Joy Factory Films owner to give TRU students the head start he never had
By: Ryan Turcot
Television commercials and online films can get pretty pricy – that’s no secret. But Nathan Froese wants to help local business broadcast videos they can be proud of, and he finds ways to make it happen on a “Kamloops budget,” as he calls it.
“With the technological revolution that’s happening,” Froese began, “we’re consistently gaining access to better and better equipment than we ever could have dreamed of 10-15 years ago.
“It’s up to us to stay ahead of the curve.”
Froese just signed up to become a mentor to TRU students, partially because he didn’t have a mentor when he started Joy Factory Films in 2010.
“I really wish I’d had someone around I could ask what seem like basic things now,” he said.
“Things like the processes for things like PST and GST, WorkSafe regulations, T4a, what sort of insurance we needed, etc.
“When you start a company you think it’s just ‘make the product, get paid,’ but there’s so much more to it than you ever realize.”
If he’s being completely honest, he didn’t really know how to work a camera at first, either:
“I left my job selling tickets for the Kamloops Blazers,” he said. “I didn’t know a thing about how to operate a camera, so my job was to run the company, find clients, and make sure the bills got paid.”
The videography was left to his business partner, Joey McGarry, who was fresh out of film school and eager to start producing.
“Joey was my film and editing school,” Froese explained. “I tried and failed, found out what worked and what didn’t, and consistently got better as time went on. I’m incredibly thankful for his patience in allowing me to evolve, and his influence can still be seen in the company today.”
Joy Factory Films still stands, five years in, and it is developing a diverse client base that includes (among others) Sun Peaks, Left Field Cider and Thompson Rivers University.
According to Froese, the company is just getting started. “We are just scratching the surface of what we’re capable of as we’re starting to make forays into animation and graphic design,” he said. “I’m hoping to hire at least one new TRU grad this summer to add another element to the company, and then continue to grow from there!”
“It’s a very stressful thing to do, starting a business, but it’s incredibly rewarding,” he said, “and I’m really excited for the future.”
“Let me help you learn where I stumbled and we’ll all be better off for it.”
