Get to know Raz Cunningham and LittleFire

Owner’s  names: Raz Cunningham & Aidan Laliberte
Business name: LittleFire
Website: www.littlefirefilm.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/LittleFireLF
Instagram: @LittleFireLF

1. Tell us about your business.

LittleFire is a creative content agency. We're a collective of content creators and filmmakers who have been working in the feature film, television and streaming worlds for over ten years. We've worked on video and activation projects for Nat Geo, Hilton, Lululemon, Jasmeson, Castle Island, Group9, the Roger Williams Park Zoo, and PVDonuts. Some of that was video, some of it was copywriting and concepting, and some of it consists of on-going projects.

2. Is there a story behind the name?
While we work with a lot of global partners, we're also boutique, so we wanted to find a name that reflected that, that felt approachable. It took some searching, but we felt LittleFire reflected that and also gave a sense of warmth and comfort, which is what we always strive to be, on top of turnkey for our partners.

3. How did you get started?
We officially formed in 2018 after our time on a show for LEGO, which I was a showrunner for and co-creator of. Our time on that project was quite the experience, and after that, we decided to form our own company, which was honestly long overdue in my personal life. It's something I should have done years ago but was never in the right headspace for. After meeting my current business partner, Aidan Laliberte, and working with him on a number of projects, we felt it was the right time. I knew starting the business could never be a solo endeavor, no one does anything well alone. And Aidan was the first person in a long while I met that I could trust on the level one would need to in order to start a business of this nature. There were practices on sets that we both experienced that were harmful, unprofessional and hindering, that we wanted to make sure our team was never exposed to again- starting LittleFire allowed us to set the tone and cultivate a sense of comfort and community that would affect every set we run. We've been constantly improving our methods and practices since.

4. Who is your target customer?

That's an interesting question. I wouldn't say we have customers so much as partners, as what we do isn't always a normal vendor/client relationship. That being said, we gravitate towards humor, social and informative content. There are one-off videos that we do make for more traditional clients and they've been such great collaborators, they like to take chances on ideas. We're proud of that work. We're also starting to make content for broadcast partners, which is the world I came from back in New York so it's nice to return "home" so to speak. It's not usually an easy task to live outside of a hub city and make a living in production as a writer, director or producer, but when you know how to work within those systems, you'd be surprised at just exactly what can happen.

5. What do you love about what you do?

As much as I want to say everything, I can't. Like any job, there are moments where you look at the crucial task ahead of you as nothing more than a task. This isn't a red carpet life, thankfully. That's not quite our scene. What we do love though, well, we're addicted to content. At any given point you can find myself, or Aidan, or some of our collaborators and partners with about five or six tabs open of videos, articles or podcasts we have yet to view or experience, just as fans of those creators. We love getting to contribute to the (sometimes overcrowded) greater content world. We love creating stories and characters, finding new ways to get messages out there, we love sharing information with interested audiences, and we love walking partners through new content and marketing concepts. It's really hard to narrow down just what about the creative process it is that gets us going, but we know it's in there somewhere!

6. What content might we have seen already?
Right now the thing we're most proud of is a podcast called Working Over Time, hosted by Discovery & Science Channels' Dr. Karen Bellinger. In it, we look at history through the lens of work. Some examples are Snake Oil Salesmen in Reconstruction America, Maya Kings in the Classic Period, Ballerinas in Fin de Siecle Paris, and Legionaries in Ancient Rome. Karen talks with very entertaining experts, who are also featured on Discovery and Science Channel, about these topics. It's a structured conversation, rather than a lecture. Who were the people that worked these jobs? How did the job work? What were the tools of the trade? What was the system in place that required it? And most importantly, how did it bring us to where we are today? We also just created a video in partnership with the RWZoo for their Zoobilee Virtual Event that we were lucky to have been a part of. That can be found on their YouTube/Facebook pages and our Vimeo page. There are also several regional broadcast and streaming clients spots I'm sure some people have seen, which can also be found on our Vimeo page.

7. What’s in the pipeline for new content?
Oh boy, a lot. Despite the pandemic, we've been fortunate. We've started filming for a new original YouTube series with backing from an incredible sponsor. It's an updated version of a project we did for fun back when we first started LittleFire. We also just became partners with a popular YouTube channel that we'll be contributing children's content to in November on a regular basis. And just around the corner, we also have a limited scripted podcast series called The Ferry, which is a spooky mystery, being released just in time for Halloween. 

8. How long have you been in Rhode Island?
I was born and raised in RI, went to college in New York in 2002, where I cut my teeth for years before traveling around working on different projects and finally permanently settling back down in 2014. 

9. What do you {heart} about Rhode Island?
Rhode Island has this interesting ability to constantly surprise me with the level of creativity here. It's truly incredible. When you look at who else is here; RISD, NAIL, Gnarly Bay, Tellart, What Cheer Writers Club, The Spark, the local PBS station (which is stellar and should be on more people's radar), on top of the features that have been here, from Netflix to History Channel, it's hard not to feel at home. There are also some new, growing creative businesses we're hoping do well. I'm also massively proud of our state's Green/Blue energy initiatives, our free resident community college tuition and our incredible food culture, though it's been hard to watch a lot of my favorite spots shut down due to the pandemic. 

10. Any advice for people wanting to get started in the business?
Too much, maybe? The first thing is, figure out what you want to do, then try to connect with someone who does that job. Reach out to the RI Film Office and ask if they'd be willing to put you in contact with someone who does that job. It's not an easy thing to make a living in film and television outside of a hub city, especially if you're looking to make a career out of being a writer, director, producer and even actor. It's not a universal truth, but most of the time, you're going to have to leave the area to make an actual living doing those things. The reason I say that is because the organizations making the projects and decisions that pay enough to make a living in those four positions don't do their development and hiring here. I've only been fortunate because of my experience and ties back in the hub cities. The people that hire me there know me and trust me. There's an irony to the fact that if you want to get a job doing that here, you have to live there. Most feature films that come here, hire their directors from agencies, which are in NY and LA. They'll crew up anywhere, but they'll hire those key positions from industry professionals. If you're here and you want to direct a feature, you're probably going to have to raise the resources yourself. It's more complicated than we have time for right now, and I could go on and on about it, but hopefully that's a clear overview.

The other thing I'd advise is that just getting out of college and starting a video company is a tough gig. Any new company is gonna be hard the first few years, but the entertainment industry (and video), much like politics, doesn't have a set map. Anyone really can enter it as the gatekeepers are variable based on context and area. Unions have structures and methods, but most video and content companies have their own unique infrastructure. Everyone is different. Don't rent a space if you don't need one, even though you think it might be cool to have an office. You'll quickly find you dont need that 5 days a week. Make sure you have a sales person. Don't try to do everything yourself, that's a recipe for disaster. Find a team you trust. Trust is important. Allow yourself to trust. If you don't know something, ask. It's okay to say "I don't know, let's find out". I've been in this industry over 15 years and I still learn something new every day. If you make a mistake, own it, learn from it and move on. You'd be amazed at how many producers and directors don't live by that. And also, most importantly, be a PA for a bit. Be a crew member. Do not jump into trying to be a director or producer right away. Do not do that thing. Learn first. Work first. Please, I beg you. Your future crews beg you. And always, always, just treat people right. Thank them at the end of every day. 

11. Please include anything else you’d like to add:
Yes, my advice is not gospel, except for the PA part. Please be a PA for a few projects on different sets. But outside of that, people find success in any number of ways. And if you're reading this, I'd love to hear how you found yours, or what your process has been like.

Also, follow us at @LittleFireLF on Instagram & Twitter.