LAIR, A NY-based creative content studio working across live-action, visual effects, animation, design, and post-production is comprised of directors, writers, visual effects artists, editors, and interactive digital craftsman, LAIR offers a unique blend of capabilities in a nimble, collaborative environment. Having worked with a myriad of companies–most recently with brands such as Tyson Foods, MLB Network, Bose, and UPS–Thor can offer insight on the specific best practices for creating effective, meaningful branded content across a spectrum of channels.
With over 20+ years of experience in the ad industry, LAIR founder, Thor Raxien has seen the first-hand evolution of branded content in the wake of today’s digital age. After successful ventures in his previous companies Chelsea Digital and GuerillaFX, He specifically designed LAIR to meet an evolving industry where content and content-producers both work in the new modalities, but also bring a sense of strong cinematic craft.
Thor Raxlen, Founder and Executive Creative Director at The Collective @ LAIR told DIVERGE more:
Where did the concept for Lair come from?
The Collective @ LAIR was created to meet an evolving industry where content and content-producers must always balance working in new modalities while also maintaining a strong sense of cinematic craft.
We’ve always wanted to approach making content from a holistic standpoint, meaning the filmmakers, directors, and authors would be involved in conception as well as production all the way through post and finishing. The throughline of my work is my desire for that quality to be present across the other directors we’ve added to our roster. In the beginning, as a small company, we did all of that work out of necessity, having to be more clever and versed on the latest tech for any advantage. Along the lines of asymmetric warfare, think of this as asymmetric cinema. At the onset, we were given nearly impossible tasks, but as we started to do those well, our position in the market evolved. We’re seen as clever and sharp in how we create but also artistic and cinematic in our scope.
What has your journey been like since you founded/launched Lair?
Before founding LAIR, my career began in the early 1990s in New York City where I was doing music videos, documentaries and a few other production jobs. From those projects and experiences, I carried a persistent work ethic of wanting to learn anything and everything if it meant telling stories in a uniquely different way. These days, you have to be an autodidact to be successful. As a filmmaker, if you’re an editor it makes you a better director. If you understand visual effects it makes you a better director. If you understand animation it makes you a better director. So I like to see my journey as being continuous in that way where I’m still able to bring all those versatile abilities to the table.
When we set up Chelsea Digital in 1996, post production was segmented into edit, off line and on line, music, color, etc. and we sought to integrate and marry these in one place. The goal was not only financial efficacy, but creative efficiency.
With Guerilla, my second entrepreneurial venture in 2006, my desire was to incorporate production along the same lines as we had post production. Just from working on projects over the years we could see in the post what had to be improved, and apply that to the live action production. Working this way means putting ourselves out there, but we’ve become better filmmakers because we’ve been privy to the mistakes we’ve seen in the past. So with Guerilla FX we folded in production into the model that we have already developed.
LAIR is the version 2.0 of this endeavor. We’re not just doing the impossible tasks, but creating efficiency in creativity using the tools acquired.
How has the company evolved?
In today’s digital age where technology, techniques and approaches are ever-changing, it’s always important to bring fresh faces and minds into the fold. Including myself, we now have a directorial team of eight people who have many different skills from stop-motion animation to VR. We’ve also signed a director in Chris Dealy who was formerly an Executive Creative Director at JWT, which now positions LAIR as a cross-disciplined production partner offering the whole package to brands and agencies alike.
What makes you stand out from other production companies?
I’ve been watching the industry for a long time. Although an integrated approach to production and post is the ‘idea du jour,’ there are companies popping up with a year or two of experience under their belts claiming to be “integrated.” What makes LAIR different is we’ve mastered the narrative approach, which requires an understanding of the dynamics of working with a brand versus an agency, as well as the commercial needs. It’s far from an easy or quick process, but the end result is a more efficient, collaborative creative process which ultimately translates into better work and a better working experience – whether it be content for iPhones, laptops, televisions or billboards.
One of the main things we do as a collective is work collaboratively between disciplines and the directors’ skill sets. Does it have animation but with a twist of design? Storytelling with a touch of 3D or visual effects? We can make that happen. It’s our ability to internally integrate while trying to provide the best creative approach that helps solve the client ask. In the end, we offer something that’s creative and collaborative, which is why we believe our clients continue to return.
Why is it so important to offer a “one-stop shop” for clients?
It’s not so much being a one-stop shop, but providing continuity and giving each story the author it deserves throughout the process. This model allows us to create a through-line from conception through the completion of a piece. Of course we welcome the input of our directors, editors and animators along the way, but the core creative on the job follows the work from beginning to end. That’s another differentiating factor: we like to think. All of our directors stay with a project from start to finish. You’re not have 3 separate conversation with production, effects, and editorial. It all happens in one place. Of course this mean we’re putting ourselves out there, but we take that responsibility. It’s our charge. Whatever we discuss, we want to create and execute and ultimately end up with that, as well as more, on screen.
What are your goals for LAIR for 2017?
To keep on rockin’ in the free world.
What is some of your work that you are proudest of?
There two ways of looking that. One is my personal directing work. I’ve loved collaborating with our directors on spots like Bose and Birds Eye, as well as teaming up with the folks over at History and DISH Network for some co branded magic. Even simpler projects on a limited pallet, like Oreo and UPS give me an opportunity to work with wonderful people. Straightforward as it might be, our Scream Booth was a blast. We had nothing, only a box. And with that, we made something happen.
The other answer involved my team. I love the ability to bring in talent and create a platform for sharp thinking, creative directors and help them grow, to me that’s exhilarating in and of itself.
How important is diversity to your agency?
We deeply believe in diversity of thought. In terms of creating opportunities, that’s something that also needs to be addressed within the industry. Great stories need great story tellers from every background to lend their voices and their vision. From an artistic standpoint, if you’re a good storyteller, we want to worth with you. We want everything on the table.
