Today we’d like to introduce you to Mitchell Thayne.
Hi Mitchell, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
At a young age, I had friends and family involved and laughing as I directed and captured epic family videos. Ask me about my High School Musical and Star Wars spinoffs (although I most definitely will not show them to you).
While growing up, I never considered myself a creative person. That all changed after graduating high school.
In 2013, I was preparing to go serve an LDS service mission in Cape Town, South Africa. While waiting, my parents bought a Nikon D3200 as the new family camera. I picked it up and started taking photos and posting them on Instagram (which was all the rage at the time). After falling in love with the process of creation I took 2 years off and went to South Africa.
After returning home, I had a friend ask me to take some photos/videos at his wedding. This was the first time I realized someone would actually pay me for what I loved to do. This quickly turned into a couple of years of freelance shooting weddings, concerts and social content for local brands.
I quickly felt like I hit a ceiling with what I could create/accomplish on my own. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and knew I needed a partner. I met Jackson Averett after he broke his hand snowboarding and needed someone to help film some projects. We quickly grew excited thinking about what we could create and decided to start a production company.
In fall 2018 we started Avenue Film Co. We quickly grew our business and worked with clients all over Utah. Once COVID hit we were approached and eventually acquired by a tech company called Route. We were tasked with building out a content/media department within the company. After a year we decided to step out on our own and once again try our hand as creative entrepreneurs.
FilmLaab, my latest dream, was established in the fall of 2021. I’m so excited to show you all what we’ve been working on.
For me, this creative journey so far has been fulfilling, but what I find the most satisfaction in is the relationships I have been able to build along the way. That is where I find most of my joy!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This has not been a smooth road! Like everyone, I have had feelings of self-doubt or anxiety about the future. Many times we have had low bank accounts and massive amounts of stress. But somehow, things have always worked out. It has been a lot of hard work, prayer, and relying on amazing people in my life to help push things through.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
FilmLaab is a film collective located in Salt Lake City, Utah that partners with forward thinking brands and creatives to produce high-quality content and meaningful experiences through film and other creative outlets. Through ideation and tireless experimentation, FilmLaab has been able to discover the formula to create an effective and visually stunning experience that elevates brands.
We also create self-initiated content, campaigns, merchandise, and other creative projects to help lift and redefine creative culture and current methods of production.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck has played a big part in my story. I was lucky to be raised in an entrepreneurially minded family who taught me to work hard, have integrity and be willing to take risks. This has shaped my mindset and helped me push forward time and time again. Also, luck was on my side when I picked up a camera in 2013. I fell in love with the process of creating a few years before it became extremely popular here in Utah. This helped put me at the front of a wave of massively talented creatives and enabled me to learn from many others along the way.
Pricing:
- Custom pricing on most projects.
- Our pricing range is usually from $5k – $50k for projects depending on the scope.
Contact Info:
- Website: filmlaab.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellthayne/
Image Credits
Spencer Routson @spencerryanphoto
