Ben Crawford is one of the founders of Epipheo Studios. I first saw Epipheo's early video work in 2009 and immediately became a fan. They have a knack for making ideas easy to understand in a very informal, disarming way. Since that time I've become friends with Ben and watched Epipheo transform into an innovative company that's looking beyond animation and creating their own way to make a difference in communication.
I asked Ben to answer a few questions about himself and what's happening at Epipheo:
1. Tell me about Epipheo. What's your role there and how did the company get started?
I was one of four founding friends and partners. It's hard to describe the role of the founders because while we've each tried wearing various hats or using business card titles we've found that it's more restricting to narrow ourselves down to a department or title. We work and function more as a very dynamic partnership and while we each have our unique strengths our superpower is really in our weekly board meeting which is a deep discussion about the state and direction of our company.
Our company got it's start by believing that communication is important and that the best way you could love a person is to take the time to translate a message that is for them. It's funny that only one of the partners had video experience and none of us had any formal training in communication or advertising or anything like that but I think that's actually worked out to our advantage. We were able to look at an industry with completely fresh eyes and approach the tools and mediums with our own goals instead of starting with the methods and midsets that already exist.
2. What does an effective epipheo look like to you? What qualities do you feel are essential in a successful video?
It's funny because Epipheo has become so much more than just videos. Overall an Epipheo needs to communicate Truth, Story, and Love. I'm not always sure what that looks like but we want every product that epipheo creates to resonate in the deepest way possible with the human soul. We want it to make people think bigger. Bigger than the latest internet technology or great feature. We want people to ask "Why?" Why should they care? Why does it matter?
3. What advice do you have for professionals who have a hard time communicating their ideas?
People can teach you how to communicate better but I think good communication is a byproduct. Try to understand people and yourself. And then start caring and loving people (more). I remember hearing a guy say to a group of married guys: "You don't need to understand women, you just need to understand one woman." It's really freeing to know it's not always a science or psychological feat. You just have to care. When you really care about people you start to develop a passion on how to reach them and what works and doesn't work. Also, if a passion for people is what's driving you, you're not as restrained by the "how" and "what". You just do whatever works best.
4. Where is Epipheo headed? What will we see in coming years?
This question is exciting because no one knows. The only thing I can guarantee is that it will probably not look like what it looks like now. With a vision statement like "Truth, Story, Love." it can take you a lot of places if you're dedicated to following it with integrity.