Fivestone Entertainment is the entertainment marketing and branding company for F.A.S.T. Channels (Free Ad-supported Television). Based in Oklahoma City and Burbank, Cali., they also supply the biggest studios and brands with engaging main title design and dynamic color correction.
Can you tell us how and why you started your business?
Great question, let me start with the “why.” I worked on several productions, was staffed at a few agencies and witnessed the mistreatment of others as people clamored their way to the top. I had a lot of drive and just enough naiveté to think I could serve clients better while creating a different type of work environment.
As to the “how,” I continued working as a freelancer by day and built Fivestone Entertainment at night. Throughout those first couple of years, there was a lot of hustle, a little luck and an opportunity that truly changed the trajectory of my company.
It came shortly after I decided to stop freelancing and fully commit to building our dream. We had just won our first big project with a huge production company. At the time I was working out of my home office… before that was en vogue. Our firstborn was a week old when I got a call that the one of the biggest reality producers was coming to “my office” to oversee the project. Sheepishly, I gave his assistant the address to my condo, and she informed me he would be there in 15 minutes. Freaked out, severely sleep-deprived and covered in baby goo, I ran across the street to the 7-11 to get their “finest” bottle of water and some snacks. I used the remaining four minutes to pray that Fivestone wasn’t over before it really started. Needless to say, it all worked out.
Jump cut 15 years and that working relationship has continued to flourish. As the exec transitioned from production company owner to studio head, we continued to win his business, including branding a new TV network. Heck, he even deemed himself the unofficial Godfather to our third child.
What services do you provide within the film/music industry?
Our areas of expertise fall across three main verticals:
1.) F.A.S.T. Channel branding & design, including TV trailers and promos.
2.) UHD/4K color correction and finishing.
3.) Series main title design, graphic packages, explainer animations and maps.
How has your company grown to meet the needs of Oklahoma’s film and/or music industries over the last 3-5 years?
The Oklahoma film scene has exploded since the early 2000’s. As more productions have filmed here, we saw there was a need for 4K/UHD finishing services. Fivestone took our years of color correction experience within the docu-series and title design space and expanded it into feature-length and TV series finishing.
What are the benefits of basing your company’s operations in Oklahoma?
No smog, no traffic, lots of parking…. I could go on. But in all seriousness, it’s the people. Oklahomans are some of the most passionate and genuinely friendliest people I have ever met within the entertainment industry.
What would you consider your business’s greatest accomplishment to date?
Wow… that’s a tough question. I think we all get into this business because we believe stories matter. They shape culture, entertain and can influence change for the good. To that end, we’ve used our storytelling abilities and finances to alleviate injustices in the U.S. and around the globe. Rescuing women and children out of human trafficking by partnering with Treasures and Sosa and building wells in Sub-Sahara Africa, providing fresh drinking water to more than ten thousand people are a few of the things we are most proud of.
Are there any recent successes your company would like to highlight related to work within the Oklahoma film and music industries?
Absolutely! Partnering with Red Clay Studios and Director Cassidy Lunnen, we ran post on the University of Tulsa’s fall recruitment commercial. According to the TU marketing team, the spot has “outperformed all creative for the TU undergraduate student admissions marketing campaigns.”
Internationally speaking, working with Fremantle and Jamie Oliver Productions, we branded the celebrity chef’s own 24-hour food channel. The Jamie Oliver Channel won the 2023 single Brand FAST Channel of the year by TBI and MIPCOM Cannes!
What are you working on now/next?
We have several projects releasing in 2024. The next one I can talk about is “What Would You Do’ with John Quiñones” (no relation). All episodes of the new season are now available on Hulu and ABC.com. Working alongside Nomad Entertainment and ABC News, we gave the new season a fresh branding package.
What is your goal/vision for the future of your company?
What I am looking forward to most is raising up the next generation of storytellers and artists. We’ve already taught several classes in promo marketing and short-form storytelling and are excited to grow that community over the next several years.
What advice do you have for others who are considering starting a film or music business in Oklahoma?
Get connected to local industry networking groups. Business is born out of relationships and there are a lot of great people with amazing opportunities here… but you have to get to know them first.
What opportunities do you believe await Oklahoma’s film/music industry in the future?
I am optimistic about the direction of film and TV in Oklahoma. We’re already seeing Hollywood’s best come here to utilize our unique landscapes and generous incentives. With continued support from state and local governments, I believe that Oklahoma could be the next big media hub.
Each featured individual or business is given the provided questions to answer in their own voice. Other than formatting and grammar, the answers are personal to each featured voice, and are not provided by the Oklahoma Film + Music Office.
