“Unlimited Video”: How Tom Crooke Built Bobbin’s Game-Changing Production Model
Merton Chamber of Commerce had the pleasure of speaking with Tom Crooke, Founder and Director of Bobbin.
Tom shares with us the unusual way he came to start his business, the lessons he has learned through its growth and what makes Bobbin different from other production companies.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your business?
Bobbin is a full-service video production company. We create online promotional video content for a variety of clients including charities, schools, startups, and some of the world’s best-known brands including Louis Vuitton, Le Creuset, Lloyds Bank, and Penguin Random House.
What makes Bobbin unique is that we also include delivery of all the best footage from each shoot day, trimmed down to the good stuff and delivered as individual clips. This allows our clients to easily create unlimited additional content for their social media and websites, giving them literally hundreds of pieces of content from every shoot day. We’re the only video production company in the UK to provide an “unlimited video” service which also includes unlimited edits on every project and unlimited licenses to all of your content. We’re proudly Merton-based in the beautiful Merton Abbey Mills but shoot across the UK and worldwide.
How did you start the company?
I never thought I’d end up in video production. In 2012, I lost my grandad Eric to cancer while I was training to be an actor at drama school. He left me £500 and I knew I couldn’t let it disappear on rent and bills so I made an impulse purchase: a Canon 60D DSLR, 50mm lens, a battery and an SD card. Bobbin was born!
From there, I started out filming showreels for actors, which eventually led to a commercial opportunity with a high-end jewellery magazine. That experience gave me a chance to travel and build a crazy glitzy portfolio, allowing Bobbin to secure more commercial video work.
My little 60D is now retired but he’s tucked safely away at the office as a little memento of my grandad.
What do you enjoy most about running your business?
Every shoot – and day – is totally different. I love the unpredictability of it. One day, we’ll be filming at an independent school in Hertfordshire, and the next, we’re in Paris covering an art show or in Mumbai shooting lab-grown diamond reactors.
One thing I’m especially proud of is that we’ve given at least eight people their first freelance production job, helping to launch their careers in video and content creation. That makes me a bit soppy thinking about that.
What challenges have you faced since starting the business?
Balancing creative chaos with operational structure is THE challenge. The creative process can feel nuts but, over the years, I’ve worked hard to refine and systemise it – creating production methods that allow for improvisation while also ensuring everything runs smoothly.
You don’t want to turn up on a shoot day with too many fingers crossed. Equally, you don’t want to over-plan and strangle a project and lose the flexibility that makes creativity exciting.
What is your advice to other SMEs?
Listen. Really listen to your clients. Pain points are often neon signs pointing to areas for improvement, whole new services and verticals or even entirely new businesses.
Focus on removing friction. I’m incredibly sensitive to user experience issues so I constantly review our processes to make things easier for clients. Sometimes it’s wise to sweat the small stuff – they can set you apart.
Finally, embrace iteration. The mantra “say yes then figure out how” has served me well. Growth comes from stepping outside your comfort zone and learning from mistakes, not from waiting until everything is perfect.
What do you like about being a member of the Chamber?
The networking opportunities have been fantastic. The Chamber team is incredibly active in connecting businesses and I often get emails introducing me to people I wouldn’t have met otherwise. It’s great to be part of such a strong local network. We’ve loved partnering with the Chamber to host the Bobbin Breakfast Club over the last few years and The Merton Best Business Awards are amazing. If you invest in the Chamber, it really invests in you.