CUSTOMER STORY • 22 AUGUST 2023 • 4 MIN READ

808 Ltd. - Visual effects studio brings vision to life with Beany

A banner showing owner Scott of 808 Ltd and title of article

SECTIONS

Meet Scott, the man behind 808 Ltd.

Barriers and paint points

Scott's experience with Beany

Tips for other business owners

What’s next for 808 Ltd?

Meet Scott, the man behind 808 Ltd.

New Zealand has been associated with its success in the film industry for some time. So much so, that it’s one of the three topics any Kiwi who ventures overseas will inevitably come across - rugby, sheep, and the Lord of the Rings. We’ve had the exciting opportunity to chat with highly experienced visual effects specialist Scott Chambers and discuss his company, 808 Ltd.

The company provides extensive visual effects services out of the famous Cuba Street area in Wellington. Whether it’s adding environmental effects or explosions, assisting in rig setups, fixing errors in post-production, or assisting with makeup and costume, 808 helps filmmakers both local and international. Scott uses his 20+ years of experience at world-leading studios to lead a team of talented VFX artists as they deliver high-quality, creative results for their clients.

The idea was born from a desire to fill what Scott felt was missing in the industry - a visual effects company that comes with the artist’s perspective, rather than a larger corporation. Scott explains, “The desire for 808 was to try and pare that down a little bit, and have that artist-owned company. The feedback we've heard from clients is that's really what they're looking for as well.”

Barriers and paint points

When asked about what he finds his biggest challenge, Scott outlined what he calls the “3 P’s”.

Finding the right people
Building a pipeline
Getting the projects

To Scott, these are all equal in both importance and difficulty, as they put together the overall infrastructure for his company. Doing all aspects of the company himself requires both a diverse skill set and a keen eye for detail. As a business owner who wears multiple hats, Scott manages everything from client relations to putting a team together for each job. However, this ‘DIY’ approach is something he considers worthwhile doing.

“Being able to know my company's infrastructure from the inside out, I think, is quite important.”

Part of his approach in finding the right people meant Scott needed someone to help with tax and accounting. This mindset is ultimately what led him to Beany. “Being with Beany is big because I'm terrible at tax. I find it pretty confusing…I'm quite diligent and careful with planning, but accounting has always been a bit of a minefield. So even though I'm doing a lot myself, Beany has been really helpful”. With the financial aspects of his business sorted, Scott is free to dedicate himself to his clients and their projects.

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Scott's experience with Beany

Despite having experience filing GST returns and expense deductions, for Scott, there’s always more to learn. With Chantal as his personal accountant, he’s been able to have all his questions answered. “She's so positive and friendly. I've sent her a lot a lot of messages and she's very timely about getting back to them, which has been fantastic.” Coding his expenses and learning how to use Xero were learning curves Chantal was able to walk him through.

Having been a sole trader in the past, Scott has worked with accountants before. “I've had experience with accountants in the past who feel like everyone should know what they know, while being expensive and a bit aloof. I definitely have felt like I'm just this little small fry in the corner that hasn't had a lot of support.” However, working alongside Chantal has been a completely different experience. “With Beany, it's been so good to have support. For me, having the ability to just reach out whenever - I can call them, or send an email, and there’s a response really fast. That is the difference with Beany which has been really good.”

Beany’s accessible service extends to the support desk, which was there to answer his questions. “I also like the fact that if she doesn't pick it up, someone else will, which is great. There's definitely a thread there, that the other person on the line can see my history and know what's going on.”

There was a lot to cover in the early days of 808. “I asked a lot of questions, but Chantal was so kind and helped me through. It’s that initial period of ‘what do I do?’”, Scott recalls. “After a while, things start slotting into place, which I have to get to - but it's still part of learning and it's part of the fun.” Beany’s personal and friendly approach to service has helped Scott learn more about the financial side of his business, focus on 808, and maintain a work-life balance, all at the same time.

“It's been so good just to have friendly support through this process - someone who knows what it's like to start something up, and then provide the right support. For me, it’s about having the ability to reach out whenever.”

Tips for other business owners

As someone very passionate about the industry, Scott is eager to help young professionals grow. “We want the next generation to come through. I’m more than happy to share what I’ve learned with the younger teams.” He provided the following tips:

When starting out, you've got to be a person that enjoys - at least or can stomach - wearing multiple hats. If you really hate certain things, it can be so tough because you’ll either not get very far, or have to start spending a lot of money paying people to do it. You could run into trouble pretty quick.
Some people talk about making big goals and trying to hit these numbers up in the air, but I really believe in just going as hard as you can with what's in front of you. Have a little bit of planning, get the foundations right, and treat people right. Enjoy this sort of journey. It’s going to be both really tough and really great. Keep your head together and don't overextend too much.
Expect the unexpected. It'd be quite easy to get a big job with some pretty decent money and just spend it all. Have some sort of backup or be able to run things quite lean. You don't want to start making decisions on the back foot, or when you’re desperate. You need to put yourself forward and make the right decisions, not be trapped by the fear that you need to do something or everything's going to crumble.
Money can control you in a nervous, panicky way, and it can control you in a surprising, exciting way. Keep calm, with your head down, and you can pop your head up in five years or ten years and say ‘Okay, you know, I’ve got some money behind me. I can take that out.’ It's just about knuckling on with the work.

What’s next for 808 Ltd?

Based on his tips for success, it’s no surprise to hear Scott is focused on keeping the foundations of his business flowing, a process he describes as “building a plane while you’re flying it.” This means finding the right people and equipment for each client’s specific needs. “When we get a job that's slightly bigger than last time, we need an extra person, and that means we need some more hardware or another computer.”

"We always keep our mind to our baseline, and how our foundation is looking. We always look at our reserves from each job, with our focus on taking it further and building upon it."

Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Scott! We look forward to seeing what you have in store.

You can find Scott at 808ltd.co.nz

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