to shoot one of the biggest commercials we’d ever produced. With a crew of 50, 100 extras, horses, a marching band, and a Hollywood backlot set, we created a commercial for a US audience which definitely whet our appetite to find work beyond our current market.
Q. What is one book you recommend, and why?
Matt: It’s maybe a bit of a cliché answer, but Richard Branson’s “Screw It, Let’s Do It” is a classic. You have to hand it to the man – he has a vision, and he’s willing to work hard and take risks to see it happen. As a business owner you’re constantly faced with the gap between where you are and where you want to be. This book, at the very least, will inspire you to dream bigger and take that next step.
Q. What are your top 3 favourite online apps, tools or resources and what do you love about them?
Matt: We run our whole server on Dropbox, which has been a game-changer. Up until recently, they offered unlimited space, which as a media business was huge for us. We’ve found ways to make it work really well across the board – from backing up our projects to providing a quick and simple way to send exports to clients, even down to sending receipts to our accountant.
Probably equally as important to us is the Adobe Creative Cloud suite. We love that they’re constantly updating the apps, and that you have access to so many creative tools with one subscription. The third notable online tool would have to be Google Workspace. It hosts our emails really effectively, but also gives us extra storage space and capabilities across its suite of online tools.
Q. In terms of legacy, what is the mark you’d like to leave on the world?
Andrew: We want to be known for three main things. One, amazing quality. We pride ourselves on ensuring the quality of our work is world-class. Two, experience. We want people to recognise that we’ve run Mint Films for fifteen years now, so we have seen most things and little phases us now. We bring this experience to each production we work on. Third, a good time. We love doing good work with good people.
The process of making commercials can be nerve-wracking; tight deadlines and even tighter budgets make for some stressful moments, but we think it is important to enjoy what it is you are doing and believe this is reflected in the work. If the client has enjoyed themselves during the experience of producing work with us, then chances are they will return for more.
Q. In one sentence, what’s the best advice you’d give to someone just starting out on their entrepreneurial journey?
Andrew: Do what you love, surround yourself with the best people (who you also enjoy spending lots of time with), communicate effectively, don’t be afraid to fail, take chances, and stay unique.
To keep up to date with Andrew and Matt’s journey, connect with them on Instagram.
