We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Patrick Ortman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Patrick below.
Patrick , so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
I’m usually the only person who looks like me in the room. I’m not talking physicality and appearance, although that’s sometimes true. It’s more about who I am. I love telling stories. I don’t easily fit in predefined boxes. My first agent was all “what kind of a director are you, choose one from this list…” And don’t get me started on agencies. Ad agencies can be like: “We need a comedy video about a penguin suffering from insomnia. All we see from you is a duck who suffers from gas.” And God help you if you dare to cross truly big boundaries. Which, you should as often as you can.
I say lean into it. Whatever “it” is. Lean into it hard. I’ve gotten to do things I never would have if I let others dictate my lane. You’ll never regret being you.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I run Froth & Fur. We’re a collective of mad scientist storytellers who make lots of stuff, mostly video content of some kind. We make it for screens that fill stadiums to screens that fit in your pocket… and everything in between. We do a lot of commercials, brand films, original entertainment- typical production company stuff. But we’re also a creative studio that makes things like 3D billboards, immersive XR/AR stuff, and so on. We’re basically nerds who love to tell stories.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Our country is going through stuff. So I’m making an extra effort to look at people in a kinder, more compassionate way. I mean, I’m passionate. I care deeply about my community, my work, and my art. But life is short. That guy who cut you off on the 101? Maybe his kid needs him right now and he’s worried about her. That jerk at Ralph’s? Maybe she’s going through a breakup. You don’t know. Even if they really do suck, is it worth getting amped up over mostly petty b.s.? I don’t think so. We’ve got much bigger things to do right now. Number two is learning to bring that kindness and compassion to yourself, too. Three: I’ve been trying extra hard to find the humor in the situation. There almost always is some. It helps!
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
To me, the best client relationships are where you can build trust between you and the client. If you create trust, the work will turn out better than either of you could imagine. You’ll have that easy back-and-forth. It’s not a grind, it’s you helping someone solve a problem. That’s where I try to be, but it’s not every client and that’s ok. I also try to get a feel for how a client likes to work. Sometimes they want you to run the show. Other times they want you to be more of a midwife of sorts to their ideas. Either way’s fine.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.froth-fur.com/los-angeles-video-production-companies
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frothandfur
Image Credits
Images by Geoffrey Dunne, Brandon Balin, and Patrick Ortman
