In this episode, host Granger Forson speaks with Stew O'Reilly, a trained professional actor and filmmaker who runs Home Run Films. Stew outlines how he uses drama to produce engaging, nimble marketing and learning-development training videos for clients ranging from small local charities to global corporations. They explore the realities of transitioning from corporate employment into running a solo-directed video agency, the importance of working with trusted peers, and a strategic coaching segment on shifting from third-party agency dependencies to building a direct-to-client pipeline using systematic referral marketing.
Key Takeaways
Drama-Based Workplace Learning: Stew uses trained actors and dramatic scenarios to model "what bad looks like" versus "what good looks like" for corporate learning and development (L&D) programs.
The "Solo-Director + Associate" Model: Operating as a lean, sole-director business, Stew scales up dynamically for large film shoots by bringing in specialised sound operators, camera operators, animators, and actors on an associate contract basis.
Creative Resourcefulness on a Budget: Stew shares a customer success story where he authentically recreated a Texan wind farm setting within a local primary school portacabin in Gloucestershire—using American actors, aged PPE, and custom Amazon stickers on tight turnaround times.
Personal & Human Fulfilment: Beyond commercial milestones, Stew highlights that one of the greatest highs of his business journey is regularly collaborating with long-time friends and university peers.
Delegating the Editing Bottleneck: As the sole bottleneck in his business during peak periods, Stew learned to outsource post-production editing to associates, freeing up his time for scriptwriting, design, and directing.
The "Hurdle": Shifting from Third-Party Subcontracting to Direct Client Relationships
Historically, 75% of Home Run Films' workload comes as a third-party subcontractor via external L&D agencies. Stew wants to invert that ratio to 75% direct-to-client work to build a more predictable, diversified client portfolio.
Stew’s Reflection on Business
"The buck stops with me... I get to make a living out of acting, storytelling, drama, and filmmaking. That's the high, along with the people I get to work with every day."
Resource Links & Contact Info
* Website: https://homerunfilms.co.uk
* LinkedIn: Connect with Stewart O'Reilly
* Vimeo: Search for Home Run Films to view non-NDA portfolio work.
