Shana Ribinik (EDHEC 2018), co-founder of start-up CRAZY TRAIN FILM

Crazy Train Films is a production company run by two passionate people, allowing others to express their DNA with a difference through video content that stands out and engages viewers. 

Tell us briefly how your company came about 

Crazy Train Films was founded in London in 2017 in the basement of Regent’s University where Elsa studied cinema in the hope of becoming a director. After 1 month working on the post-production of a short film, "Souviens-toi demain", Elsa asked me if I would like to team up with her on commercial projects. It quickly became clear that we worked well together: our skillsets perfectly complement each other to ensure sound management of the complete production chain. Indeed, that is something that gives us a competitive advantage over other production companies. Elsa specialises in design/directing, while I look after post-production. Together, we organise filming and manage the teams of freelancers that we hire for major shooting sessions. In August 2018, when I finished my studies, we took the plunge and set up the company. 

What is your initial assessment of this entrepreneurial adventure? 

Entrepreneurship has been the most wonderful experience of my career so far. Working for yourself is extremely satisfying and it’s very stimulating to quickly find yourself heading up technical teams of 15 people. We have an eye on everything that goes on, and our creativity is tested at every stage: first by writing scripts, finding ways to make things work during filming or trying out new approaches in post-production, but also by negotiating with suppliers, pitching our ideas to clients and building up relationships of trust with all those around us. Entrepreneurship requires passion. If you know what you want, you should go for it, it’s the best way to make your plans a reality. But you also need to take a step back and be able to project yourself forward in the medium and even long term. It’s also important to be able to challenge ourselves to be sure we’re moving in the right direction and that our decisions are properly aligned with our objectives and values. 

You hold an MSc (Grande Ecole), how has that education helped you in your journey as an entrepreneur? 

I graduated with an MSc in Creative Business and Social Innovation from EDHEC. The years I spent at EDHEC were crucial in the path I decided to follow. I was part of the ETNA Association for two years. That’s where I learned technical skills in sound pick-up, editing and motion design. It was a real education that even tops many of the editing schools in France (I came to realise this through the various projects I’ve worked on). It was also on the Lille campus, in the office of Florence Da Costa, that I met Julien Godinger, an EDHEC alumnus who offered me my first internship in his video production company. And thanks to the EDHEC Career Centre, I was able to contact and meet other alumni whose professional projects resonated with my own plans. 

What are your expectations from the community of EDHEC graduates? 

Contacts! We’ve already met with several alumni through various projects that we got through EDHEC. It’s always a pleasure to meet other graduates, who are genuinely interested in what we’re doing. That works both ways: many of them have their own fascinating projects. We are now part of the EDHEC incubator, which will help us move Crazy Train Films in the direction we have chosen, but of course we also want to work with this wider community: whether big firms or start-ups, everyone needs video content nowadays, and that’s what we offer – at competitive prices! 

What’s next for your business? 

We are always on the lookout for new projects: digital campaigns, short films, music videos, institutional clips, etc. We are willing to work in any number of areas! Diversity is something that drives us. In the medium term, we would like to open studios in the heart of Paris. That would allow us to film content for our clients, but also rent out the studios to major production firms by the day. And perhaps later even expand our offering to include all-inclusive creative studio services: marketing strategy, photography, video, branding, copywriting, etc. 

More info: 

Website: www.crazytrainfilms.com 

Instagram: @crazytrainfilms 

Linkedin: Crazy Train Films 

Contacts: shana@crazytrainfilms.com or elsa@crazytrainfilms.com