Shift Post’s Mission to Grow Talent from Within
Established by editor Saam Hodivala in 2021, Shift Post blossomed during the pandemic as an independent response to an increasingly saturated post scene.
Totally focused on growing talent from the ground up through the familiar runner-assistant pipelines, and entirely dedicated to the work, Saam knew exactly what energy Shift had to have. And naturally, when he started gathering his team he saw that vision shape up, as those coming to Shift were all people willing to let go of the big established companies in favour of seeing something new and independent at its conception.
At the start, he toyed with focusing the company into his line of work and specialism - comedy. Soon enough, though, he understood the importance of diversifying the work.
In comes editor Paul O’Reilly, bringing an entirely new dimension of work to Shift with his knack for abstract storytelling. While the two knew each other since their assistant days, Paul and Saam were convinced that their specialisms are polar opposites. That was, until Paul chose to become part of Shift at the ground level of the company’s journey. Through working together, the two have realised their areas of expertise have more overlap than expected.
LBB’s Zoe Antonov spoke to Saam and Paul about the beginning of Shift Post, why they’re super protective over “the vibe” of the company and what the future holds.
LBB> To start, would you guys want to tell me a little bit more about your respective roles at Shift Post and what each of them means to you.
Saam> I set up Shift Post in 2021. I was at Work Editorial for 14 years prior, I was the runner when they first set up in London. For a while I had been wanting to set up my own company and so used the pandemic as the springboard for that. I think a lot of other people had the same idea, there’s been tonnes of little startups, particularly in post.
I had a roster of regular directors that I worked with so I was pretty lucky to have back to back work from the start, but it was just me so I was editing, producing and doing the whole thing myself. It was exhausting, but the lack of overheads gave Shift the best start possible.
I predominantly cut comedy so I imagined bringing other comedy editors on board, but for a number of reasons I came to the conclusion that pigeon-hole-ing Shift as a comedy edit house wasn’t the best thing to do.
Paul and I have known each other since we were assistants so when he showed interest in joining us and being part of this whole thing, it was an incredibly exciting opportunity. Now he’s been with us for about six months, right Paul?
Paul> Yeah! I assisted with Saam years ago, so we've known each other for a while. I was first at Stitch and then moved to Trim which is where I saw what Saam was doing. The idea of working with someone at the same level and age as me was really appealing, while our work is different, we are at the same stage of our careers which seemed more appealing than being under the cosh of a big company.
However, I didn’t have much comedy on my reel, so that was when the big decision was made to change the direction Shift would go in.
Saam> It’s definitely important to have a vision when you start something new, but the one thing that I’ve learned in the last year is that you have to stay open to opportunities that show up on the way and adapt to them.
It's been amazing since Paul joined, the work that we do here and the people that we have coming into the office has diversified, it's brought the company to life in so many ways.
It was always important to me that we grow talent from within which Paul is super passionate about as well. We both recognise the strength of nurturing people through the traditional route that me and him came through. When you get that right it creates lasting relationships with your co-workers that run deep. The work that Paul does now opens our assistants’ and runners’ eyes to a wider spectrum of possibility compared to when it was just me.
LBB> Saam we spoke about your area of expertise being comedy, but Paul, what niche do you feel most comfortable with? Or do you tend to dabble in everything?
Paul> I would say I work mostly within lifestyle, music and sports. I’m after a ‘cool’ aesthetic so while there’s still storytelling in my work, it's a lot more abstract than with scripted narrative. So yeah, it's quite different to what Saam does but I feel like since we've been working together, it's been really interesting to watch each other and learn from each other's styles. Seeing the creativity and the art in both and how differently it manifests is an ongoing learning experience for both of us.
Saam> Yeah, definitely! That’s all you could ask for in a creative environment, isn't it? To have a space where you learn from other people, you're inspired by them and by the work that’s going on. It generates a buzz and excitement, which is really all I ever wanted to achieve when I started Shift. I wanted to create a place that people love coming in to every day, a really nice environment where everyone's working towards the same goal, which is to just do wicked work and have a nice time. We’re so lucky that this is our job and that the work we do is amazing, it should be fun and enjoyable!
LBB> Have you noticed any gaps that you might fill for each other – spaces within the work where one of you might not feel confident enough and where the other steps in to help, or provides valuable knowledge?
Paul> When it comes to us working together, I think whenever one of us feels slightly outside their comfort zone, or for example if I’m doing something that I don’t normally do or something that more suits Saam’s work, we’re always there to fall back on each other. Say, “What do you think of this, is it coming across?” and it goes both ways. It’s just refreshing to have the opinion of someone you really trust at your disposal, it’s been great on that front.
Saam> We've also noticed that while, on paper, the work we do is on the opposite ends of the spectrum, there is actually much more of an overlap than we thought. Pauls work has a fun, vibrant energy to it that translates well to comedy and I think for me, watching how he works I'm starting to feel like I could bring some more abstract narrative elements to my work too.
LBB> What does Shift’s culture mean to each of you?
Paul> It’s cliché to say this but, because the company is so young and small, we have the unique opportunity to try and build the culture that we really want. That’s why we’ve been so selective about everybody’s vibe and energy. We’re trying to create a close-knit community within Shift where everyone feels the same thing and pushes in the same direction. It’s so easy to feel dissociated from the place you work at, and I think that’s what I feel we’re most conscious of.
We try to have a fun energy and keep things calm, for both people that work here and our clients. We hang out in reception, we get on with everyone even down to the runner who’s super confident and competent and wants to come out and chat with everybody. That’s the culture that we want Shift to have.
Saam> Everyone on our team has come from established places – Paul came from Trim, our amazing EP Kirsty came from Stitch, our new assistant Christina from the Quarry. Over the last couple of years we've approached various people, but not everyone is willing to take the leap. I think in part, Shifts culture is shaped by the fact that it is made up of people who are willing to leave these bigger places, take a chance and join something small and new. Because of that, the vibe here is one of enthusiasm and excitement, we’re all driven by a desire to make this awesome, everyone is totally invested!
LBB> And what are you guys most excited about when you look at the near future?
Paul> I'm just super excited about the journey ahead and being at somewhere on the ground floor. I don’t know what the end of this year will look like and being able to watch Shift grow is going to be super exciting – makes everything feel really fresh and inspiring.
Saam> The reason why I wanted to do this in the first place, is to nurture and grow talent. Adam Buckmaster has just been promoted from assistant to editor, I see him getting busier and it makes me so happy! Our new assistant Christina is cutting short films and promos, even our runner Stanley is cutting; everyone is growing. That’s what excites me the most about the future because ultimately, any company is only as good as the people that work there.
