Some founders join Creative UK cohorts because they feel they’re ready to level-up and learn new skills, but what happens when you’re already flush with experience in your sector? Are there new strings to add to your bow? According to Amanda Murray, Producer and co-founder of Ghost Dog Films, the answer to this question is a firm yes.
“I’ve worked in corporate settings, private industry and for charities. I came to work as a film producer quite late on,” Murray tells us over Zoom. “I’m now running a film and video game company in quite challenging times but because of my background, it’s really helped me relate to a number of different people,” she continues. “Not just those working within the creative industry but also on the accountancy, marketing and investor side too.”
Created with co-founder Iain Ross-McNamee, the Shropshire-based Ghost Dog Films has already experienced great success. Specialising in film and video game products focusing largely on psychological horror, the company’s research-first emphasis has helped it to excel in work that has been exported to international markets.
The team already have experience raising finance to support these efforts and yet Murray finds herself as a recent graduate of our West Midlands Create Growth Programme. So, what led to her joining this support scheme designed to help regional creative companies fine-tune their operations and better prepare for investment?
“We were at a point where we were potentially ready to do another fundraising round,” explains Murray. “We invest a lot of our income into producing new projects but there’s a balance; you must keep creating new things and making a game or a film has at least a 12-18 month development schedule – if you’re quick. So how do you leverage the funds to keep doing that? While I’ve raised investment before I wondered, ‘is there something new I can learn?’ Is there something I could be doing better?”
Another question also informed Murray’s decision, one regarding the path many female founders ultimately find themselves forced to walk. A recent report suggested that female entrepreneurs are disadvantaged in their fundraising efforts when pitted against their male counterparts. Could this be changed?
“My question to myself was: ‘could it have been quicker or easier? Could I have raised more if I’d have been a man?’” pondered Murray. “How do you develop and get better at what you do? I’m always wanting to improve because the industry is challenging and going through a lot of change. I felt like it could be a good time to learn something new.”
What’s more, being around a cohort of similarly-minded creators provided another valuable tool in a world that can often feel quite isolating. “It’s very easy to be lonely in this business,” says Murray. “It’s not a nine-to-five. You’re working seven days a week and always thinking about how you can push your business forward. It was good to meet people who are like you; wanting to learn and overcome the many challenges and hurdles.”
While Murray was already adept at raising private funding, her time on West Midlands Create Growth helped her to refine her methods for attracting investment. “It’s taught me to focus my attention on our business growth and how we can realistically achieve it. When you’re an indie, you have to do lots of roles, so it’s important to keep your eye on the prize. It’s good to focus, listen and to challenge yourself,” she says. “Through this course, I’ve also had help focusing on understanding what the companies giving grants are actually looking for.”
Her scheme-assigned mentor also helped with the company’s pivot towards A.I. filmmaking: “It has provided an opportunity for us to perhaps compete on a more democratic level in the industry than ever before,” says Murray of the positive steps made towards Ghost Dog’s new goals. “To make more games and films, be truly independent, connect with more investors and build our reputation and our brand.”
Having completed the scheme, Murray has indeed added new strings to her founder-bow while improving her company’s ability to achieve future success in a turbulent marketplace. “Knowledge is constantly changing and you’ve got to keep evolving, responding and making it work for you,” she says of this learning experience. “It’s all about being financially secure in order to make good creative choices. I do think the course has helped,” she says. “Meeting other people and seeing how they do things has given me the confidence to know that I’m on a good path. I feel more confident in myself.”
