Meet Raft Content: Mexico’s Shapeshifting Production Partner

“When you move beyond the ‘market positioning’ rhetoric of production services companies, you end up with what companies say they do and what they can actually deliver… Our production framework focuses on delivering solutions that help our partners overcome a number of challenges.”

These challenges, says Raft Content’s co-founder and director Arnaldo Iñigo, are solved by Raft’s team of production experts in a way that meets the production collective’s creative sensibilities and production standards. This different mindset and more creative approach to production services is what makes the company, which has made its home in both Mexico City and London, stand out from more traditional competition in the field of production services.

Describing the need for this evolution in the sector, Arnaldo says, “An excellent producer is a master at developing and nurturing a robust and creative environment and embracing a project's creative vision and possibilities. This is a creative process - it embraces creativity by managing uncertainty and seeing opportunities where others see problems. Ultimately, they understand the complexities of each personality and coordinate them to focus on one goal: to create work that is as good as the team’s ambitions.”

After meeting co-founder Borja V. Conde while working as head of production for VIX LATAM, the largest streaming network for the Hispanic market in the US, Arnaldo says that the pair’s international experience in both the production and creative worlds is what makes their company so unique. “While working for VIX, we produced 400 pieces of content monthly across five cities (Miami, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Montevideo and São Paulo), averaging one billion monthly views,” he says. “During this time, we worked with incredible teams and have an enviable black book of collaborators who can deliver the impossible and whom we can call family.”

Arnaldo has been a director at various agencies and production companies in the UK and Mexico, while Borja boasts a list of credits as a producer, cinematographer and director, helping them to understand both sides of the equation when working on productions with Raft Content. However, as Arnaldo mentioned earlier, the duo see Raft in a different light to your average production services offering - noting that the company holds a range of capabilities, from more assisting roles to standalone full-scale productions.

He says, “We like to see ourselves as a production partner that shapeshifts at a moment's notice. In the past few months, we have brought projects to life in their entirety, but we have also acted as a sounding board for production teams who are looking to connect with Mexican creatives.”

The team isn’t just proud of being able to bridge international clients to local talent, but also is passionate about representing and evangelising Mexico as an ideal production location: “Mexico has it all!” Describing the nation as “a location chameleon” with historical backdrops, modern architecture and perfectly equipped sound stages, Arnaldo praises the “A-class crews”, “big rental houses” offering specialist gear with local operators and its incredible weather as benefits for shooting in Mexico.  

He adds, “On average, shooting in Mexico is 40% cheaper than shooting in the US and 30% cheaper than in Europe. Also, all video productions shot in Mexico whose primary use will be outside Mexico are considered an ‘export product’ and will be exempt from value-added tax.”

To ensure they’re working with “the top 1%” of diverse Mexican talent, Arnaldo shares that the company works with a selected pool of collaborators, amongst them, Yanga, a new business unit from production company The Lift which discovers, manages and nurtures talent that is representative of Mexico. Appreciating the passion, love and respect for Mexico that Yanga has in common with Raft, he says, "they recently launched their management and booking division to bring exclusive and dazzling talent to non-fiction and fiction projects.”

Utilising all the fantastic domestic talent, locations and facilities that the country has to offer, Raft celebrates Mexico’s unique culture and people through a shared love for filmmaking and a uniquely active, creative approach. “We look where no one else knows to look,” says Arnaldo, “and we know what makes the country’s heart beat. We hope to share this far and wide.” Continuing to list the pillars that uphold Raft’s production framework, he says, “The success of a project is underpinned by our ability to assemble the best talent and to equip them with the resources and conditions to thrive.” 

By bringing together the region’s top production experts with the necessary facilities, Raft has recently brought to life several campaigns for Nike, including one directed by LANDIA director Alexis Gómez that focused on a quintessential part of Mexican culture, lucha libre. As well as depicting an honest portrait of what it means to be a luchador, Raft also worked with Nike on a Dia de Muertos campaign which provided some production challenges for the team to overcome. “We had to adhere to flawless scheduling due to shooting with elite athletes and artists,” explains Arnaldo, “so we needed a stills and film studio running together. The campaign had to be delivered shortly after the shoot, which meant the turnaround was tight too. We all loved it, and the client is thrilled with the result.” 

Bringing this fighting spirit and intimate knowledge of local Mexican traditions and culture into 2023, Arnaldo shares his optimism for the future of the company. “We are meeting incredible, ambitious producers [who are] passionate about Mexico, which is super exciting!” And he reveals that more partnerships, such as one that has recently been completed with cinematic footage licensing company FilmSupply, are on the horizon too. But for now, Arnaldo, Borja and the team are continuing to produce work with many collaborators who wish to be guided with an expert eye through everything that Mexico’s production industry has to offer - all with a passion and respect for both the craft and the country they hold dear.

“Great work originates from a culture of transparency, trust, respect and teamwork. [At Raft] there is unquestionable graft, grit and sheer determination to overcome whatever challenges may arise,” says Arnaldo. “Enthusiasm underpins creative generosity, which is the foundation of brilliant work.”