In & Out Productions: Coming of Age Whilst Defying Gravity

A lot can happen in 18 years. If In & Out productions was a person, it’d be considered a fully-fledged adult. Yet, the business is still characterised by the lightness of spirit and enthusiasm of a company in its first few months of existence. 

It's come a long way since 2005. Beginning with only a few directors, In & Out now finds themselves celebrating and representing an array of filmmaking talent. 30 directors strong, In & Out has become an international name; but the development has been exponential in more ways than mere numbers. “We’ve grown in size, but way way more in experience,” beams founder and EP, Frida Sellar. 

Creative Edge 

Reflecting on how being a Hispanic and women-owned business has influenced the kind of company they have become today, Frida notes, “our business started with smaller markets and so we learned to manage challenging projects and budgets from the beginning.” These challenges were fertile soil for producing creative solutions, regardless of the obstacle size — “we’re not afraid of the load nor the type of work.” It's exactly this kind of fearless attitude that has made In & Out a business that has endured. 

Having Miami as a main office base has been a blessing, according to Frida - providing proximity to both Europe and Latin America at once; “I love that we’re in the middle of all these places, and Miami itself has its own charm and specialities,” she says.  

Lessons

For Frida, the lessons are simple: “Worry less, because when you do what you love and you work hard for it, everything else falls into place.” It’s an uncompromisingly simple message, but one that we could all take heed of in a world of over-complications. 

There is an incredible amount of work that could be reflected on, but Frida has a few clear contenders for top spot when she reminisces on the stand-outs. One such example is a Powerade spot that was shot on a zero gravity plane, making it an entire experience in and of itself. Meanwhile, a Toyota Corolla Cross project with Aubrey Fisher was pure fun because of the playful choreography and the special equipment used. 

A memorable Mountain Dew spot is also up there with Frida’s favourites. Being filmed during the pandemic, the team were tasked with making the middle of Florida resemble Pakistan. Whilst it was no easy feat, they availed of a vast repertoire of tools and VFX to ensure a believable result. 

Being both Hispanic and women-owned has also made the business one determined to work as a team without boundaries. For Frida, it has actually given them an advantage, “speaking multiple languages has given us the opportunity to work internationally”, she notes. During the company's lifetime, Frida explains that whilst at the beginning the industry was starting to be more inclusive of both Hispanics and female talent, it is now a firm reality. 

Frida’s tone and perspective is enlivening. There is a clear air of hope when she speaks about where we currently find ourselves as an international community. “For our children, there are no differences in sexes or ethnicities. This new generation can see that we are a big melting pot and advertisers have a lot to learn from them.”

Defying Gravity 

In & Out productions is renowned for taking on any challenge. From standard productions to the outright crazy. They refuse to shy away from shooting atop volcanoes spluttering with lava nor filming on planes. But such shoots are not the only way the company defies gravity. It’s in the way it refuses to allow preconceived notions of limitations to restrict it. Instead the team utilises their differences as strengths, forming a business and culture filled to the brim with idiosyncrasies that make them capable of overcoming any hurdle. And to do so supported by a mentality of optimism. 

Now that is the stuff of levitation.