Get to Know Blue Chalk Media’s New Owners, Rachel Pendered and Barnaby Cook
Following the acquisition of Blue Chalk Media by the Auspicious Group, we had the opportunity to speak to the group’s new co-CEOs, Rachel Pendered and Barnaby Cook. Both bring extensive experience in media, production, and entrepreneurship. Rachel co-founded and led Media Zoo into a Sunday Times Fast Track100 company and PR Week’s fastest-growing agency, while Barnaby co-founded and led Casual Films from an office in London into a hugely successful global business with offices in the US and Australia. In this interview, they share their insights on leadership, the future of production, and their vision for Blue Chalk within the Auspicious Group.
Can you share a little about your background and career journey to this point?
Rachel: I got my big break as a prime-time producer for the BBC when I landed a story about the Grand Vacation Club defrauding customers of their life savings for worthless holiday points. The story had a great outcome, as we were able to get the money back for people. That was my first real-world example of the power of filmmaking and journalism to change the world for the better. It has stayed with me ever since.
Barnaby: I co-founded Casual Films in 2006, a year after I graduated college. It all started with a madcap driving adventure from London to Mongolia in a 1987 Mini. Expedia commissioned us to make 15 video diaries over five weeks whilst driving 9000 miles through 18 countries. Casual Films grew into a multi-million dollar revenue corporate video production company with offices all over the world.
Can you tell us about a significant moment in your career that influenced your path?
Rachel: The most significant moment in my career was having my daughter, Lana. As a single mum, I suddenly realized that I was entirely responsible for her and that my hobby company and career needed to grow up so that I could provide for her. No one else was going to help me! While I was on maternity leave, I went to Mumpreneur classes, studied my friend’s MBA notes, and started thinking about sales, marketing, fundraising, and growth, not just filmmaking. This led to me understanding how to get an interest-free 1/2 million pound business loan from the EU and also creating a growth strategy and vision for the company.
Barnaby: I went on a trip to New York with my brother and a friend in 2010 and fell in love with the city and the US. From that point on, I did everything I could to get Casual Films established on US soil. I moved to New York in 2015 with my wife a few months after we got married. The business took off in the US, and in 2018 we opened an office in LA. During my years in New York, I visited Portland, Oregon, and instantly fell for it (I tried to convince my wife to move, but to no avail). Having production capability in my two favorite US cities is a dream come true.
The Auspicious Group has intentions of becoming a major player in the creative space with the acquisition of Studio Yes and the launch of Auspicious Global, in addition to the acquisition of Blue Chalk. What unique role do you see Blue Chalk playing in your vision for the Group?
Rachel: Blue Chalk will be pivotal to the success of Auspicious. Why is it so exciting? First, it sits in the largest market in the world; second, the quality gives us a real door opener; and third, the team is absolutely awesome! Ultimately, we can use the existing footprint to expand into the US, win more exciting film work, branch out into learning, digital, communications, and other areas, and also benefit from the strength of the US economy by outsourcing lower-value tasks to global teams.
Barnaby: What excites me about Auspicious is being able to move beyond just producing videos for clients, which is what I was previously doing. At Auspicious we’re working with global companies to solve business critical issues. Thanks to the hard work, talent, and dedication of Blue Chalk’s founders, Greg Moyer and Pam Huling, the company produces absolutely stunning and impactful work, produced by a hard-working group of people who truly care about each other and the subjects of their films. We see Blue Chalk as the heart and soul of the group, producing quality filmmaking and bearing the torch for the company culture.
In your view, what are the trends in the production industry that we should be paying attention to?
Rachel: Creatively, I think the reframing of the “gendered gaze” is exciting for filmmakers. The predominant gaze in mainstream media is still a patriarchal one. What does the world look like through different eyes? From what it’s really like being a breastfeeding person in public to the first day at work for a nonbinary person in a bank, over the next few decades, I think we will increasingly see the world through new eyes. This is extremely exciting for filmmakers.
In terms of production processes, the impact of AI will filter through. Those who stay ahead of this and are open to change will prosper. Ultimately, this will lead clients to want more content for less budget and the companies that thrive will be the ones that can deliver this while staying true to their humanity. In other words, in a world of mass computer-generated assets, what it means to be authentic and human will have greater value, but only those with the best reputations and most efficient processes will benefit. With a phenomenal reputation in this space, Blue Chalk is well placed, but it needs one or two big festival wins to stay front of mind with clients and broadcasters in this space. In production, we need to be open to a focus on quality margins, efficient processes, and opportunities to use technology to win efficiency whilst knowing that a big, journalistic, powerful, and important film will keep the company front of mind with broadcasters and clients alike. These films can come from the places you least expect them. The film that defined so much of Media Zoo’s success was from a dull call to a call center in a bank. You can watch it here
Barnaby: I agree with Rachel that the production landscape is changing at pace due to the proliferation of generative AI and other disruptive technologies. At Auspicious, we’re particularly interested in what the combination of behavioral science and data can have for delivering truly effective communications, whether that’s through film, digital, or pr. We’re here to be as useful as we can for our clients. We are relentlessly focused on what they need, and delivering creative services using technology will play a pivotal role in that over the next 12 to 24 months.
What excites you most about working with Blue Chalk? Do you have a favorite Blue Chalk project?
Rachel: So much excited me about Blue Chalk — the people, the culture, the attitude, and the quality of the work. The project that is the most valuable in terms of a sales tool is Solving For Zero, which features Bill Gates. The cachet of the presenter and its focus on the future of the planet make it important in so many ways. Visually, I like Growing Floret and Storefront Stories. They have an aesthetic that brands like Burberry and Stella McCartney would love.
Barnaby: What really drew me in when I first spoke to Greg about the acquisition was the 10-year anniversary film, “What Lasts.” It’s a wonderful alternative to the standard showreel which is usually just a collection of nice shots — this film tells a story and gives the viewer a sense of the filmmaking ability, the company culture, and the impactful work.
Rachel, you’re an incredibly passionate advocate for women in business. What advice do you have for women looking to make their mark in traditionally male-dominated industries like video production and media?
Rachel: The first piece of advice I would give women filmmakers is, “Your network is your net worth.” Without great contacts, you won’t get anywhere. In my experience, other women used to elbow you out of the way. This rarely happens today, and women’s networks have been vital for me in winning work and expanding my network. In order to get it you have to give in your spare time. I give my time, my support, my money, and my focus to helping the causes that I love. This pays extraordinary dividends in terms of purpose, network, and, in the end (and in ways I never expected), commercially, too. It is when we come to give that the world gives back to us. Do not confuse this with being exploited or giving more than you have to give — boundaries are everything.
Next, and it is obvious but so few do it, know where you want to go and have a plan to get there. What award do you want to win? What clients do you want to work with? In what ways do you want to grow? What do you want your impact on the world to be?
Finally, this applies to all, not just women. Money is not a dirty word. Money cannot be the ultimate goal, but it is almost always the most powerful fuel for the engine. Money is a creativity multiplier, and in today’s patriarchal system, like it or not, money equals power. It has to be part of the conversation. It is a feminist issue. One of the ways that women were kept in their place for hundreds of years was by a lack of access to funds, and still today we are extremely ignorant about investing. At almost 50 years old I am only just learning — that kind of ignorance keeps us trapped and disenfranchised. We need to start by understanding the budgets of the projects we work on, how to keep jobs profitable, and have a plan for our own financial goals and financial health. We need to be confident talking about money and asking for it for the businesses we work for, for ourselves, and for the charities we care about. We can believe in conscious capitalism, but in many respects, our greatest creative challenge will be how to do more with less. The best film I have ever made cost £5000. That didn’t mean money wasn’t important, it was just that I had to use my imagination to do more with less.
Barnaby, you have a diverse background in production, from camera person to CEO. How have these experiences shaped your approach to leadership?
Barnaby: I think it’s important to understand the challenges of each and every role in the organization that you’re leading, so having built a company from the ground up and performed a lot of different roles is very helpful. Having scaled an organization from 2 to 60 people before, it’s also really important to have a strong management team in place with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and I’m looking forward to implementing that with the talented people at Blue Chalk.
Barnaby, you’re also the CEO of Studio Yes, another company coming under the Auspicious umbrella, that is known for its innovative use of comedy. What role do you think that humor plays in effective storytelling?
Barnaby: Humor is making a comeback in advertising at the moment — I think with everything going on in the world right now, people are actively looking to be entertained. Humor earns you the right to communicate a brand message — if you can make someone laugh, they’re much more likely to be receptive to what comes next!
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