Ways & Means
Ways & Means is an independent Los Angeles creative studio that provides end-to-end strategy, production, and post-production services — film, photo, animation, CG, and finishing — for global enterprise brands, recording artists, and cultural institutions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ways & Means does
Ways & Means is an independent, Los Angeles-based creative studio founded in 2012 that operates as a full-service production partner for brands, agencies, recording artists, and cultural institutions. The studio organizes its offering into three interconnected pillars — Creative Services (strategy, concept, social, design), Production Services (film, photography, animation, CG), and Post-Production Services (editorial, motion graphics, music and sound design, finishing) — delivered under a single roof so that projects can move from initial concept through final delivery without handoff across vendors. Its output spans advertising and branded content, music videos, documentaries and documentary series, short films, and feature films.
The studio's client roster is unusually broad for a project-based shop, encompassing global enterprise brands (Nike, Sonos, Netflix, Google, Apple, Spotify, Dropbox, Atlassian, Shopify, Levi's, Dior, Kenzo, Jimmy Choo, Miu Miu, Dolce & Gabbana, Vans, Beats by Dre, Fender, Airbnb, Notion, Grammarly, The Athletic, KOHO, Linktree, Rabbit, On), recording artists (Olivia Rodrigo, Grimes, St. Vincent, BROCKHAMPTON, Dirty Projectors, Toro y Moi, Gracie Abrams, Girl in Red, Austra, SOPHIE, The Linda Lindas), and cultural institutions (MoMA, LACMA, Guggenheim, Getty, SCAD). Work has premiered at Sundance, Tribeca, Cannes, TIFF, SXSW, and Rotterdam, and has received a Sundance Grand Jury Prize, a Grammy, D&AD Pencils, ADC Gold Cubes, a Clio Silver, Webby recognition, and Tribeca X recognition.
Commercially, Ways & Means runs as a privately held professional services firm (Ways & Means Global, Inc., California) with a project-based revenue model. Pricing is negotiated per project and is not publicly disclosed; client acquisition is primarily portfolio-driven through the studio's website (ways-means.co) and reinforced by industry awards, festival premieres, and direct referrals from agencies and cultural institutions. New-business inquiries are handled by Executive Producer Lana Kim and Producer Jett Steiger. The studio reports headcount of 11–50, operates from a single Los Angeles headquarters at 2828 Newell St, #5, and has no disclosed external funding, parent company, or acquisition activity.
Ways & Means firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ways & Means
- Legal name
- Ways & Means Global, Inc
- Website
- https://ways-means.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Ways & Means is an independent Los Angeles creative studio that provides end-to-end strategy, production, and post-production services — film, photo, animation, CG, and finishing — for global enterprise brands, recording artists, and cultural institutions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ways & Means industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Production Services
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (54143), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Graphic Design Services (541430)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Content & Creative Studio for Creators (Concepting/Production) (MPAAAHAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Graphic Design & Visual Content Production (BPAFAIAC), Production Design & Art Department Services (Sets, Props, Scenic) (MPADAFAG), Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)
Keywords
Where Ways & Means is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ways & Means business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Creative Production Services: Ways & Means generates revenue by providing end-to-end creative services to brands, agencies, and cultural institutions. This includes strategy, concept development, film production, photo, animation, CG, editorial, motion graphics, music/sound, and finishing across advertising, music videos, television, and feature films. Revenue is project-based, typically through negotiated contracts with enterprise clients.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Ways & Means product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ways & Means is an independent full-service creative studio that develops and produces content for brands, agencies, cultural institutions, and recording artists. Its core offerings span Creative Services (strategy, concept, social, design), Production Services (film, photography, animation, CG), and Post-Production Services (editorial, motion graphics, music/sound, finishing) delivered across advertising campaigns, music videos, television, and feature films.
Product overview
Ways & Means is an independent creative studio that operates as a full-service production company rather than a software product platform. The studio's offering is organized into three interconnected service pillars: Creative Services (strategy, concept, social, design), Production Services (film, photo, animation, CG), and Post-Production Services (editorial, motion GFX, music/sound, finishing). These services are delivered collaboratively to partner with brands, agencies, and cultural institutions across advertising, music videos, television, and feature films. The portfolio includes indexed projects spanning branded content, music videos, documentaries, short films, and feature films produced for clients including Sonos, Nike, Netflix, Levi's, Dropbox, Atlassian, Google, and numerous other brands and cultural institutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Creative Services Strategic creative offerings including strategy, concept development, social content, and design services for brand partnerships and cultural institutions. Delivered to enterprise brands, agencies, recording artists, and cultural organizations as the front end of the studio's integrated production pipeline.
- Production Services Full-service production capabilities spanning film, photography, animation, and computer-generated imagery (CG) for advertising, music videos, television, and feature films. Covers end-to-end execution from on-set direction through principal photography for enterprise brands and cultural institutions.
- Post-Production Services Complete post-production suite including editorial, motion graphics, music and sound design, and finishing services. Delivered as the final stage of the studio's integrated production pipeline for advertising campaigns, music videos, documentaries, and feature films.
Quantifiable outcome
- Atropia won the Dramatic U.S. Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival 2025
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Ways & Means
Customer profileNamed customers41 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Ways & Means technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ways & Means partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Exposure (advertising agency)minorExposure is an advertising agency that engaged Ways & Means as production partner for the Boodles British Gin 'Send for Boodles' campaign.
- TBWAChiatDay (advertising agency)minorTBWAChiatDay served as the agency for the Adidas 'Brazuca Around the World' campaign, with Ways & Means as the production partner.
- Tribeca Film FestivalminorTribeca Film Festival serves as a premiere venue for W&M's feature film work, including 'Super Dark Times', 'UGH!', 'Love-40', and 'David'.
- Sundance Film FestivalminorSundance Film Festival has premiered W&M feature films including 'The Nowhere Inn' and 'Atropia', which won the Dramatic U.S. Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2025.
- Rotterdam Film FestivalminorRotterdam Film Festival has premiered W&M films including 'Super Dark Times' and 'The African Desperate'.
- Cannes Film FestivalminorCannes Film Festival has premiered W&M work including the short film 'David' (2020) and the 'Too Cool for School' short film at the Semaine de la Critique (2015).
- TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival)minorTIFF premiered the W&M short film 'small fry' directed by Eva Michon, produced with Opus Film.
- SXSW (South by Southwest)minorSXSW premiered W&M's 'Picturing Barbara Kruger' for LACMA Art+Film Gala in 2015.
- Floyd (furniture brand)minorSonos × Floyd collaboration campaign, with Ways & Means producing the branded content.
- HAY (furniture brand)minorSonos × HAY limited special edition Sonos One campaign, with Ways & Means directing and producing.
- Lonely WhaleminorSeaweed Stories documentary produced in partnership with Lonely Whale, directed by Jake Sumner and narrated by Forest Whitaker, premiered at the 2024 Hamptons Film Festival.
- Folder StudiominorFolder Studio collaborated with W&M on USC Arts Now brand identity, teaser film, and microsite development.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ways & Means competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Anonymous Content: Independent integrated creative studio and production company producing commercials, feature films, music videos, and branded content for global brands. Closely comparable to Ways & Means in cross-format model, prestige client roster, and award-winning output.
- Partizan: Global director-led production and content company spanning commercials, music videos, feature films, and branded entertainment. Comparable to Ways & Means as a multi-format creative studio with a deep director roster and brand-side client work.
- Radical Media: Award-winning independent studio producing commercials, feature films, documentaries, and digital content for brands and cultural institutions. Highly comparable cross-format model and enterprise client base.
- Smuggler: Director-driven global production company producing commercials, music videos, and short films for major brands. Comparable in its emphasis on directorial talent, brand-side clients, and multi-format production.
- Buck: Independent creative studio producing commercials, branded content, and design-driven motion/animation work for global brands. Highly comparable in cross-discipline model (design + animation + film) and enterprise client roster.
- Psyop: Independent creative studio specializing in film, animation, CG, and design for advertising and entertainment. Comparable to Ways & Means in production+design integration and brand-side commercial work.
- Tool of North America: Independent production company producing commercials, music videos, and branded content for major brands. Comparable boutique-scale LA/NYC competitor serving similar enterprise clients.
- B-Reel: Independent creative studio producing commercials, branded content, films, and interactive experiences for global brands. Comparable cross-format capabilities and enterprise client focus.
Broad incumbents
- The Mill: Global creative and VFX studio producing commercials, branded content, and experiential design for major brands. Overlaps with Ways & Means in production, post, and CG capabilities, but operates at much larger scale and is part of a broader holding.
Regional players
- Arts & Letters Creative Group: Independent creative agency with strong in-house production capabilities serving major brands. Referenced as a Ways & Means client (as an agency partner), making it a comparable independent creative-services peer rather than a production partner.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Ways & Means social profiles
Digital presenceWays & Means financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ways & Means leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Ways & Means funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ways & Means M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ways & Means
What does Ways & Means do?
Ways & Means is an independent full-service creative studio that develops and produces content for brands, agencies, cultural institutions, and recording artists. Its core offerings span Creative Services (strategy, concept, social, design), Production Services (film, photography, animation, CG), and Post-Production Services (editorial, motion graphics, music/sound, finishing) delivered across advertising campaigns, music videos, television, and feature films.
Is Ways & Means a public or private company?
Ways & Means is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ways & Means founded?
Ways & Means was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ways & Means based?
Ways & Means is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ways & Means make money?
One revenue line is on record: creative Production Services.
Who are Ways & Means's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Anonymous Content, Partizan, Radical Media, Smuggler, Buck, Psyop, Tool of North America and B-Reel. The Mill is listed as a broad incumbent. Arts & Letters Creative Group is listed as a regional player.
Does Ways & Means have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ways & Means.
What industry is Ways & Means in?
Ways & Means's product category is Creative Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAHAD, Content & Creative Studio for Creators (Concepting/Production), with a secondary code of BPAFAIAC, Graphic Design & Visual Content Production. Its NAICS code is 54143 and its SIC code is 7812.