As marks its landmark 11th anniversary this month, 11 Dollar Bill continues to expand a business model that has enabled it to successfully serve a national client base of top agencies and brands from boutique studios in Chicago, Boulder and North Carolina. In its latest moves, the company, which provides design, editing, visual effects and finishing services, has relocated its North Carlina office from Raleigh to a modular studio in Durham and added senior editors Ian Ogden and Stephen Berger to its creative team.
Managing Partner Lisa Effress says that 11 Dollar Bill launched in 2013 with the goal of building a network of tightly integrated studios and a team of diversely talented artists capable of tackling projects across all forms of video, film, digital and social media. “We pioneered the concept of remote work before it was trendy,” she says. “Our three offices share clients and collaborate on projects across state lines. We deliver great results by matching the best talent to the project. Our new studio in Durham is a great example of why we’ve been successful. It gives us a physical presence in an important market, but it’s also designed to support remote work and flexible creative teams.”
In Durham,11 Dollar Bill occupies an expandable production studio that will allow it to quickly add resources and talent to suit individual projects. “We saw an opportunity to move into a beautiful space that gives us the ability to add rooms for live sessions when we need them while also supporting the increasing amount of remote work we do,” explains Josh Eggleston, managing director in North Carolina. “We work with clients in North Carolina and around the country, and we often team up with Chicago and Boulder, so it’s essential to occupy a space that gives us maximum flexibility.”
In Ogden and Berger, the company gains two senior editors with versatile skillsets and experience at top ad agencies, brands, broadcast networks, streamers and post houses.
Ogden, who’ll be based in Boulder, previously held staff posts with Droga5 and VMLY&R. He has also freelanced for R/GA, Hogarth, Wunderman Thompson, Bartle Bogle Hegarty, FCB, Havas Worldwide and many others. His network clients include ABC, Discovery, Nickelodeon, MTV, ESPN, Food Network and CNN. Recent credits include spots for Johnsonville, Caesars Sportsbook and Chase, as well as show opens for the NBA Finals on ESPN and Candidly Nicole on VH-1.
“Ian brings a lot to 11 Dollar Bill through the breadth of his experience and extensive client base,” says Effress. “We’ve always done a great job in attracting people who do great work and are also good people, and Ian fits that description. He is amazing.”
Having worked the past few years as a freelancer, Ogden says that he was looking for a permanent home where he would have the chance to tackle a variety of creatively challenging projects. “The people here are awesome, and I love the work they do,” he insists. “It’s exciting and a great fit.”
Berger, who’ll work from Durham, has been a top editor of commercials, music videos, short films and branded content for more than a decade, including time at the West Coast editing studios Final Cut and Cut + Run. He’s cut award-winning work for such clients as Absolut, Volvo, EA, Activision, Verizon, Microsoft, Miller Lite, BMW, Sprint, Disney, Samsung, Chevrolet and Logitech.
“The chance to bring in an editor of Stephen’s stature was very appealing,” notes Eggleston. “I also like the overlap we share in terms of directors and creative teams we’ve worked with. We come from similar backgrounds and share the same ethics. It seemed natural to have him become a part of our team.”
Berger looks forward to working with other members of the 11 Dollar Bill creative team in producing emotionally impactful work. “It’s easy for me to connect with good concepts,” he observes. “I love the feeling of taking disparate material and weaving it into something that flows and feels good.”
11 Dollar Bill has also added assistant editor Alex Hughes to its staff in Durham. His credits include the ESPN series Alex Morgan: The Equalizer, the Ron Howard documentary Pavarotti and the YouTube series Breaking the Ice with Adam Rippon.
11 Dollar Bill’s recent work includes social campaigns for Dominos and Cabot Vineyards, commercials for Colorado Lottery, California Almonds and Popeye’s, and the documentary The Last Pass at Bandimere Speedway. It also co-produced the documentary For the Living, about cyclists retracing the liberation path of a 10-year-old Holocaust survivor. The film debuts October 20 that the Newport Film Festival.
11 Dollar Bill will mark its 11th anniversary with a celebration at its Boulder studio later this month.
About 11 Dollar Bill
11 Dollar Bill is an innovative post-production studio specializing in creative design, editorial and finishing. Our internal talent and extensive creative network allow us to create custom teams tailored specifically to each project. This modular approach makes our workflow efficient, keeping us less reactionary and ready to create with you. We build lasting relationships with our clients because of the trust established by our expertise in editorial, high-end visual effects, motion graphics, 3D animation and the entire post process. 11dollarbill.com
