There’s a cliché albeit heartfelt mantra here at Form & Fiction: this is not a destination, but a segment of a greater journey. As a group, we all want to develop our crafts, make cool shit, and change the way we think about creative studios. Just as importantly, we are all on our own personal journeys that unfold both intertwined with and separately from Form & Fiction.
Everyone here understands this: we have chosen to spend some of our time with each other, share our ideas and expertise, and have a ton of fun along the way. And this duality–that we are both real people and creative employees–is a fact that Howard, our Ringleader, never undervalues. So while some of the people who work here will hang around for years, others will come and go as the evolution of their journeys and lives calls them in and out of this special place.
And it’s all good.
So it’s with both a heavy heart and great pride that we send off our favorite cinematographer and steadicam operator, Toby, into a great big world, full of endless possibilities.
When Toby first joined Form & Fiction two years ago, he was a wide-eyed, fresh-faced graduate from the Academy of Art, ready to take on the world of filmmaking and make a splash (and really, he was just stoked to get a job). Armed with technical skills and a super friendly demeanor, he was eager to get his career started and chase his passion with us. And we’re so glad he did. Not a single day goes by without some hilarious banter with the tall Norwegian who rattles off catchphrases and movie quotes, creates obscure nicknames for everyone here, eats all our breakfast sandwiches, or just injects some new slang into office life (ahh saahhhh dude!).
With such free-flowing charm, it’s pretty surprising that during his first client meeting, Toby experienced a brief moment of panic when asked to offer his opinion on a brand video. New to real-life and professional meetings, he was barely able to speak when thrown into the spotlight. Now, after a couple years of self-exploration and growth, Toby handles conversations with a bit more grace and even openly jokes about the whole ordeal. His skillsets and confidence have truly flourished during his tenure at Form & Fiction. Having quickly emerged from that nervous little cocoon, this confident butterfly learned to spread his wings and has flown with us on quite a few great adventures.
Our journeys undoubtedly contain mysteries that have yet to be solved or understood. And we must always remain open to the possibility that something in life will beckon us or our family & friends to another place, sometimes far away. In Toby’s case, it is not a something but a someone–his beautiful new wife, Sophie–and their budding partnership together that pulls him away from our family here at Form & Fiction. So as he migrates to the warmer climates of Los Angeles and starts a new leg of his own fantastic journey, we’ll still be here having many drinks in his honor, and we’ll be sending lots of good vibes on the wings of our little butterfly.
Safe travels Toby! We can’t wait to see where the winds take you!