Moving Forward, Together: Isabella Parish on Loss, Legacy, and Leadership

In the sunlit living room 'office' of All Of Us Here, we caught up with founder Isabella Parish to find out more about her journey and more recently her experience losing business partner Barney Richard. Isa, speaks with a gentle authority that reflects her international upbringing and decades of industry experience. Born in Cannes and raised between France and London, her journey through the entertainment industry has been as diverse as her background. Now, just over a year after the passing of her co-founder Barney, she reflects on the evolution of both her career and the industry she helps shape.

"My love affair with production began at Aardman Animations," Isabella recalls, lighting up. "Starting as a runner, then becoming a PA - that's where I fell in love with animation and production. It's fascinating how life comes full circle. Here I am, decades later, running a company that celebrates all forms of creative expression, from animation, mixed media and live action wrapped up in a creatively inclusive hub that is All of Us Here, and still stop frame is such a large part of what we do."

After sixteen years at Partizan, where she headed the animation department for nearly thirteen years, and successful stints running 1stAveMachine UK and Luminaires Ltd (where she produced the feature 'What I Know So Far' with Michael Gracey), Isabella found herself ready for a new challenge. That's when she and Barney Richard decided to create All Of Us Here in early 2023.

"Barney and I had been friends for over a decade before we decided to start All Of Us Here," Isabella reflects "We'd always talked about creating something different - a production company that truly celebrated the collective talent of everyone involved. That was Barney's gift - he saw the magic in collaboration, in encouraging experimentation and having fun with it."

When wanting to hear Isabella's thoughts about the industry's evolution, we could reference her own words from a 2017 Shots magazine article, where she wrote that she was worried our industry's bravery had been stifled by fear and change. But she says 'what we've seen instead is this incredible resilience and creativity. The traditional power pyramid has transformed in many ways. There are so many advertising spaces available for us to get involved with now, so there is the potential for all aspects of production to look beyond its traditional client list. I just look at the teams I’ve worked with over the years and what they are doing now is breath-taking. The sphere, OOH, game trailers, immersive experiences, games, AI, it's all there to be explored. With creativity, energy and supported by incredible producers across the industry to make things happen as a team, it's an incredibly exciting time to be in this business.'

The conversation shifts to the present, and Isabella takes a thoughtful pause. "Losing Barney was devastating, both personally and professionally. We weren't just business partners; we were great great friends who shared a vision. But what's been amazing is how the industry has rallied around me. They understood what made Barney special - his kindness, his imagination and his ability to challenge conventions while nurturing talent."

This widespread love for Barney led to the establishment of the Bolt Award at the Young Arrows, celebrating innovation and unexpected ideas in production. "The name comes from Barney’s multicoloured lightning bolt tattoo" Isabella explains, "For us it represents something unexpected that lights up the space, something different and something unique. The award honours that spirit of creative experimentation combined with genuine care for people which encapsulates Barney completely."

Looking ahead, Isabella remains committed to both preserving Barney's legacy (his photo is there on the website 1977 - 2023) and embracing the industry's evolution. "I wrote years ago about the importance of supporting young directors and nurturing diverse talent in new platforms and technologies. Our company culture is built on our belief that great work is made together, everyone in the process is invaluable so when you combine great creative minds from so many backgrounds then you can make something great, which is so exciting and I’m learning from the people around me everyday."

The company continues to expand its roster reflecting Isabella's broad experience and forward-thinking approach. "We're living in an age where content consumption happens across multiple platforms, where traditional boundaries are blurring," she notes. "This is exactly the kind of environment where Barney's approach to 'productive wandering' and unexpected combinations becomes most valuable with an engagement in our community as a whole."

This commitment to fostering supportive communities extends beyond All Of Us Here and The emPOWER ethos aligns perfectly with her long-held belief in making the industry more inclusive and supportive, echoing the sentiments she expressed years ago about actively supporting each other and working to make things better in the industry.

As a silver sponsor of The emPOWER Breakfast, Isabella sees a natural alignment between her company's values and the initiative's mission. "Since the very first emPOWER breakfast I saw just how thirsty everyone was for this kind of gathering," she reflects. "Where we can share our stories - stories of success or sometimes of great sadness - as a group and then afterwards with our friends or with people we might not know so well."

The power of these connections resonates deeply with her vision for industry change. "It's definitely brought us together, a little braver and stronger and certainly not alone. As women we tend to be quite good at sharing, but this openness on a larger scale speaks to all of us and resonates with our own individual experiences. I've definitely deepened relationships through emPOWER and everyone there feels part of something positive." Isa went on to say "Well done to Athene for making such a bold stand and for recognising what we all need. I hope that the men's gathering will bring such comfort among friends."

We just all wish that Barney could be there to bring it to life. But this is why we wanted to speak to Isa, to hold space for that most monumental of experiences. Losing Barney a year into setting up a company together so we asked a few questions.

Q> Can you tell us about how you first met Barney?

Isabella> Barney got in touch out of the blue and proposed a coffee and a cigarette. He wanted to talk about the industry and swap insights into the lay of the land - well we hit it off within the first moment, literally.

Q> What sparked the idea to create All Of Us Here together?

Isabella> We’d been talking about working together properly for years. The opportunity came up when we were both free-ish so we jumped.

Q> What were those early conversations about the company's vision like?

Isabella> More than anything we spoke about the directors, the people we loved and what they brought to the table. We talked about the great work they do and why we love them. The prospect of bringing them all together under one roof without any extra layers of politics above our heads was too exciting to pass by.

Q> How did Barney's death affect you - personally and professionally?

Isabella> I was so so sad. And scared. I felt like I had to make it all work out for Barney’s sake, without knowing if I could do it at all. He was obviously such a huge part of what we had made. Not an hour had passed without us calling each other. We kept each other in check and he also made it really really fun.

Q> Did you get the support you needed?

Isabella> Yes. At home of course and at work, so many people got in touch even just to say hi. I felt like people really cared a lot about him and so about me. Amanda, one of our partners in Paris was incredibly supportive, she was the first person I called when I found out about Barney and she’s been a friend for years. I knew that I could rely on her. Alessia Small, was so wonderful and came round to my house and got in bed with me every day in that first week with a cuppa and a hug at 8am.... Haha poor Ben (my husband) :)

Lee Pavey and Chris Page and I formed a strong little group . We laughed and cried together and our collective loss binds us in so many ways.

Q> How did the grief manifest through the past year?

Isabella> It's simple really. I just miss him, I miss the chats (I could tell him anything) and I miss the belly laughs, he made all of this stuff better and he put perspective on all of it. I miss him and you know… it catches you unexpectedly.

Q> Can you share a memory that really captures Barney's approach to creativity?

Isabella> When we got a brief in, he would jump on the phone with the director and just throw everything simmering in his brain, He was not afraid to share, he was not afraid of people taking his ideas - he had millions to give and he just wanted to allow directors to open themselves to all the ideas.

Q> How did your different strengths complement each other in building the company?

Isabella> I have more of an actual production background, so I did all the day to day stuff, and Barney looked after everyone.

Q> How has the company's vision evolved while staying true to its founding principles?

Isabella> Our roster has expanded to include directors from other disciplines, food and more live action but at its core it's always been about making great work and bringing people together. And that’s what it's always been about - just making beautiful work that we are really proud of with people that we love to work with.

Q> What would you say has been your guiding light in continuing the company's journey?

Isabella> The directors on our roster are incredibly important to me. They had been curated carefully both for talent and their weight in ‘good person’ so they are an intrinsic part of my work family - their unwavering support, coming from such talented and creative people gave me a real sense of focus. Their trust in me continuing All of Us Here alone gave me strength and determination.

Q> What's one thing about working with Barney that you wish more people knew?

Isabella> Barney never occupied the moral high ground so you could tell Barney literally anything, which I did… all my fuck-ups, my inconsistencies, things that bothered me or worried me. He was quick and happy to show his vulnerabilities. He was disarmingly open so you could be completely yourself with him and this made him so strong and special.

Q> How has the industry's support helped during this challenging time?

Isabella> Lots of people opened their doors and supported me, some in random texts here and there, some in concrete ways. Dan Dickenson and Jon Murrell had me in their offices, sharing their space completely freely and without even mentioning why or what or how long for. Also Lula Boardman stepped in at a critical point to keep the name alive when I was not ready, totally selflessly. So many agency producers have been good friends and for that I thank them all. You realise just how many friends you’ve made along the way… and it’s been a long way :)

Also Ciaran Bennet and Morgan Obermeyer jumped in feet first to lift everything up.

Q> What do you think Barney would be most proud of seeing in All Of Us Here today?

Isabella> That we are still going strong - two years on... And growing. He would be proud of what each and every director has made big or small and he would be embarrassed but also so excited by the Bolt award.

Q> You recently celebrated Barney’s birthday - a gathering of the industry’s finest at The Blue Posts in Soho - A year on, what was the overriding feeling that you came away with?

Isabella> The evening was just wonderful. Barney’s partner and I went for a quick catch up first and then over to the Blue Post. It was rammed full of familiar faces, so many people were just coming together, raising their glasses to Barney and then having a great evening together. It was a tonic, it felt incredibly special and I love talking about Barney especially with this crowd. But the morning after I felt really sad actually, and a bit tearful.

Q> What can you tell us about grief?

Isabella> I think that grief has a cumulative effect. You think that you can cope with lots of things and it’ll be fine. I do that a lot, you know “it’s fine, it’s fine, I’ll be fine..” and then things pile onto one another and you realise how destabilised you are. Of course Barney’s passing was terrible for so many more people further up the queue than me, but after a number of challenging years, the emotional stability that I had always relied on was not as rock steady as I believed it to be.

As our conversation draws to a close, Isabella reflects on what made Barney such a unique force in production.

"He had this rare combination of creative fearlessness and genuine warmth. He could push you to think bigger while making you feel completely supported. That's what we're striving to continue at All Of Us Here - creating an environment where people feel brave enough to explore those weird and wonderful ideas."

The future of All Of Us Here seems bright, guided by Isabella's experienced leadership and illuminated by Barney's enduring influence.

"We're not just carrying on without him," she concludes. "We're carrying forward with him - his spirit, his values, his belief in the power of collective creativity. Every project we do is still, in a way, made with all of us here."

A massive heartfelt thank you to Isabella Parish, and to the team at All Of Us Here, including Barney who we reckon would have been so up for being an emPOWER Champion!... Thank you All of Us Here!...offering us the opportunity to keep the space available to our community, and to support the plans we have for the future, to continue to grow the support for the industry as a whole completely and utterly …..for all of us here.