The entertainment industry in India has always yielded talented individuals who have made a profound impact on the world and have marked their place in the hearts of their audience.
The following interview highlights a similar individual and his story about passion, persistence, integrity, and success.
Below is the detailed interview with Reuben Janet Ellis, the Proprietor of Reuben Ellis Films.
Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a regular 9 to 5 job?
I decided to be an entrepreneur because I believe in ‘freedom of creativity’ and if I chose the 9-5 job, I wouldn’t have the freedom to experiment and explore, and that is what I am successfully doing as an entrepreneur.
Tell us more about Reuben Ellis Films.
Reuben Ellis Films is a Mumbai based Film/Stills production company founded in 2018. I was working as a freelancer for brands and clients in the earlier stages until the company was founded. Until today, have shot for more than 10 top notch brands like Amazon, Hershey’s, Reliance, Steve Madden and many more; we also deal in photoshoots/still photography and we have shot with multiple brands and celebrities in the process.
What challenges have you faced as an entrepreneur? How did you overcome them to establish yourself and the company?
In the earlier years I started out as a Photographer and also have learnt a lot being a student of filmmaking (Cinematography) in Whistling woods International. My college seniors Debasish and Sunayna have been the supporting pillars in my journey and work. Debasish is the one person I really look up to, he has always been my guiding force and he was the reason I have been a part of certain big projects like Amazon, Voot, etc.
Moreover, since I started out at a very young age and when clients used to approach me on the basis of my work, they used to be apprehensive whether I could deliver the content being just in my teens but with the grace of Jesus I did give my best to the clients, and since then I have been working with them.
How do you lead your company and help it sustain in a competitive environment?
In every industry the main challenge is to sustain. We, at Reuben Ellis Films, have certain ideals like providing Quality over Quantity, picking the correct projects and client, and also provide more than expected results. We aim in fulfilling the above-mentioned ideals, and since there’s a lot of competition we try to stay updated on trends and tech from our side so that we could offer our best to the clients.
What is that one aspect or emotion that drives you at work or keeps you motivated?
My passion towards Filmmaking and Photography has been driving me towards waking up with the hope of doing something better and different every day, My Mom, Dad, and grandparents have been my biggest motivation and support system in this process. People nowadays are afraid of venturing into this industry but my parents/grandparents and uncle on the other hand have supported me and availed me with the resources to go ahead and achieve results for my work.
As a business leader, what is your opinion on the current landscape of business given that the pandemic has been adversely affecting every industry.
I’d say the pandemic has affected a lot of industries, but as time doesn’t stop for anyone, so doesn’t the industry and creativity, yes, due to the pandemic our movement and interaction was surely restricted but that didn’t stop us, in fact we used it creatively and started doing online shoots, so online shoots are an entirely different ball game, where the whole process is shifted to a mere video call, it somewhat lacks personal touch but that was the trend. I did a lot of online shoots during lockdown and one of my photos was even used in an magazine (Cosmopolitan India). So, I personally feel if there’s a will to work and stay creative, there will always be a way – just that you have got to tap into it.
Social Media is an inseparable part of the daily life of youth. What are your thoughts about it and how do you leverage its power for the company?
Yes, social media is an inseparable part and it’s not just that, social media is actually helpful in building up your work profile to portray it to your audiences and being from this industry it is necessary to put out your work for people to see it, it also helps in connecting and building work relationships, for instance the brands approach you on Instagram or LinkedIn and vice versa.
The social media platforms have their pros and cons too, pros in which my work can be directly accessed by brands/audiences and they can approach me, and cons being that there’s is an increase in competition. But looking at the bigger picture, it is really a boon to help promote your business and connect with clients.
What are your future objectives and where do you see yourself in near future?
As a filmmaker, I plan on making films for large scale audiences and also plan to create content which could motivate independent filmmakers out there. I plan on creating films rich in our culture and tradition that can be released on local and international platforms/film festivals. I even plan on creating documentaries and awareness content for orphanages and the lesser privileged, for example we had created a documentary for St. Stephens Church (Bandra) for its 175 years anniversary about its outreach programs and it was even screened in a theatre during the event.
