The following is an installment of SHOOT’s ongoing POV column:
For decades commercial production companies have lived inside clearly defined borders: short-form work, tight schedules, fast-turn creative problem-solving. Features and long-form storytelling were the domain of others–studios, independent financiers. But those borders are dissolving. Today, the companies that can move fluidly across storytelling lengths position themselves not only to survive the industry but to thrive.
A Shifting Creative Economy
There’s no doubt that we’re in a time of change and who’s to know what stays and evolves, and what goes the way of the Dodo. Budgets are shrinking despite the cost of living increasing. How advertisers reach their audiences is constantly changing with the “new norm” being changed weekly. From social to pre-roll to streaming to conventional cable and network. There’s no one thing. It’s the many. As the production company, we’ve traditionally created and elevated the script we’re given and the agency tends to how to reach the consumer. Great production companies have always concerned themselves with making sure that content wants to be watched by the consumer and is eye grabbing. Which is honestly the same conceit in making a film. Make something people want to see.
The evolution in how creative partnerships function, agency, brand, and production roles aren’t as neatly divided as they once were. To avoid the race to the bottom, it’s time to pivot, and stick to what production companies have always been good at–telling stories people want to see, hear, and feel. Commercial companies are the Swiss Army knife of production. We have truly seen it all– big budget, small budget, crazy fast turnarounds, insane locations, celebrities, animals, import-export restraints, etc. etc. With all this know-how, why not branch out?
The New Imperatives: Diversification, Adaptability, Flexibility
For production companies, diversification isn’t just appealing, it’s becoming non-negotiable. In the United States alone, the motion picture and video industry reported total expenses of $74.8 billion in 2022, highlighting the ongoing economic weight and opportunity inherent to moving beyond single-format thinking.
Commercial and independent filmmaking are no longer separate ecosystems. Directors today expect, and are expected, to move between formats. Agencies and brands want partners who understand narrative depth as much as they understand brand voice. And audiences increasingly demand authenticity and storytelling, beyond a 30-second punchline.
Stepping into long-form isn’t a departure from commercial expertise. It’s a natural progression of the stories we already tell. From supporting directors with a strong creative foundation, building visual-storytelling trust with audiences, and solving complex production challenges–fast.
The payoff is strategic: a more resilient economic model and a broader creative horizon.
Why Long-Form? Strategic Advantages of a Features Division
Long-form development creates opportunity, but also durability.
By that we mean expanding into features opens up what is possible for both the artists represented and the company itself. Directors can build deeper authorship and expand their voice whilst the production companies gain access to new financing streams, distribution partnerships, and long-tail revenue. So yes, it’s a business move for sure, but also an effective way of genuinely supporting the talent involved.
Alumni of the commercial production space, from Ridley Scott Associates to RadicalMedia, have proven how long-form success elevates the entire creative ecosystem. But the path isn’t simple. Development takes time. Packaging takes strategy. Financing takes partners. Maintaining commercial momentum while pursuing long-form is a balancing act. It also helps that they’ve been around a minute and have some deep pockets!
Yet, the strategic logic remains strong. When the commercial marketplace faces volatility, long-form can act as a stabilizer, not with guaranteed immediate returns, but with meaningful, lasting value. It keeps companies building, not just bidding.
Director-First, Story-Led, Future-Focused
At Tinygiant, long-form isn’t just a side project for us or a speculative distraction. It is a real continuation of who we are and what we’ve always believed in.
Directors are at their best when they can express their voice in multiple forms. We’ve seen it firsthand, Directors like Dara Bratt who produces documentary work with us, and Trevor McMahan who shot a comedic short film that spoke to a personal story. We have a feature film that we just wrapped with Doron Max Hagay. We want our directors to have the freedom to express themselves with their own stories, and strengthen their film craft in the process. Work begets work. The film world allows directors to explore new territories and then bring it back to commercials. Film directors get to enjoy a short-term commercial project to test a new DP or piece of equipment without the months-long commitment.
Our directors can pursue character and emotional truth just as powerfully in an intimate 90-second brand story as in a feature film that unfolds over 90 minutes.
This approach has already proven its resonance. Blue Heron, directed by Sophy Romvari, premiered at Locarno, where it won the Swatch First Feature Award, followed by the Best Canadian Discovery Award at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. Coming from a documentary background and with a clear interest in expanding her commercial body of work, Romvari’s trajectory underscores a growing appetite for distinctive voices emerging from varied backgrounds who can move fluidly across formats. The audience response and festival success are only the first markers that one can prosper across mediums. It’s a reminder that bold, creative voices don’t need permission to evolve, but the right support.
Our strategic choice has been to stay intentionally flexible and to scale projects thoughtfully, not rapidly. We measure success by the strength of the work and the longevity of our relationships, not by how many films we can push into production at once. Growth in long-form isn’t about chasing volume. It’s about building a continuous creative pipeline that strengthens the company, rather than stretching it thin.
Thriving Through Creative Continuity
In an era of industry flux, one truth is becoming clear to us: embracing adaptability creatively and structurally will lead the next chapter. Long-form development isn’t a reinvention. It’s an evolution. A way to ensure that directors are not boxed in by format, but empowered by it. That companies aren’t defined by constraints, but by the stories they can bring to life, wherever those stories belong.
Production companies were never meant to operate with a ceiling. The walls have already come down, and it’s time for us to walk through. Today, we have the opportunity and obligation, to unlock the full range of our creative and economic potential. The companies that will thrive aren’t the ones with the biggest slate or the longest resume. Rather, they’re the ones who recognize that audience desire for compelling storytelling is stronger than ever, and who build models that allow great storytelling to flourish.
At Tinygiant, that means betting on our talent, leaning into narrative, and treating long-form not as a departure from our commercial roots, but as the next expression of them.
Veronica Diaferia is founder/EP, Sara Eolin is partner/EP and Neil Champagne is head of development at Brooklyn, NY-headquartered production house Tinygiant
