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We live in a constantly changing world where transformations are happening at a rapid pace. Leadership in times like this has to be adaptable. “The job of a CEO is to change their style of leadership in accordance with the different challenges that the company faces and to be flexible to new approaches,” quotes Gary Collins, the Founder, and CEO at Red Rock Entertainment.
Gary’s debut as the film financer began in 2012, shortly after Gary established Red Rock Entertainment which works in conjunction with the UK’s most prestigious production companies to raise equity for independent film and television projects. Red Rock offers a suite of film investment opportunities from private equity and distribution vehicles to HMRC Enterprise Investment schemes. Initially, the journey did not start as a film finance company. The team was approached by a film in need of finance for production. Due to the team’s enthusiasm for film projects the company financed another project and eventually all this led to the establishment of Red Rock Entertainment.
Headquartered in the UK, based at the iconic Elstree Studios, Red Rock Entertainment aims to be the trusted finance platform for TV and Film production companies. Over the years, the company has grown into one of the trusted finance partners by several film and TV productions. In 2020, the company was named “Film Finance Company of the Year.” Furthermore, Gary’s leadership has been equally recognized by several awards and accolades. He has been named as the “CEO of the Year, 2019” and now has been featured on the “20 Most Innovative Business Leaders to watch in 2021”. Gary’s industry knowledge and expertise have also been featured in national news, with commentary on the impact of Brexit towards the UK film industry.
The pressure and challenges to stay relevant throughout the years are the same across industries and niches—making the film industry no different. Gary’s experience has allowed him to have a deep insight into working as a leader. No matter the line of business, people are a vital pillar for the company’s success. Gary understands this and has been successful in weaving a friendly work environment. “Smiling, knowing people’s names, praising people, making an effort to know their interests and chat about them make people feel important. That is the underlying point of all of the above principles. If you make people feel important, how you walk through the world will be an exponentially more pleasant experience in the work environment,” he explains.
The team has proven to be an important contributor to Red Rock Entertainment’s success. It is evident that financing a film is not an easy process, moreover, finding the right project to invest in is always a lengthy process. The skillful and trusted team at Red Rock not only makes the process simpler but also assists Gary in sifting out profitable films and TV productions. Acknowledging the long history of success, the Red Rock team has the skills and mindset to pick out lucrative projects.
Having a dependable team helps the company to grow through troublesome tides—the latest example being the COVID-19 crisis. The disruption caused to the health and economy worldwide is not hidden. The film industry equally suffered losses. The pandemic caused a lot of disruption on co-productions between the UK and European producers—both domestically and internationally. The silver lining however being digitalization. Virtual consumption of entertainment did not stop amid the crisis, on the contrary, there was a surge in demand. People who watched streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, accounted for over 12 million viewership. Red Rock’s films and documentaries were also streamed on Netflix and Amazon Prime, both receiving a positive response. “This demonstrates Red Rock Entertainment’s ability to adapt to the fast-changing landscape of film and high-end television to overcome challenges and exploit opportunities,” states Gary.
On close inspection, the industry has dramatically changed over the years. Red Rock Entertainment has always tried and adapted to the new dynamics with a strategic approach. The success of this approach can be borne out by the range and quality of the titles on Red Rock Entertainment’s fast-growing slate. By far the company’s titles have featured prominent actors like Dianna Argon, Tom Hughes, Timothy Spall, Steven Berkoff, John Hurt, Karl Urban, Alice Eve, Vinnie Jones, John Hannah, Craig Fairbrass, and Teri Hatcher.
2020 had impacted most of the businesses worldwide, but Red Rock Entertainment managed to work its way up to the ladder. Last year alone, the company had 11 film and television projects given the green light. The proven track record of excellence is continually growing. Despite the challenges and roadblocks in their way, Gary and his team are striving to bring new profitable success projects.
