Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in photography but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with TJ Ferrari, Owner of Bolex Brothers, LLC., located in New York, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Bolex Studios is one of the last production companies offering celluloid videography. From Super 8 to 16mm to VHS. Our team's expansive knowledge of classic approaches brings a retro signature to every project. We create and manage high-engagement content for various agencies, fortune companies, and independent brands.

Tell us about yourself

Our core team is TJ Ferrari and Brandon Warrick. We teamed up during our undergrad years at NYU, where Brandon concentrated on Production and Journalism/Politics at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study.

I, our producer, work in narrative and documentary productions in the greater New York and Los Angeles areas. My keen, pristine eye for image enhances every project he shoots. My work has been featured on Netflix and installed in the MoMA, and I am a working director of photography. I majored in Film & TV Production at NYU Tisch School of the Arts Class of 2017 and am currently the owner of Bolex Studios based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

  • 2018: Documentary installation MoMA "Items: is fashion modern?"
  • 2019: "Made in NY Media" Credited (AMP: Program partners include the NYC
  • Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment)
  • 2022: Selected at Cannes for "Goodnight" (Short Drama co-production)

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

It is being nimble and knowing how to pivot. Having a flexible business model allows for scalability in any direction. Owning a production company is more than offering video services. We focus on franchise potential and partnerships, enabling us to access rare equipment and exclusive post-production facilities. Always be open to where your business takes you!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Own a niche. Find the craft that you are drawn to and minimize it. In 2015 I started "retro-trust," a pretty simple concept using vintage equipment instead of expensive filters. In my case, I love camera/optics, but I had no desire to write or direct. After my undergrad at NYU Tisch, I was certified as a union-trained celluloid camera operator. Now I am one of the youngest cinematographers that can load a magazine of an actual film. Perhaps a dying breed of film nerds. I then started renting vintage equipment and became known for and even developed/scanned clients' work.
  2. It is not a secret, do what you want, and the money will follow.
  3. "If you have to ask, you can't afford it." - try to live humbly, and you will never worry about your bank account.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://bbstudios.media/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bolexstudios/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bolexstudios/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bolexbrothers
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bb-studios/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.