Optika, a small yet mighty team, know how to pack some punch in production

With a solid 8 years already under their belt, Optika is the little production company who could. They’ve been quietly achieving, putting their name to some impressive work for Sailor Jerry, Boss Coffee, Bisley Workwear and Witzer. Optika, a small yet mighty team, know how to pack some punch in production.

In a broadly tricky economic landscape, Optika has hit its stride in 2024, with some business growth. Optika EP, James Tyrrell has some insight into why they’re seeing momentum gather.

Says Tyrrell: “We’ve been at this for some time now. We’ve spent the better part of a decade working primarily ‘direct to client’ projects with the occasional agency bid, we’ve developed trusting relationships with some awesome brands, so the focus has been on that. We’re a small team and tread pretty nimbly, which seems to be an advantage in this current economic climate; we can move quickly and be crafty and aim to cause minimal friction. It’s working for us.”

With pinpoint focus on the work, Tyrrell hasn’t been hellbent on rapid growth in a business sense; a methodic, yet organic approach has been the theme for Optika.

“For us, the work comes first. We love producing entertaining campaigns for our clients, and the focus has always been on getting that right. I figure if the work is good and we provide a silky smooth service along the way, the momentum will build.

“I feel like we can say we’ve proven ourselves to this point. Our team has shot campaigns from all corners of Australia, to Manchester, Thailand and Singapore. Varying scales and requirements. This year, we’ve line-produced a handful of complicated productions on home soil, originating from Vancouver and New York. So our experience is relatively broad.”

Speaking on company values, Tyrrell draws on his early years in filmmaking to guide the direction of Optika: “Our ethos is based on Fearless Visual Storytelling; I grew up filming skateboarding and action sports, and it’s inherent within skate culture to be fearless. Not only in the tricks we’d be filming, but also in the way we’d capture the footage in the streets. It was raw, and energized and I like to hold onto those themes in the way we approach our commercial work. When a brand is spending good dollars on our services, It’s essential to be calculated and follow a certain formula, but sometimes it’s just as important to get your hands dirty, throw caution to the wind and go for it!

“We’ve been working with some incredible directors and photographers who really align with our ethos and I’m excited to continue finding new talent to work with.”

Longevity is a clear focus for Tyrrell and his team; as they approach 10-years in the game, it’s like things are just heating up for Optika. Tyrrell speaks of not only putting emphasis on nurturing client relationships but also valuing their crews to continue moving forward: “We’re only as good as the teams that we work with and I’ve always felt very connected with the crew. We put a lot of thought into what kind of crew we assemble for each job. We don’t always have the luxury of having full-scale TVC resources, so we’ve developed ways to produce great work in scaled-back scenarios. Putting the right people in the right places has become the recipe for working nimbly and sometimes it’s quite liberating to be moving around with less bulk. Our crews are the ones who get us to the finish line on each job, so we put a lot of work into respecting their roles and listening to their needs.”

There’s no question that current trends suggest that clients are looking at ways to produce a higher volume of content at reduced reduced costs; Tyrrell shares his perspective on this: “We definitely find ourselves working with leaner budgets and there seems to be plenty of work circulating just short what’s typically viable for a full-scale TVC. We’re getting fun briefs that are achievable and give us some room to build upon the script. Clients are getting hungrier for more outputs per dollar spent; however, we’re noticing a level of understanding from our clients now that there needs to be some compromise. We invest a lot of time advising our clients on ways to approach a brief which makes it achievable – while remaining entertaining and ultimately effective. Our goal is to edge toward healthier budgets, and more nuanced briefs, but for now – running around with a scaled-back crew is good fun!”

Optika is very much a traditional production company with a modern-twist.

But Tyrrell and the team are set on further growth in 2025: “Our intent is to continue growing over the next 12-months. But as we’ve done to this point, the work will continue to be our focus. I’d like to chase bigger projects and be bidding on more agency briefs. While the direct-to-client work is rewarding, we know the best scripts and most exciting work is embedded in the agencies, so we’d like to have more of a presence in those conversations.

“Ultimately, we want to be the best we can be at production and prove we have some pretty serious experience to the table, so working with quality creative and collaborating with excellent agency teams is what I’m putting my energy into.”