Getting to Know… Gorodenkoff Productions

As a full service production house, Gorodenkoff Productions creates high-quality, versatile content and is especially well known for its extensive stock footage portfolio. With experience in over 700 diverse projects and a skilled in-house team, including VFX artists and an art department, it offers both traditional full-scale production and production services, as well as cutting-edge virtual production, combining innovative ideas with technical excellence.

Gorodenkoff’s recent work includes the production of a TVC for Stone X, a Fortune 50 financial services company, viewed by millions worldwide. The company has also provided production services for leading global brands such as Vanish and Strepsils. In addition to their commercial work, Gorodenkoff produces high-end stock footage which includes Samsung, LG and Microsoft, among many others.

Aleksei spoke with LBB about founding Gorodenkoff with his father, growing to a 20-person (mostly Gemini) team and their upcoming in-house documentary.

LBB> Tell us a bit about Gorodenkoff Productions – when did you form and why?

Aleksei> The story goes like this – we started by making small commercials for the Estonian market, using a bit of stock footage. We quickly noticed how little high-quality material there was in video libraries and decided to create our own. From there, everything took off. We grew from a small team into one of the largest stock media producers in the world, selling over 10 million licenses. Today, we have a 20-person team and our own virtual production studio.

From the very beginning, we wanted to stand out – to create beautifully directed, cinematic shots that were missing from the market. We never copied others, we aimed for our material to look as good as the best commercials in the world.

LBB> What’s the story behind your name?

Aleksei> It’s our family name. The company was founded by my father and me. It made sense when it was just the two of us, and the name has stayed ever since.

LBB> Tell us about up to three campaigns that epitomise what you do as a company.

Aleksei> Stone X is a great example of the power of virtual production. Serving over half a million clients worldwide, StoneX Group Inc. is a Fortune 100 financial company, and we had the privilege of helping them craft a campaign that connected their services with their audience in a meaningful, visually engaging way. The studio featured locations from all over the world including a real time change of scenery from Rio de Janeiro to London. We leaned into the fact that it was virtual – the screen became a character of its own.

LBB> Give us a fun fact about your company.

Aleksei> Somehow, over half of our 20-person team are Geminis. The cake and champagne come out almost daily in June.

LBB> What are your strongest opinions about your industry?

Aleksei> I believe change in the industry happens far too slowly. It’s frustrating to see how inefficiently some productions still operate for their clients, with outdated workflows and pipelines that waste both time and money. It honestly pains me to see so much effort poured into old technologies, while the client ends up paying for the inefficiency. I started out as a cinematographer, so I understand the fun of experimenting with complex rigs and tech toys, but to me, this is a business, not an art project. A smart, streamlined workflow and true efficiency should always come first.

LBB> What are you proudest of as a company?

Aleksei> We’ve created an enormous amount of content in our small country, Estonia, and it’s been used by major brands around the world. Billions of people have seen our work – that’s something we’re really proud of.

LBB> What are some upcoming projects our readers should keep an eye on?

Aleksei> We’re producing an in-house documentary aimed at leading streaming platforms – a three-part documentary series that follows a man’s journey with multiple sclerosis - not as a fight, but as a story of growth and acceptance.

LBB> Where can we check out Gorodenkoff Productions online?

Aleksei> You can find us at www.gorodenkoff.com and @Gorodenkoff on Instagram.