Running a standout studio isn’t about selling hours—it’s about protecting the craft, picking the right clients, and staying scrappy (in smarter ways). Joel sits down with Barton Damer, founder/founding artist of Already Been Chewed (ABC), the Texas-based studio channeling skate culture into high-end 3D, VFX, and product campaigns for world-class brands. They get real about evolving from freelancer to leader, building a brand-direct engine, setting non-negotiables with clients, pricing expertise (not days), and why AI is making the best human work more valuable than ever.
You’ll learn
- How “scrappiness” evolves from guessing emails to building brand-direct pipelines
- The mindset shift from on the box to on the business—and when to make it
- Why selling expertise beats selling time (and how to defend flat-fee pricing)
- Scripts and stances for protecting process (and your weekends)
- Why being willing to walk away wins negotiations—and attracts better clients
- An owner’s take on AI: client fatigue, what’s commoditized, and where premium work grows
Timestamps
- 00:00 Intro — The bigger needs are getting bigger
- 01:00 Barton’s origin story & ABC’s focus on photoreal, story, and craft
- 04:00 Scrappy beginnings → modern hustle (and why it still matters)
- 09:00 Firing yourself from the box: role shifts as the team scales
- 16:30 Keeping the bar high without “saving” projects
- 17:30 Process > panic: the pool-construction analogy clients never forget
- 22:00 Why ABC built brand-direct from day one (and agency pitfalls)
- 27:00 Stop selling time: pricing for outcomes, not day rates
- 33:00 Risk, transparency, and the real reason studios charge more
- 35:00 “We pick clients too”: reframing awards, pitches, and selection
- 41:00 AI fatigue is real: what clients want now vs. what’s replaceable
- 47:00 iPhone vs. Alexa: a clear framework for AI and premium craft
- 50:00 Closing & takeaways
Key quotes
- “The person who wins the negotiation is the one willing to walk away.”
- “If my slowest, least-experienced artist bills the most, your model’s upside down.”
- “Our business only works if we enjoy it.”
- “AI will eat the quick, crappy content. The best human work only gets more valuable.”
About Barton
Barton Damer is the founder and founding artist of Already Been Chewed, a Wylie/Dallas studio known for skate-culture roots, photoreal craft, and brand-direct campaigns in 3D, VFX, and product visualization. Over 15+ years, ABC has partnered with top global brands while staying lean, family-friendly, and obsessively focused on story and execution.
Mentions
Nike, Vans, New Balance, Lucasfilm, Disney, Tiffany, Google, Street League, Camp Mograph, FORUM & Fuse dinners.
Links & Next Steps
- Explore more episodes and push your creative business forward: joelpilger.com
- If you’re serious about running a resilient studio that ships great work, apply to join FORUM at joelpilger.com.
