From Paris to San Diego: How Thierry Denis Built a Thriving Video Production Company
Thierry Denis is the founder of Helium Films and co-founder of Ockam, bringing his unique French perspective to the competitive San Diego video production scene. After moving from Paris to the US following a documentary project, Denis has built a successful commercial video business that serves medium-sized companies and works with major agencies on high-profile brand campaigns.
Key Takeaways from This Episode:
- Start Smart, Not Big: Denis got his first client within just one month of launching by partnering with a photography studio and leveraging his French connections to appear larger than he was
- Distribution Trumps Production: The most expensive video won’t succeed without proper ad spend—invest more in pushing your content than creating it
- Platform-Specific Content is Essential: You can’t just repurpose one video across all platforms; TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube each require tailored approaches for maximum impact
- Target Your Audience Precisely: Every video should speak directly to a specific demographic on a specific platform—generic content gets ignored
- Test Before You Scale: Start with low-cost influencer-style videos to validate your concept before investing $40K+ in high-production commercials
Watch the full episode now on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opbtizHQRWo
Memorable Quote:
"If you're gonna put money into something, you should put it into the distribution first. Do the video for like 100 bucks and then go spend 50 grand pushing that video—you're gonna see more results than doing a fifty thousand dollar video and then 100 bucks in ad spend."