Meet Melissa Jane and Phil Kruse | Co-Founders and Owners

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Jane and Phil Kruse and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa Jane and Phil, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It all started with us being on vacation and wondering how we could travel and explore the world more often. How could we be our own bosses and still make money doing what we love?

With both of our backgrounds being in acting, performance, and video production, we decided to start producing our own short films, which led to producing creative content for small and local businesses.

Let me tell you, it’s been a long windy road! There have been so many late nights prepping for shoots, editing deadlines, or traveling across the country on a red-eye flight for an early morning shoot. Our home has definitely become our office space, and we usually need to move laptops and camera equipment off of our dining table at dinner time.

That being said, we are finally at the point where we can exhale and smile knowing that it was all worth it. We built this company from the ground up and are incredibly grateful and proud. Bandit, in case anyone was wondering, is our 4 year old dachshund!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
We are both lovers of storytelling, whether it be from acting or playing music. Of course, it can sometimes be challenging to make a living doing what you’re passionate about.

I think the thing that’s always helped me get through the challenging times is to trust that as long as I’m true to myself and put forth my genuine self, everything else will fall into place the way it should. There’s enough love and success for everyone in this world, and it comes to us all in its perfect time.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Rent a bike in Santa Monica and then park your bike in Venice. Stop in for drinks or snacks around there, then jump back on your bike and keep making your way south along the beach. Turn around whenever you feel like it, return the bike, jump into the ocean, and watch the sunset.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We would not have thought of producing creative content for businesses if it weren’t for our friend, Ted Baker (founder of QALO). Ted knew that we were producing short films, and so one day, he called and asked if we could produce a commercial for one of his companies.

After that, he started referring us to every single company he knew that was looking for creative content. He referred us to clients in New York, New Jersey, Atlanta, and Nashville (talk about getting to travel for work!) and we were able to quickly build our portfolio.

Thank you, Teddy B!

Website: www.banditfilmworks.com

Instagram: @banditfilmworks

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/76221524/admin/

Twitter: https://www.linkedin.com/company/banditfilmworks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/banditfilmworks/