Making videos for the startup world, Laputa Media

As we become a very picture and video world, we have increased need for pictures and videos. The mobile phone camera was the most liberating piece of equipment made, that helped everyone on street to turn into a photographer and videographer. But no matter how good your phone camera is, you still need professional services for recording or producing professional videos. So while you may have your neighbourhood videographer at disposal, if you are in a mood to experiment, try Laputa Media, a video solutions company from Hyderabad that specializes in creating high-quality and cost effective videos for startups. So next time you’re in need of a promotional video, an ad film or a mini-documentary try Laputa.

Founded by Ankit Bakshi, a biotech engineer, Laputa media today makes videos and also caters to design needs of a venture. Ankit started dabbling in videos from his college days. “While in college I would always spend my free time writing scripts for short films until I began making them. A few of them got selected at film festivals around the world and this gave me a lot of encouragement,” says Ankit about the motivation. He started by making shortfilms that starred his friends, but somewhere along the way realized there was no returns he got out of it. So he decided to focus his energies on making short films for a particular brand or company and get paid for it as well.

After college, Ankit took up a normal job, but he says that was always a stop gap arrangement. During the period he was still doing his groundwork and research, met entrepreneurs and also realized that not many agencies in the market were catering only to social ventures or the start-up space. And that is the niche he decided to plunge in.

Since starting in July 2011, Laputa has worked with social ventures like DesiCrew, Villgro, Jago Party, UnLtd Hyderabad and The Right To Walk Foundation. And also serviced start-ups like Nation Wide, Little Eye Labs, Phisix Fashion Labs etc. “Having volunteered, interned and interacted with social ventures and start-ups I had a very clear understanding of their needs and demands. We understand the challenges that they face are lot more than just financial ones,” says Ankit. He claims to have specialized their functioning in a way they can maximize the output with limited resources. “We use certain techniques and processes which allow us to cater at a nominal price and at the same time be sustainable,” he says.

Currently Ankit works with a mix of a few full-time employees and few freelancers. He handles the responsibilities of a creative director, and also has an editor, graphic designer and a music composer on board. Actors and voice-over artists are hired based on specific requirements. Ankit says they have grown well in terms of their client base, team and revenues. Besides startups, some of the well-known names that they have worked with include Microsoft, Google India, Harvard International Review, Harvard Model United Nations, Simba toys and Snapdeal. Ankit claims to have worked on close to 40 videos for 18 clients, of which five clients have been on retainer basis. “In the start-up/social venture sector not many would contract vendors but we have had a lot of clients coming back to us,” he says.

More recently, Laputa has also started a design unit to generate promotional designs in terms of logos, collaterals, banners, print-ads etc. They have so far helped satisfy design needs for 7 clients.

Ankit is not too worried about competition, because he thinks there is enough work for everyone. “It would be best for us to focus our energies to constantly improve ourselves than to worry about competition,” he thinks. However for him the challenges have been to get more clients and employing the right kind of people in the team, which he feels is a continuous process and cannot be dealt with in a day.

Ankit’s all time favorite video is the Incredible India 2012 commercial and on the design from he just loves all things done for Amul. “The Amul girl is one of the most phenomenal inventions in advertising!” says Ankit.