Friends of Mine

What Friends of Mine does

Friends of Mine is a privately held creative collective founded in 2010 in Denver, Colorado, operating as a motion design and live-action production studio. The firm delivers direction, concept development, 2D and 3D animation, motion design, title sequences, visual effects, and live-action production for broadcast television, streaming platforms, branded campaigns, and immersive installations. Service breadth includes traditional broadcast promo work for networks (Lifetime, FX, Hulu, A+E Networks, Investigation Discovery) and enterprise brand content for large advertisers such as Ford, Otterbox, Kohler, Marmot, Inspirato, Realogy, GCI, and Vitalant, as well as the PromaxBDA Awards package itself.

The underlying technology mix combines conventional motion graphics and 3D animation tools with proprietary production techniques, most notably customized DMX-controlled lighting sculptures used in the Ford x Las Vegas Raiders campaign and 2.5D animation workflows that blend live-action stills into layered motion designs. Distribution spans phones, networks, streaming services, concerts, stadiums, theaters, retail, Times Square, and museums. The collective explicitly markets a multidisciplinary artist model, comparing itself to a "Wu-Tang Clan" of specialized talent rather than a conventional agency hierarchy, with named leads in creative direction, DP, 3D/simulations, illustration, edit, color, and brand direction.

The business model is project-based professional services. Pricing is custom and not publicly disclosed; engagements are quoted per project against scope. Sales motion is enterprise field sales driven by direct relationships and inbound via the website, Instagram, and Vimeo portfolio, as well as through agency partners (GTB, Fortnight Collective, Karsh Hagan, Unbridled, Spawn) acting as repeat referral channels. Two named distribution tiers are explicit: enterprise brands/advertising agencies and TV networks/streaming platforms, with a secondary segment in the broader entertainment industry. The firm carries no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and operates with 11-50 employees on a privately-held, founder-led basis.

Name

Friends of Mine

Legal name

Friends of Mine

Website

https://friendsofmine.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Friends of Mine is a Denver-based creative collective founded in 2010 that delivers motion design, animation, live-action production, and visual effects for enterprise brands, advertising agencies, and television networks including Ford, Lifetime, FX, and A+E Networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Creative Services & Production: Project-based creative services including direction, animation, production, and post-production for brands, agencies, and media networks. Work is custom and tailored to client vision.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Friends of Mine is a Denver-based creative collective providing end-to-end visual production services for brands, advertising agencies, and television/streaming networks. The studio delivers creative direction, 2D and 3D animation, motion design, live-action filming, visual effects, color grading, and immersive XR experiences. Work is custom-tailored per engagement, with project teams assembled from the studio's in-house collective of directors, animators, designers, cinematographers, VFX artists, and illustrators.

Product overview

Friends of Mine is a bespoke creative collective (founded in 2010) providing multidisciplinary visual arts services focused on moving picture production. The company operates as a services firm rather than a product company, offering integrated creative services including Animation & Motion Design, Film & Live Action Production, Visual Effects (VFX), Creative Direction, Content & Toolkits, and XR/Immersive Experiences. Services are delivered across broadcast television, streaming platforms, retail, stadium installations, Times Square, theaters, and museums. The collective serves clients including Ford, Lifetime, FX, Hulu, A+E Networks, Otterbox, Kohler, and Promax, among others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Creative Direction Director-led creative direction service for brands, agencies, and TV/streaming networks, covering concept development, storyboarding, and visual approach from brief through delivery.
• Animation & Motion Design 2D and 3D animation, character animation, motion-capture-driven animation, and 2.5D animation work for brand campaigns, network on-air packages, and content toolkits.
• Live Action Production End-to-end live-action film production including directing, cinematography, and post-production for brand films and campaign content.
• Visual Effects (VFX) Visual effects and 3D simulation work integrated into brand films, network promos, and animation projects.
• Content & Toolkits Production of content toolkits — sets of editable and adaptable motion assets for brands and agencies to deploy across multiple channels and platforms.
• XR / Immersive Experiences Design and production of immersive XR and mixed-reality experiences, leveraging a Unity-based volumetric capture stage, for brand activations and network showcases.
• Lighting Sculpture Installations Design and execution of DMX-controlled lighting sculpture installations used within brand activations and live/show environments.
• Promotional Package Design Design and production of promotional packages — including show opens, episodic promos, and network brand films — for television networks and streaming platforms such as Lifetime, FX, and Hulu.

Quantifiable outcome

• Work distributed across multiple platforms including phones, networks, streaming channels, concerts, stadiums, theaters, retail, Times Square and museums

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GTB (Global Tel*Link)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with GTB agency for Ford x Raiders campaign commemorating the Raiders move from Oakland to Las Vegas, featuring DMX-controlled lighting sculptures and broadcast spots.
• Fortnight CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoulder-based agency partner for Allkind Hard Kombucha brand film and social content campaign, creating whimsical 'kindtopia' world for Odell Brewing Co. product.
• SpawncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Spawn agency for GCI Eskimo Ninja campaign showcasing 5G network capabilities in Alaska with American Ninja Warrior competitor Nick Hanson.
• UnbridledcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgency partner for Realogy brand film explaining digital real estate platform for major conference, creating illustrative film bridging real estate with digital landscape.
• Karsh HagancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Karsh Hagan agency for Vitalant rebrand from Bonfils Blood Center, featuring dynamic dance choreography with graphic projections.
• Futuristic FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration with Futuristic Films for Marmot Technical Shells product film, combining outdoor footage with double exposure effects.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Mill: Large global VFX and creative production studio serving major brands, agencies, and entertainment networks. Overlaps with FoM in VFX, animation, and brand film work but at much larger scale and broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Buck: Los Angeles-based creative studio specializing in motion design, animation, and visual storytelling for brands, networks, and entertainment clients. Directly comparable to Friends of Mine in service mix (motion design, animation, brand films) and enterprise B2B positioning.
• Psyop: New York-based creative production studio known for commercials, title sequences, and integrated content for major brands and entertainment networks. Directly comparable as a multidisciplinary creative studio competing for the same enterprise brand and network promo work.
• Giant Ant: Animation and motion design studio producing work for brands, networks, and entertainment platforms. Comparable in service mix and project-based creative model for enterprise clients.
• Brand New School: Creative production company delivering work across motion design, VFX, and live-action for brands and entertainment clients. Directly comparable in scope and customer base.
• Digital Kitchen: Creative production studio producing motion graphics, broadcast design, and branded content for entertainment and brand clients. Overlaps directly with FoM's network promo, brand film, and toolkit offerings.
• Elastic: Creative studio specializing in main-title design and motion branding for television, film, and streaming platforms. Comparable in title sequence, show package, and brand identity work for networks.
• yU+co: Design and motion studio known for film title sequences, broadcast branding, and entertainment marketing. Comparable in network and film promotion work for major Hollywood clients.
• Imaginary Forces: Design and creative studio producing title sequences, brand identities, and motion-driven storytelling for film, television, and brands. Comparable in network promo and title sequence specialty.

Emerging players

• Motion Twin: Boutique motion design and animation studio serving brands and entertainment clients. Comparable as a smaller creative production peer in the same enterprise motion design segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/friendsoffom
• Xx.com/friendsofFOM
• Facebookfacebook.com/friendsofFOM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-of-mine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Friends of Mine