“There’s No Template” for MOFA’s New Model, Centred on Making Docos, Feature Films for Brands

Giving brands access to long-form opportunities is the goal at the centre of Australian production company MOFA’s new partnership with international producer, Gal Greenspan, as it eyes becoming “the place” for directors to develop their craft.

The reimagined MOFA taps into Gal’s global narrative, production, and distribution expertise; his production company will operate under the MOFA banner and Gal will serve as co-managing director with Llew Griffiths.

MOFA co-founder and director Nick Kelly told LBB the expanded capability opens the door to commercial partners becoming involved in long-form content production -- from product placements to brand-led productions.

“It's less of a linear process where production is at the end,” Nick said. “Considering everything at a project's inception opens up more possibilities for how it can come to life.

“There’s no template. There’s an education element with talking to clients earlier in the process. Rather than clients picking off a menu, it’s a conversation [about] ambitions… creating something for them or having something in the pipeline that may align with them. Those discussions and collaborations coming earlier is something we're encouraging.”

The prodco will retain its offices in Sydney and Melbourne, with directors and producers “cross-pollinating” across long-form and commercial projects.

Gal’s and MOFA’s existing teams will continue functioning as normal in their own fields, but Gal is excited to bring the narrative and commercial worlds together.

“When people can watch Netflix or YouTube and they pay, they don't see any commercials, so a younger [person] might never be exposed to some [brands],” Gal told LBB.

“Brands are looking for other ways to get in front of that audience. Combining content and branding could be beneficial for both sides.”

Addressing the fact a film director’s work is usually lonely is also a bonus of the new MOFA model, according to Llew.

“[We’re] really creating an ecosystem around a great roster of directors, who also have different, long-form ambitions, drawing on [the combined expertise and experience] of MOFA,” he said.

“Directors [with] film projects often do them with other companies or off their own backs. There aren’t many companies out there with commercial directors doing long-form projects with them, so it's often a tricky, tag-team between the two.

“I think we can create something that helps them do that with us, and be more efficient [under] the same umbrella.”

Nick added the company is disrupting traditionally passive production workflows, during which a director spends most of the time “waiting”.

“The best thing you can have as a director is momentum,” Nick said.

“When someone has momentum, it builds and builds … the enemy of every director is stasis, the silence as [you’re] waiting.

“We’re excited about [having] everyone working on and developing something at any given time if possible, no matter what field it’s in, because that momentum keeps everyone focussed and excited.

“[Having] people you can constantly talk to about [your projects] has been really good for morale, but it is early days.”

He described the current stage of the joint venture as a “discovery process”, exploring different media formats while learning about the production and distribution realities. By the same token, Nick can collaborate with Gal on brand partnership opportunities in the long-form business.

“I’d love to see MOFA [become] the place where directors can come and work on all the facets of their storytelling [and] feel like it's a place where they're supported on all fronts.

“A lot of directors work on their projects in isolation, and they might work on them for a year and then take it to someone like Gal who works externally. [By then,] they might have spent a year pedalling uphill in the wrong direction.

“The immediacy of being able to share feedback on everything we're working on at all times is already bearing a lot of fruit for us.”

One month in, Gal has learned commercial filmmaking is a good training ground for aspiring long-form directors, having taken note of commercial directors’ ability to meet deadlines, collaborate, and understand audiences.

“Balancing [work that] will take years to produce [with] what you're doing day to day … we think this is a good way for directors to work, and a good way for us to build their careers and support them in different areas,” he said.

There are “great opportunities”, Llew said, for brands to partner on long-form content, including features and documentaries. A documentary -- in collaboration with a major streamer -- a horror thriller, and a feature debut for director Bill Bleakley are currently in the works.

“We have projects underway under the MOFA banner, and it's our intention now to get out there to agencies and brands and start showing them where there's opportunities in the long-form world,” he said.

“Every project can be so different and find a different audience. We can try and create bespoke projects depending on the need.”