The 2017 Innovation Fund, our annual crowdfunding competition, has officially launched! You can find all of the Innovation Fund participants here. Read on for the story of Pollo Con Leche, a full-service production company that creates branded films, created by Jonathon Galpern ’14 and Austin Crouse ’14.
Satisfy your video craving.
This all started by accident. Early in our fellowship, I got to know Jon, my co-founder, through movies. We went with our friend Katherine up to the Prytania Theatre, a one-screen, 100-year-old cineplex in uptown New Orleans. First flick we saw? Boyhood. Then we saw Birdman. Then we debated (and still do) which is a better movie (they’re both perfect). Since then, we’ve been kicking around script ideas and talking about making the leap into filmmaking ourselves.
We both worked at startups. Jon was working at Iconic, a healthy protein drink company that grew from just a few shops in the city into a national brand. I was and still am at 4.0 Schools, a non-profit education incubator that invests in new education ideas. We constantly saw ideas die on the vine because they didn’t have a compelling story. Even in my niche, education, I’m consistently surprised by how much a clear story can elevate a nascent idea.
So, last year, when our friend and fellow Fellow Billy Schrero asked us if we were interested in filming a gig for his company, it all clicked. There was a way to combine our love of movies with our work in startups. We took the gig and, from there, have been referred from client to client, learning the videography trade as we go. It’s been organic, it’s been fun, and, most of all, we believe it’s necessary. That’s why Jon and I are starting Pollo Con Leche.
Here’s what we do
We’re a full-service video agency with in-house creative, production, and post-production. We believe video is one of the most expressive, engaging, and educational storytelling tools we have. Used effectively, a video can breathe life into a startup and help clarify it’s brand, intentions, and potential. New Orleans boasts a rate of business startups 68% higher than the national average (The Data Center 2017) – there are many brand stories to tell and be told for years to come. Unfortunately, a lot of startups in New Orleans aren’t using video at all. They don’t know how.
But we do, and we’re constantly getting better because we love doing this work. Every conversation with a client to unearth their story, every draft of a script, every second of editing… It’s always teaching us something and propelling us forward.This passion is returned in kind by our clients – check out this testimonial from one of our first clients:
“The staff has been more than impressed by your work and is already discussing future projects with you. Y’all are making me look good!!”
We want to make more brands look good and tell more engaging stories. That’s why we’re a part of VFA’s Innovation Fund. The support helps us reach and serve more companies in the Crescent City as we hone our craft. We’re humbled by the support we’ve already received and fired up about the clients we’ve already been able to serve. We have the exciting opportunity to tell some amazing stories in New Orleans, and we can’t wait.