Insight
Simon Case
Last week we launched Harkenn, a sister company to Chromatic that makes films for aerospace, automotive, engineering and marine firms. Since then, plenty of people have asked us the obvious question. Why would a brand agency start a film company?
A problem worth solving
The answer starts with Chromatic's clients. We build brands for engineering, professional services, and technology-led businesses, and much of our work is about turning complex offerings into stories people understand and remember. But our technology and engineering clients kept running into the same problem when it came to telling those stories on film.
A new aircraft or ship often exists only as CAD data until late in development, so a camera has little to work with.
The film also has to work for two audiences at once. It must be accurate enough for the engineers watching, who will spot any mistake straight away, and it must tell a story that holds the attention of everyone else in the room. Until now, the choice has been between expensive filming, a CGI build that compromises on quality or generic footage that falls short for both audiences.
Built from the specification
We realised there had to be a better way, so we built our own AI-first production platform with co-founder Craig McDonald. It starts with the engineering specification, so accuracy is there from the first frame, and it runs each project from brief to delivery in one place. The platform keeps every asset for the next film, so each new project starts further ahead than the last. Our writers and directors then turn that accuracy into a story people want to watch.
Two companies, one way of thinking
We could have added film to Chromatic's services, but a studio built on its own software is a different kind of business. It needs different skills and works to a different rhythm. In time, the platform could also serve other studios and agencies, and that deserves its own company.
The two still sit naturally together. Chromatic works out what a brand stands for and how it should look and sound. Harkenn carries that brand onto the screen, with every component true to the specification. Clients can work with either company or both, and Chromatic keeps the same team and focus.
A natural next step
We have always believed good brands make human connections, and film is one of the most powerful ways to make them. Harkenn means clients with the most complex products can now have films that are as accurate as they are compelling.
If you'd like to talk through what that could mean for your business, let us know when you're free so that we can catch up.