What Gorilla does

Gorilla (also branded GRLA) is a privately held creative and film production studio founded in 2004 and headquartered across two Michigan offices in Detroit and Grand Rapids. The company operates as a B2B production house serving enterprise brand clients, corporate marketing teams, and creative agencies, delivering film, video, animation, photography, and post-production content. Its work spans four core disciplines — Documentary, Scripted, Animation, and Original — supplemented by Photography, Post Production (editing, VFX, color, compositing), VR/360° Production, and Live Event content. The studio's technical range includes live-action cinematography, 2D/3D/stop-motion/puppetry animation, hybrid CGI/live-action, LED volume-wall virtual production, and feature film production with international distribution.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees: custom production of commercials, brand films, documentary series, animation, and feature films billed per engagement. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales combined with an agency referral network (Digitas, Gravity Global/Lambert, SHR Branding), producing work for a horizontal roster of large brands including Samsung, Amway (Nutrilite, Artistry, Atmosphere, BodyKey), Rocket Mortgage/Quicken Loans, Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Auto-Owners Insurance, Stryker, Gore Medical, L'Oréal Paris/NBC, Honda, Meijer, Legrand, and Central Michigan University, alongside government (MEDC) and nonprofit engagements. Client relationships can be deep and recurring — Auto-Owners Insurance alone accounts for 500+ deliverables across TV, radio, and social.

The company is founder-owned, co-founded by Eric Machiela and Eric Johnson, and reports 1–10 employees, operating on a director-led model with a roster of 8+ directors and heavy reliance on freelance/production crews. It carries no disclosed institutional funding, parent, or subsidiaries. Credibility is reinforced through festival and industry recognition (National Addy Awards, Austin Film Festival Jury Award, SXSW and Telluride selections) and feature films distributed across 40+ territories on Netflix, Amazon, Google Play, and Vudu.

Name

Gorilla

Legal name

Gorilla (GRLA)

Website

https://wearegorilla.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gorilla (GRLA) is a Michigan-based B2B creative studio founded in 2004, producing film, video, animation, documentary, and VR content on a project-fee basis for enterprise brands and agencies including Samsung, Amway, Whirlpool, and Rocket Mortgage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. B2B Film and Video Production: Gorilla produces custom film and video content for brand clients, agencies, and corporate partners on a project-by-project basis. Revenue is generated through production fees for commercials, brand films, documentary series, animation projects, and feature films. Projects range from short social media assets to long-form brand films and episodic content. The studio works with recurring clients across consumer goods, healthcare, financial services, and education sectors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gorilla is a B2B creative studio and film production company that produces commercials, brand films, documentaries, animation, and feature films for enterprise brand clients. The studio operates across multiple disciplines including live-action cinematography, 2D/3D animation, stop-motion, puppetry, VR/360° content, and post-production. Services are sold project-by-project to brand managers, agencies, and corporate clients across consumer goods, healthcare, automotive, financial services, and education sectors.

Product overview

Gorilla (GRLA) is a film production company operating as a single integrated creative studio rather than a platform with modular products. The company offers four core production disciplines—Documentary, Scripted, Animation, and Original content—which collectively form their main service offering. Supporting services include Photography, Post Production (editing, VFX, compositing), VR Production (360 video), and Live Event production. The company is headquartered in Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Documentary Production
• Scripted Production Scripted video content production including brand films, television commercials, and branded entertainment narratives for enterprise brand clients.
• Animation Production Animation services including 2D/3D animation, stop-motion, puppetry, and live-action augmentation for brand campaigns.
• Original Content Production Original content production including feature films, short films, episodic content, and music videos, with demonstrated international distribution on Netflix, Amazon, Google Play, and Vudu.
• Photography Services Professional photography services for campaigns, including product photography and behind-the-scenes imagery.
• Post-Production Services Post-production services including editing, compositing, color grading, VFX, and visual effects.
• VR Production Virtual reality content production including 360-degree video experiences, with demonstrated 99% engagement rate at corporate events.
• Live Event Production Live event content production including brand experiences, conference films, and event-based installations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% engagement rate at corporate events with VR theater concept
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gravity Global / LambertcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAgency partners who engaged Gorilla to produce Michigan's economic development campaign 'You Can In Michigan'. Gorilla executed over a dozen deliverables including LED volume wall virtual productions.
• WMCATminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWest Michigan Center for Arts and Technology partnership for talent development and community engagement.
• The Mosaic Film ExperienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting film education and community engagement in the creative arts.
• The Delta ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJuvenile justice-focused non-profit co-founded and incubated within Gorilla's studio. Represents the company's community mission and 'lift as you climb' philosophy.
• WhirlpoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing brand film partnership including Connected Kitchen campaign and adaptability during COVID production disruption.
• Auto-Owners InsurancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year partnership producing over 500 deliverables for television, radio, and social media. Described as aligned with Gorilla's 'Be More Human' ethos.
• SHR BrandingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnered with Gorilla on Northern Arizona Healthcare 'Kindness of Strangers' project and Gore Medical campaign, bringing creative strategy and branding to production partnerships.
• DigitasminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgency partner that brought KitchenAid Cook Processor Connect and Gladiator 'Reach for More' projects to Gorilla for production.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Variable: Independent commercial and content production studio producing work for major brands and agencies. Comparable in scope of branded content, commercials, and original productions.
• Smuggler: Global commercial and content production company directing commercials, documentaries, and feature films. Comparable as a director-led commercial studio with global shoot capability and Fortune 500 brand clients.
• Tool of North America: Commercial production company representing directors across film, branded content, and music videos. Comparable director-roster model and brand-client focus in the commercial production space.
• Radical Media: Independent commercial and feature film production studio serving global brands with multidisciplinary capabilities across documentary, branded content, and commercials — directly comparable to Gorilla's enterprise brand work and documentary/scripted stack.
• Anonymous Content: Boutique production company and talent management firm producing commercials, branded content, and feature films (e.g., 'Spotlight', 'The Revenant'). Comparable to Gorilla's blend of commercial production, feature films, and director-driven talent model.
• Park Pictures: Director-driven commercial and content production studio with offices in NYC and LA serving major brands. Comparable business model focused on brand films, commercials, and original content with a roster of award-winning directors.
• Hey Wonderful: Boutique production company producing commercials, branded content, and short films for brands and agencies. Comparable size, model, and brand-client orientation to Gorilla.
• Arts & Sciences: Award-winning commercial and content production company with a strong documentary bent, producing work for major global brands. Comparable to Gorilla's mix of commercial, documentary, and brand storytelling.
• Epoch Films: Commercial production company with a roster of directors producing commercials, branded content, and feature work. Closely comparable director-driven commercial studio model serving enterprise clients.
• m ss ng p eces (Missing Pieces): Independent creative studio producing commercials, branded content, and feature documentaries for brands and agencies. Comparable multidisciplinary capability across documentary, animation, and commercial formats with similar Fortune 500 client base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/gorillagrla
• Facebookfacebook.com/gorillagrla
• Instagraminstagram.com/gorillagrla

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gorilla