Little Things Reflects on a Year Post Rebrand

The employee-owned sound studio Little Things underwent a renaming in April of last year to better reflect the qualities that make it special: its small size and dedication to care and attention to the smallest details. Now, almost 12 months later and with a host of projects completed under the new name, the team sat down to reflect on what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and the influence of the new name on how the team approached what it does.

When LBB asks what the rebrand means to everyone – now that they’ve had time to work under the new name – James Clark, co-owner and senior sound designer, says: “There was a fear connected to changing the name from the well-known Clearcut Sound Studios, but in doing so, it's given us a sense of responsibility to make sure that we represent the new name.”

For sound designer Dan Rimmer, the old name “was representative of the type of work that was being done, to a high standard, but it didn’t reflect the ethos of the company. I feel like there's a heightened sense of positivity within the team since the name change.”

“I think having ownership of the name has been important,” adds Sarah Payne, bookings producer.

Producer Lindsay Grant thinks that the change has made the company think more holistically about who it is as a business. She explains: “It’s forced us to look at exactly who we are and how we work with our clients.”

Above: 'Love at First Light', Audi

“After 12 years of ownership and all the change that brings - in both personal development and company evolution - we now have a name and a brand we can all believe in,” says managing director Chris Wrigglesworth.

The change has been noticed by clients too, old and new, as they interact with a studio that now feels more unified and sure of what it’s offering than ever.

The new name and philosophy has amplified all the things that the studio was already great at while also channelling a new, fresh energy to supercharge their services. “Since the rebrand, we have tried to embed the Little Things philosophy into everything we do,” says Chris. “We’re experts in sound and it's important that we shout loudly about the power of sound. We have spent over 30 years as a small independent company, crafting the finer details in sound, and that idea is now front and centre of our brand.”

Chris has observed how over the last few years , the industry has changed quite a bit following the covid pandemic. “The way we operate our diary has blown wide open, allowing us to work in a more flexible way with our clients, which allows more experimentation in pursuit of creativity. It was a conscious decision to incorporate that into our rebrand and the way we work in the future, to prioritise creativity.”

“We've been emboldened and make sure we all have time to experiment creatively,” adds sound designer Ed de Lacy, while sound designer Charlie Cooper says that “it’s important not to feel on the clock.”

Above: 'Solar System', BBC Studios

Lindsay adds: “We respect the work that we do and the importance that sound brings to a project and value the time that our sound designers need to spend on it.”

The new philosophy needed to be embodied by a new look too. “We've also been making aesthetic changes to reflect who we are. People are always commenting on how friendly the vibe is in the studio, and how comfortable it makes them feel. We've put a lot of effort into making the physical space mirror our attitude, and it's great seeing that noticed,” Dan says.

And what’s the vibe like at the studio every day? Little Things’ newest hire Vika Vinnikova reports: “The brand is really vibrant and attracts interesting work. It was definitely something that appealed to me when I joined the company. It’s a really exciting place to work.”