A Day in the Life of Tom Gent, Co-Founder of Founder Creative
Could you walk me through a typical day in your role?
One of the things I love most about my role is that there’s rarely a day that is the same each week. The variety is what keeps things fresh and exciting. Day-to-day I can be developing ideas for a pitch, chatting to new prospective clients, working closely with a director as a treatment comes together, feeding back on an edit or being out on location for a shoot. It’s a broad range in my role as Head of Creative, so every day is so different and that’s why I love what I do.
What was your early career like?
I’d say my journey into the industry properly began when I moved down to London and started at MTV in 2003. It was such an exciting time to be working there and was still seen as a leading creative content maker. Camden, where the office was based, was an incredibly vibrant and creative place, and around the early 2000s was an amazing time for British acts.
How did your role as Creative Producer at BBC Sport inform your career?
Music and sport are my two passions, so to have the chance to cut my teeth at the best Sports broadcaster in the world was a dream come true. There was a pecking order, in BBC Sport, and you had to earn your stripes and prove you were good enough for certain responsibilities. It was a little bit old school in that respect. Over time I was able to work on some incredible events. From summer and winter Olympics to World Cups and everything in between, such as Match of the Day, F1, Ski Sunday, and Wimbledon. My time at BBC Sport was the pivotal moment of my career.
I was able to learn from some incredible people who had years of experience and were willing to pass it on to people like myself. Looking up to those around you and observing was brilliant for my development. I learnt how to write and produce interviews and documentaries, direct crews in studios, and work with presenters to get the best out of them.
What are your favorite tools?
Slack and WhatsApp are our saviors, especially as we often have multiple teams running different projects at any one time. Frame.io is also a brilliant tool for being able to view edits and give speedy feedback. Nice and easy in terms of seeing all feedback in one place and being able to keep things moving. Viewing things on trains and on location is often necessary, so it’s an awesome bit of kit when fast feedback is needed.
What are your thoughts on AI?
AI is clearly going to play a huge role in video production and the industry as a whole. We know that other agencies are using AI already to put together pitch decks in half a day as opposed to weeks, which is incredible to think of, and a bit scary. AI is currently in its infancy, but it feels like it’s going to be quite an incredible journey over the next couple of years in terms of how it’s going to shape the industry and transform the way we find ourselves working. I think there should be a little bit of caution applied though, and there’s always a need for humans in all of this in the end.
What would be your dream project?
A dream project would be taking a leaf out of the Nike ads from the mid-90s and early 2000s, to bring together amazing footballing talent and do something that puts a smile on people’s faces. Everybody loves creating a piece of work that sticks with people, but this is even more challenging nowadays due to the sheer amount of content out there. But those ads are so memorable, so being able to pull something together like that for this generation is a dream of mine.
What career advice would you give your younger self?
Back yourself and your ideas. Value your own time. Try to say no to things if you don’t fully believe in them and speak up. Don’t stay in one place too long or ever feel like you’re standing still. Look to try and do something different which gets you noticed. It’s important to back yourself and know your worth.
FAQs
Q: What inspired you to start Founder Creative?
A: I wanted to bring my passion for storytelling and creativity to the world of sport and gaming.
Q: What’s the most challenging part of your job?
A: Client expectations, tight deadlines, and having to wear many hats as a creative lead.
Q: What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
A: Seeing our work come to life and hearing feedback from clients that our content has made a meaningful impact.
Q: How do you stay inspired and motivated?
A: I’m constantly seeking out new sources of inspiration, whether it’s through travel, reading, or conversations with others in the industry. I also believe in surrounding myself with talented, driven people who push me to be my best self.
