Dirty No More - Introducing: A Running Commentary
When you first meet Ben Parkin and Alex Bedford, you are struck by how easy they are to get along with. Their client list boasts names like Jaguar, Ford, Harley Davidson, Microsoft, Red Bull, Department for Transport and Heinz to name a few. They’ve also produced music videos for the likes of Bastille, Yusuf / Cat Stevens, Sundara Karma, Gorgon City and Rosie Lowe. In short: pretty impressive stuff. This week, we witnessed their rebrand from ‘Dirty Films’ as they’ve been known since the beginning, to ‘A Running Commentary’ or A.R.C. We sat down to find out where they’ve been, and more importantly, where they’re going.
Rewind the Tape
Ben and Alex go way back. They met over 16 years ago on the first day of university and now, burst into unifying giggles when asked to recall their first memories of one-another. I won’t name names, for the sake of upholding some semblance of street-cred, but one of them may have sported a leopard print cravat and red briefcase to his first lecture.
After some time working late into the night on a few projects and short films during uni, they ended up hosting a monthly short film screening event in Shoreditch where they would encourage filmmakers to come down and promote their work. With DJ’s, poets, performers and popcorn, these events would become a breeding ground for young talent; a place where budding filmmakers could be as expressive as they liked.
Parting ways after graduation, Ben joined the production company, Gorgeous, working with the likes of Frank Budgen, Chris Palmer, Vince Squibb, Stacy Wall. Later, he freelanced in Berlin, Amsterdam and Paris.
Meanwhile, Alex did a stint on the agency side of things before heading to Independent Films under big influences like Jani Guest and now Biscuit Filmworks’ MD, Rupert Reynolds-MacLean. Arriving onto the scene just after the launch of the iconic ‘Write Your Future’ campaign for Nike, soaking in everything the bustle had to offer.
After a wiggle around the industry, the guys were reunited at Th1ng in London’s Soho. Working in production they cut their teeth with some industry giants, and projects that were often a mix of animation and live action combined, as well as music videos. They collaborated closely, often on the same bid where they would consult on creative development and suggest ideas to directors. As a team, they became natural problem-solvers. Later, armed with knowledge and a shared love of dad jokes, the pair decided it was time to head up their own production company. “We saw the benefit of coming together with our two skill sets to finally create the brand and working culture in the company that we’d dreamt about doing for years prior,” says Alex.
Ideation
They spent the summer prior to launch in 2015 thinking about the intricacies: how they were going to work and what kind of directors they wanted to represent. One thing that remains true today is a respect for craft and attention to detail. This was a time before mobile content, where they were right on the precipice. Certain things would be uncompromising: the kind of entrepreneurial spirit that embodied a hands on approach - one where you’d stoop down and get your hands dirty. “That’s something that’s still the case whether we’re working on feature documentaries, animated feature films, series, or branded entertainment,” says Ben.
For Ben however, inspiration came from a more centralised source. He met Frank Budgen, a director who started Gorgeous. Frank had been diagnosed with leukaemia before moving to England from Los Angeles. They became friends and worked closely on Frank's projects, with one particular commercial standout. “The campaign for Cancer Research UK ‘Enemy' was beautiful. It consisted of Frank’s development in photography, painting and sculpture,” he tells us. “We would spend each day in his hospital room working on different techniques. We’d also spend time in his back garden mixing paints and throwing them at walls; just really having fun exploring interesting visuals from an art perspective.” He remembers talking to Frank, who despite what he was going through was full to the brim with wisdom and advice. One of the last conversations Ben had with him was about launching Dirty. “He said that I had to seize the moment, keep asking questions, stay curious and keep going.” It was after their first shoot day as Dirty, when he was coming back on the train that he got the news that Frank had passed. For Ben, his words would carry him through the rest of his life, not only in a career sense, but a human one too. “It was a really poignant and beautiful lesson.”
The idea of having a roster that isn’t significant because of its length, but rather, the quality and diversity of skill set, and how those relationships are fostered, is something that Ben and Alex ensured existed at Dirty Films and will continue to at A.R.C.
A lot has changed since two twenty-somethings started out with no funding, Dirty Martini screenings galore, and Alex dressing up as a hotdog for publicity stunts. But they have stayed true to who they are. The entrepreneurial spirit and ideals they’d posited in their big picture thinking, back when the company was little more than some scribbles on paper and a dream in their heads, continues now. Those are things that remain unchanged.
Why the Rebrand
So why then change? A Running Commentary, for the team, represents a new chapter, a natural page turn of sorts. “You’re never only one thing. As a company or group of people, conducting projects or making films, your purpose is always shifting. It’s ever-evolving,” Alex explains. “I think to some extent, A Running Commentary is a nod to that.” For him, it’s about moving away from trying to have a short, catchy, funny name. It’s about actually representing who they are, whilst finding a design and mantra that sums up what they’re doing.
It feels like a coming of age. A company leaving behind their adolescence and becoming fully matured. Embarking upon adulthood with all the lessons learned to date and looking ahead to what's next, enlisting revered design agency Two Times Elliot to collaborate with. “I think when you start something new you want to emulate your heroes; follow them in some way. We took what we respected about different companies and people and looked to build a brand around that,” explains Alex. This new brand is a sum of all their parts to date. What they’ve recognised in themselves is that their own culture and voice, is something worth celebrating. And the process for the team has been nothing short of cathartic.
Three Pillars
The thing that comes with a rebrand is sitting down and getting back to that big picture thinking that gets lost when the day to day takes over. Back to the drawing board they went, with the hope of creating something way more authentic and powerful than what came before. Dirty began with a focus on commercials which carried them through for a long time. Over the past few years however, they began developing different features and series, as well as 2D and 3D animation. Whilst the branded content continues, it’s no-longer their only offering. Until now, these three pillars haven’t been celebrated. The rebrand is a conscious, intentional way to put them on the map in film and TV originals, as they continue their commercial ventures.
So what is it going to actually look like? Culturally, they’re going to remain pretty similar, but the output of that will be somewhat different. “I think we harvest a ‘creativity and filmmaker first approach’. Producers are as creative as directors and writers and animators. Empathy is also important. It’s all about leaving your ego at the door, or even better, don’t bring one with you,” says Alex. It’s all about creating a culture that gives birth to a scenario where everyone’s voice can be celebrated, whilst simultaneously being supported. For Ben, collaboration is at the forefront; when properly nurtured, it’s something everyone can benefit from.
For the team at A.R.C, it's not just about the story but the way in which it’s told that stands out. One recent highlight project for the pair was a 3D animated musical film ‘Pacemaker', which spanned 18 months and was way more than merely a technical feat. At its heart, it celebrated kindness and inclusivity. The piece narrates a heartfelt tale of a transgender teen and their grandfather, showcasing generational lessons and dreamlike scenarios, embracing the significance of authentic voices in storytelling. The evident “painterly hand-created 3D style allows you to see the hands of the artists working on this film - that’s something we’re really happy about,” says Ben. It’s something they’re keen to expand on as they work on other animation projects in 2D, 3D and stop frame. The film is currently on the festival circuit and they’re keen to work with their trusted partners and friends in the US to make other socially-oriented stories, using music as a platform. “We want to look at ways music can tell these important societal stories, but to do so in a way that is uplifting and joyous”.
Their recent studio opening for London Design Festival presented a sneak peak of Pacemaker and other animation and documentary ventures, which coordinated with the launch.
The proof is in the pudding now that the team are developing a slate of animated musicals with their Pacemaker LA colleagues, all rooted in human stories with a kind of magical twist. The roster for this adventure is nothing short of impressive: from a Pixar producer to a Grammy-winning composer. The genuine enthusiasm shared here paints a picture of a team who really thrive on all things collaboration. Another such venture is a branded stop-frame animated series due out in Winter ’24, directed by Effie Pappa. The series is a humorous take on everyday challenges faced by people in small businesses. As with everything else, their attention to detail is palpable. The emphasis on handcrafted techniques, be it in 3D animation or stop-frame, accentuates the ever-important human touch in the stories they are helping to tell. With branded content like this one, the lines between advertising, entertainment, and artistry become increasingly blurred. These aren’t just commercials; they are stories that resonate.
The Death of Dirty - or is it?
Whilst both EP's and MD’s, If you were to lift the lid on Ben and Alex, stripping them down to the pure essence of who they are, you’d soon find that they are creatives. Having that at their core is one of the many reasons they work how they do, and by virtue, so too does their company. Ben is directing his first documentary feature, and producing alongside Alex who are both running a range of IP-driven, character-led stories in sports, the arts and the environment with their Development Producer Jeremy Lyman, ex-Netflix, and wider production team in UK and LA.
But there’s another, quieter element of Ben and Alex that holds it all together too. That is: they’re still pals. It’s pretty remarkable to witness two chaps who’ve seen one another through the stresses of university, and now eight years of business, who still value one another as friends as well as business partners. “We know how to navigate one another. When to lean in, and when to leave each other alone” says Alex. “But after all this time, we still have a friendship that exists outside of the workplace. We always have.”
Launching their first feature documentaries, evolving their animation offering as well as furthering their commercial work, are all things the team are hellbent on polishing. They aren’t content with just mastering one domain, they’re driven by the thrill of new, multifaceted challenges.
We mentioned earlier, that Frank once told Ben to “stay curious.” He may no-longer be physically present, but the influence of these words live on in every frame of the company's work. Whilst wisdom from mentors lingers, A.R.C isn’t emulating the giants they once admired, it’s sculpting a new narrative. The rebrand to ‘A Running Commentary’ is not then a cosmetic change. It’s an embodiment of this evolution. It's an outward representation of an inward renaissance; a testament to merging influence and experience, to produce something unique, and in doing so, leaving your own indelible mark.
In the end, the name ‘Dirty’ may be retired; but the grit of Ben, Alex, and their entire team will forever remain ingrained in the DNA of A.R.C - it’s an attestation to the path of two friends, who dreamt big, and became architects of not only their own story, but of so many others. And they’re only just getting started.
