Illusive Media
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersVirginia Beach, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Illusive Media does
Illusive Media is a privately held, founder-controlled creative production studio founded in 1999 by Shomi Patwary and Punom Patwary. Operating from studios in New York City (headquarters), Atlanta, and Los Angeles, the studio delivers end-to-end video production across three core service lines: commercial and brand campaigns, music videos, and television and documentary content. Its work has reached more than two billion views on YouTube and has been recognized by the Telly Awards, Webby Awards, Much Music Video Awards, and the South Asian Film Festival, with press coverage spanning Billboard, Rolling Stone, Grammy, VICE, Pitchfork, and The FADER.
The studio's core technology is its in-house production stack spanning creative direction, cinematography, editing, VFX, animation, color grading, and production management, supported by a multidisciplinary team of eleven specialists covering directing, art direction, producing, account management, writing, sound design, and styling. Production capability has extended internationally into Jamaica, France, and Bangladesh. The business model is project-based one-time licensing, with revenue generated through individual project fees for directing, producing, cinematography, editing, and post-production services; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quoted through direct contact.
Illusive Media serves two primary customer segments. Enterprise brands constitute one segment, with a roster that includes Rolex, UPS, Google, Facebook, Disney, Pepsi, Adidas, Hanes, Bacardi, Snapple, Mountain Dew, the NBA, and the New York Knicks. The second segment comprises music artists and entertainers, including Beyoncé, A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd, A$AP MOB, Pusha T, Mark Ronson, Offset x Metro Boomin, Diplo, and Kevin Hart. Go-to-market is executed through portfolio reputation, earned media, an Instagram presence, and direct relationships rather than self-serve or marketplace channels.
Illusive Media firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Illusive Media
- Legal name
- Illusive Media
- Website
- https://illusivemedia.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Illusive Media industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Video Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- VFX Review, QC & Delivery (Client Review, Conform, Final Outputs) (MPAHABAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Rotoscoping, Paint & Matchmove/Tracking Services (MPAHABAD)
Keywords
Where Illusive Media is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Virginia Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Illusive Media business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Video Production Services: Project-based production work including commercials, music videos, documentaries, fashion content, and TV/film projects. Revenue is generated through individual project fees for directing, producing, cinematography, editing, and post-production services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Illusive Media product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Illusive Media is a global creative production studio delivering end-to-end video production across three service lines: commercial and brand campaign production, music video production, and TV/documentary content creation. The studio provides directing, cinematography, editing, VFX, animation, color grading, sound design, and post-production services for enterprise brands and high-profile recording artists, operating from New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.
Product overview
Illusive Media is a global video production studio offering three core service lines: commercial and brand campaign production, music video production, and TV/documentary content creation. The studio works with major artists (Beyoncé, A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd) and global brands (Google, Facebook, UPS, Rolex, Snapple, Adidas, Pepsi, Disney, NBA) to produce content across these categories. Founded 25 years ago by Shomi Patwary, the studio has earned over two billion views on YouTube and operates from offices in New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Commercial Video Production Production of brand and commercial campaigns for global clients including Rolex, UPS, Hanes, New York Knicks, Facebook Gaming, Bacardi, Adidas, and Snapple. The service covers creative direction, directing, cinematography, editing, VFX, animation, color grading, and post-production for advertising campaigns delivered through brand channels, digital, broadcast, and social media.
- Music Video Production Music video creation for artists including A$AP MOB, Beyoncé, The Weeknd, A$AP Rocky, Offset, Metro Boomin, Mark Ronson, Pusha T, Diplo, and Keith Ape. The service encompasses creative direction, directing, cinematography, editing, VFX, and post-production for music videos distributed on YouTube, Vevo, and artist streaming channels.
- TV / Documentary Production Television and documentary content production including Wu-Tang Clan 'For The Children', Snapple 'Corner Stories', Desus and Mero segments on Showtime, Major Lazer x Skrillex 'Jamaica', and interviews with figures such as Seth Meyers, Yo-Yo Ma, Mary J. Blige, and Vince Staples for The FADER. The service includes directing, producing, cinematography, and editing for documentary and TV-format content.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2 billion+ YouTube views on catalog
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Illusive Media
Customer profileNamed customers23 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Illusive Media technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Illusive Media partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Illusive Media competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Somesuch: Somesuch is a global production company producing commercials, music videos, and short-form content for major brands and artists. It mirrors Illusive's boutique, director-led model and competes for similar brand and music briefs.
- Prettybird: Prettybird is a US-based creative production studio known for music videos, commercials, and branded content with similar A-list artist and brand clients (Spike Jonze, Kendrick Lamar, Nike, Apple). It is the closest direct peer to Illusive Media in scale, model, and creative positioning.
- SMUGGLER: SMUGGLER is a director-driven production company producing commercials, music videos, and short films. It competes directly with Illusive for premium brand campaigns and signature music video work.
- Bullion Productions: Bullion Productions is a US production company known for music videos and brand commercials, particularly in hip-hop and pop. It directly competes with Illusive for similar artist and brand commercial assignments.
- Radical Media: Radical Media is a global creative production studio producing commercials, music videos, documentaries, and long-form content. It overlaps with Illusive across all three service lines and similar premium brand clients, though at larger scale.
- Caviar: Caviar is a global production company producing commercials, music videos, and documentary content. It overlaps with Illusive across all three of Illusive's service lines and competes for similar brand and music briefs.
- Park Pictures: Park Pictures is a US production company producing commercials, music videos, and branded content for major brands. It shares Illusive's boutique, director-led structure and competes for similar commercial and music video budgets.
- FREENOW (Free Range): FREENOW is a creative production company specializing in music videos and commercials for major artists and brands. It directly competes for the same hip-hop and pop video budget pool that anchors Illusive's music video work.
- London Alley Entertainment: London Alley is a leading music video and commercial production company representing top directors. It competes directly with Illusive for A-list hip-hop and pop video budgets, with a comparable boutique model anchored by signature directors.
Broad incumbents
- Anonymous Content: Anonymous Content is a larger, established production company spanning feature films, episodic TV, commercials, and music videos. It overlaps with Illusive on commercial and music video work but operates at meaningfully greater scale with institutional backing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Illusive Media social profiles
Digital presenceIllusive Media financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Illusive Media leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Illusive Media funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Illusive Media 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 Illusive Media
What does Illusive Media do?
Illusive Media is a global creative production studio delivering end-to-end video production across three service lines: commercial and brand campaign production, music video production, and TV/documentary content creation. The studio provides directing, cinematography, editing, VFX, animation, color grading, sound design, and post-production services for enterprise brands and high-profile recording artists, operating from New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.
Is Illusive Media a public or private company?
Illusive Media is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Illusive Media founded?
Illusive Media was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Illusive Media based?
Illusive Media is headquartered in Virginia Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does Illusive Media make money?
One revenue line is on record: video Production Services.
Who are Illusive Media's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Somesuch, Prettybird, SMUGGLER, Bullion Productions, Radical Media, Caviar, Park Pictures, FREENOW (Free Range) and London Alley Entertainment. Anonymous Content is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Illusive Media have an API?
No public API is recorded for Illusive Media.
What industry is Illusive Media in?
Illusive Media's product category is Video Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHABAL, VFX Review, QC & Delivery (Client Review, Conform, Final Outputs), with a secondary code of MPAHABAD, Rotoscoping, Paint & Matchmove/Tracking Services. Its NAICS code is 51211 and its SIC code is 7812.