Big Picture - September 2017 - 19

on to the highly regarded custom side of the business that
comes with its own set of rules. As a rule of thumb, you should
focus on mastering, marketing, and maintaining an active
customer roster, and churning out a profit in one area before
considering expansion to other specialized industries.
BECOMING THE EXPERT

ENJOYING SUCCESS
2017 is no different. With about a dozen major film-, television-,
and theater-related assignments under our belt, and a thriving
wrap scene on the music front (more than 40 major recording
artists and seven world tours), there's still more that I would
like to conquer in this targeted market. Another testament to
Hollywood's continued interest in the graphics world is my

If Hollywood's taught us anything, it's to be
versatile. The productions this town puts on
are vast in genre and elaborate in execution.
Luckily, vinyl graphics have the ability to
transform and reinvent any scene. Likewise,
the art of wrapping can be adapted to any
viable niche for your entrepreneurial needs.
of installations, and more. No custom wrap project in my
shop or in the field is ever released to the client without my
personal stamp of approval. It's about maintaining top quality
standards and going above and beyond the client's expectations. What evolutions are you willing to make to get the
"Lady Gaga" of your niche industry?
If Hollywood's taught us anything, it's to be versatile.
The productions this town puts on are vast in genre and
elaborate in execution. Luckily, vinyl graphics have the
ability to transform and reinvent any scene. Likewise, the
art of wrapping can be adapted to any viable niche for
your entrepreneurial needs. But opportunities to develop a
niche market don't just fall from the sky; they're carefully
constructed from an enormous amount of passion, interest,
and testing the marketplace.
There's really no need to hide my true feelings about the
ongoing affair between the world of vinyl graphics and the
show biz community. Vinyl graphics have more staying power
than most of the other options on the production side, and
wrapping is often pitted against its rival, paint. But in a
relatively short time, the art of wrapping has carved out a role
for itself as a permanent cast member in Hollywood. It's been
thrilling to be a part of the transformation. Admittedly, this all
feels like the time they kept those cameras rolling for a
dramatic close-up of my company's work, revealing so much
with little screen time. Much like those paparazzi shots that I
mentioned earlier, I truly hope that they can capture us at just
the right angle.

BIGPICTURE.NET

The year was 2013, before I had scored an aesthetic triumph
with a sky blue piano wrap for Jack White's solo performance
at the Grammys. I had already reveled in Hollywood productions via "picture cars" for television commercials and thought
nothing much of them at the time. Picture cars can be
summarized as vehicles, either wrapped or painted, that are
specifically supplied to the film industry as part of the scenic
background or driven by the principal leads. I treated them
like any other wrap project that landed on my desk, but I do
remember some of the harsh realities involved in getting them
camera-ready: impossible deadlines, endless design changes,
and the involvement of way too many cooks in the kitchen
when it came to approvals. As my wrap skills were applied to
a host of national TV advertisements for the likes of Safelite,
Comcast, Time Warner, and Verizon, my business hit
something of a turning point. I began to adopt the "movie
mogul mentality" and reshaped my installation department to
accommodate our full-fledged foray into show business. And it
was not cheap. I greenlighted a new marketing plan, hired and
retrained a number of employees, attained more specialty
wrap tools and equipment, researched the competition, and
relentlessly networked and promoted our services at all the
glamorous Tinseltown "party scenes." At the end of it all, a
movie mogul has to ask himself: "What are the key ingredients that make a good movie?" Or better yet: "Why bet on
this market and not the others?" I may never know the
answer to the latter, but I firmly believe that much of my
success can be attributed to a healthy dose of practice and
persistence, not to mention a stroke of luck by being in the
right place at the right time.
Southern California is deemed the entertainment mecca of
the world. This was a market that was right under my nose
and one that I unearthed as a gold mine in my backyard.
Depending on the location of your shop, you should start
looking in your own backyard for an undiscovered industry
ready for an infusion of vinyl graphics. Ask yourself, "What is
currently trending in the area?" Is there a void you could fill?
Once this potential market has been identified, you'll need to
perform your own behind-the-scenes work by tailoring and
adjusting your business to meet that customer's needs. For
me, it was finally realizing that the vinyl wraps I create for my
customers need to be a huge part of the story and not lost as
part of the scenic backdrop.

recent job for an artist who needs no introduction: Lady Gaga.
Her upcoming Joanne World Tour has received a host of
custom wraps from my team in an assortment of colors and
finishes to complement her shape-shifting act. When it came
to landing this job, I was armed with a background in
entertainment; I already knew the basic framework of the
industry in terms of the etiquette, key players, and lingo. I had
a huge advantage over anyone else in the area.
Over the years, I've developed the concept of "concierge
customization," which means doing your best to connect with
the artist by providing the best full-service installation
experience. This means that I can travel with a team to any
given location, offer design options and solutions, accommodate their schedule with flexibility, provide a quick turnaround

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