Bridget Scarr, a founding partner and managing director of The Hummingbird Group
which houses the industry-awarded design, animation and post-production company
Pollen Creative Media, believes there are vast opportunities in Africa in the film,
television and digital sectors.
“The entertainment industry worldwide is rapidly evolving; traditional business and
economic models are changing and new economic models in the film and TV industries
are beginning to show their power. The opportunities that exist in first world
countries for content production, distribution and licensing are very much tangible
opportunities in South Africa, but as a developing economy, the range and diversity of
opportunities are different,’ says Scarr.
She believes that in order to meet this opportunity, it is critical that the industry is
adequately equipped with the right talent to accommodate the terrain change. While
there is much development in entrepreneurism within the creative space, the industry
is still facing serious skills shortages. The time is now for producers and creatives to
learn as much as possible about the business of film and TV in order to take
advantage of current and coming opportunities.
With a media and entertainment focus, sitting at the confluence point of content,
advertising and technology, The Hummingbird Group houses other companies
including Hey!Fever, a content production company that not only shoots and edits but
which has a talent for storytelling across platforms; Apiary – a digital company offering
bespoke digital and technology solutions; Hive, the group’s content development,
management and licensing arm; and Brave, a company focused only on African content
solutions.
Pollen Creative Media was established as the first company in The Hummingbird
Group’s stable and today, Scarr and her business partner Graeme Carr have grown
Pollen Creative Media into one of the industries most respected and evolving creative
media offerings. The partners are a formidable pair, with Scarr’s strategic aptitude for
business development and Carr’s award-winning creative eye, both are
uncompromising when it comes to the quality of work produced.
Two of The Hummingbird Group’s companies, Hey!Fever and Brave
have both been created with the core desire of nurturing creative talent in the business.
“In both cases the opportunity, the talent and the timing was right,’ comments Scarr.
“These are creative people that I really believe in and with whom together I believe
we can achieve great things’.
Scarr attributes much of the group’s success to constantly challenging the status quo.
Where other businesses may prefer to stick to a more traditional approach either
through providing a single service offering or a particular style, for Pollen, problem
solving is always at the heart of the business. This has led them to push the
boundaries in all areas of the business, which means they frequently step out of what
can be termed as an industry comfort zone.
