We’re challenging each other—and the industry. Joel sits down with Vagrants co-founders Dustin Devlin and Winston Macdonald (Boston-based creative/production studio) and Tim Bradley, founder of Pennant Video Co., to unpack how today’s best studios are evolving beyond “project vendors” into true strategic partners.

From Boston’s “old guard” union shop era to today’s gray area where studios look a little like agencies (and brands build in-house teams), this conversation gets real about identity, positioning, and why the business of running a studio is the most interesting project you’ll ever take on. Tim breaks down Pennant’s mid-funnel Video Marketing Trifecta (Differentiation, Demonstration, Validation) and how productizing strategy turns scattered content needs into measurable results. The group also talks lifestyle companies, saying no to the wrong work, collaborating across sister companies, and the power of generosity over zero-sum thinking.

If you’re a founder navigating agency relationships, brand-direct work, or that “are we a studio or an agency?” identity crisis—this one’s for you.

What You’ll Learn

• Studio → Partner: How challenger studios win by solving problems, not just fulfilling briefs.
• Old Guard vs. New Guard: What changed in Boston’s market—and why it mirrors everywhere.
• Productized Strategy: Pennant’s mid-funnel framework (Differentiation / Demonstration / Validation).
• Saying No (On Purpose): Why Vagrants turned down ~half a million in “the wrong” work—and what that unlocked.
• Direct-to-Brand Reality: Working with modern in-house teams and where agencies still fit.
• Ops is Creative: Why COO thinking (utilization, team health, repeatable value) fuels better creative.
• Community > Competition: Forum, Fuse dinners, and the “generosity paradox” in action.

Guests

• Dustin Devlin — Co-Founder & CCO, Vagrants
• Winston — Co-Founder & COO, Vagrants
• Tim Bradley — Founder, Pennant Video Co.

Chapter Markers

• 00:00 Cold open: “We’re challenging the industry.”
• 01:00 Who’s in the room? Fuse dinner setup & why it matters.
• 04:30 Old guard vs. new guard: Boston’s production landscape.
• 07:40 The DSLR revolution and the cracks in the agency model.
• 12:30 From “we’re directors” to “we’re founders”: lifestyle company mindset.
• 16:30 Ops is a team sport: crossing the 5-year hump as owners.
• 21:45 Enter Tim: building business inside an agency—and the leap.
• 27:00 Pennant’s origin: launching without a reel, with a framework.
• 31:30 Awareness vs. Mid-Funnel: why sexy spots aren’t a strategy.
• 37:10 Vagrants + Pennant as sister companies: solving the whole problem.
• 45:00 Direct-to-brand, in-house teams, and agency adjacency.
• 47:05 The Video Marketing Trifecta (Differentiation / Demonstration / Validation).
• 51:00 From “we’ll throw in creative” to leading with strategy.
• 54:00 Hiring an ECD and offering strategic partnerships.
• 56:30 Objective partners, not yes-men: creative that moves the business.

Notable Quotes

• “Running a studio is the most interesting project we’ll ever work on.”
• “We’re not vendors—we’re partners. The work has to move the business.”
• “Generosity beats zero-sum. Rising tides really do raise all ships.”
• “Productize the why, not just the what.”

Links & Resources

• Forum — Joel’s private community for studio founders: joelpilger.com
• Fuse — Intimate founder dinners (mentioned in the episode)
• Pennant Video Co. — Mid-funnel video strategy and execution
• Vagrants — Creative/production studio

Credits

• Host: Joel Pilger
• Guests: Dustin Devlin, Winston Macdonald (Vagrants); Tim Bradley (Pennant Video Co.)
• Audio Partner: Coupe Studios — huge thanks for making this show sing.

Call to Action

If you’re serious about running a resilient studio that unleashes your best creative work, apply to join Forum at joelpilger.com. Many of these conversations continue there.

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.

What happens when a studio anniversary party turns into one of the motion design industry’s most loved gatherings?

In this episode of The Fabulist, I talk with Cory Livengood (Creative Director & Founder, Dash Studio) and Meryn Hayes (Executive Producer, Dash Studio) about the evolution of Dash Bash—a Raleigh-born festival that’s become a biannual hub for creativity, collaboration, and community.

Originally launched to celebrate Dash Studio’s 5th anniversary, Dash Bash has since grown into something much bigger. Cory and Meryn share the origin story, the highs and lows of producing an event of this scale, and why gatherings like these matter more than ever for the future of our industry.

You’ll hear:

• How Dash Bash evolved from a party into a multi-day festival
• Why Raleigh has become a surprising creative hotspot
• The realities (and rewards) of producing large-scale events
• Stories of late-night lobby talks, spontaneous collaborations, and community moments that fuel both mental health and momentum
• What the future holds for Dash Bash—and why its focus on people over technology makes it stand apart

Whether you’re a studio founder, freelancer, or creative hungry for connection, this conversation offers practical takeaways and a reminder that we’re stronger—and more inspired—together.

🎧 Listen in—and mark your calendar: the next Dash Bash is coming in 2027.

In this episode of The Fabulist, Joel Pilger sits down with three powerhouse studio founders—Shawna Schultz (Mass FX Media & 38th and Post), Katwo Puertollano (rezonate), and Samantha Louise (Versus)—to explore what happens after you’ve built a successful studio. 

What do seasoned founders build once the studio is humming? How does leadership evolve from momentum to meaning? And how do these founders define success on their own terms? 

This conversation dives into the second act of creative entrepreneurship—from launching new ventures to leading quietly behind the scenes—and offers a rare glimpse at how these visionary women are redefining purpose, growth, and legacy. 

What does it take to create a truly transformational experience—not just an event? In this special episode, Joel Pilger sits down with Paradiso co-founders Hector Ayuso and Marko Pfann to unpack the heart, hustle, and human connection behind this one-of-a-kind gathering in Mérida, Mexico.

Born from a dream—and a desire to break all the traditional “conference” rules—Paradiso set out to eliminate the divide between speaker and audience, to prioritize intimacy over scale, and to create the kind of creative connection that changes lives.

Together, Hector and Marko reflect on the inspiration behind Paradiso, the challenges they overcame to make it happen, and why staying small and intentional is the key to its magic. From school trip nostalgia to raw artistic expression, this episode captures the spirit of a creative community redefining what’s possible when we gather.

And yes… next year is already in motion.

🎟️ Explore Paradiso 2026:
https://paradisofest.com/

📣 View the 2026 Announcement on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DH3erFeu778/