Introducing A New Wave Of Creative Business Execs: Liam Stout

At the National Film and Television School (NFTS), our Creative Business MA develops talented creative executives in film, TV and games, who go on to shape the industry with new unique and exciting ventures. In this series we will be sharing insights from a number of recent graduates from the MA uncovering the paths they have taken since leaving the School and how their time on the course prepared them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to pursue their dream careers.

From running his own production company to leading new business development ventures with skills learnt at the NFTS, Liam Stout tells us how his time on the Creative Business MA led him to his current role.

“Prior to starting on the Creative Business MA at the National Film and Television School, I worked in creative development at UK-South Africa co-production specialist Spier Films.

This afforded me a glimpse into how the basis of the industry lies in the origination or acquisition of monetisable IP and the packaging of talent and an effective script in order to secure financing.

This came on the back of several years running my own video production company which specialises in animation and motion graphics. The company—ScreenPoint Digital—still operates successfully today.

Halfway through the NFTS Creative Business course, I took up a role as an Associate in Creative Development at Envision Entertainment, a specialist in scripted global content co-founded by David Barron (Harry Potter, Cinderella, The Legend of Tarzan) and Michael Nakan (ex-HBO, Connected: The Homebound Detective).

By adopting the foundation of a new business - Fable - as my graduation project, under the Envision umbrella, I was promoted to the position of Head of Business Development and have been pursuing this role full-time since the completion of my Creative Business degree.

Fable is a CreaTech company, focused on digital publishing (specifically, comics and graphic novels re-formatted into a vertical-scroll format better suited for smartphone consumption by much larger global audiences) and bridging the gap to film and TV adaptation. On a day-to-day basis, I am responsible for developing the business model, financial planning and projections, building our case for investment, considering our approach to marketing, striking licensing deals with publishers, keeping abreast of and looking for synergies with our developing Film and TV slate on the other side of the company, and introducing the film and TV projects of NFTS graduate peers to Envision’s BFI-backed Development Fund. It is also part of my role to network with industry executives, investors, and thought leaders at events and conferences both in the UK and beyond.

To that end, I took part in an Innovate UK Global Business Innovation Programme trip to India, representing Envision and the United Kingdom in one of the most dynamic and fast-growing economies in the world. The purpose of the trip was to explore and make connections in India’s Games, VFX, and Immersive industries, which are developing at a blistering pace.

I am able to carry out all of these roles because the NFTS Creative Business MA accelerated my understanding of the various business models of the media verticals within the Creative Industries (film, television, games, music, digital etc.) and the common threads and themes which run between them. Of course, we also extensively discussed the blurring of lines between these various silos as virtual production, game engines, and artificial intelligence increasingly enable a cross-media approach at all points of the media value chain (including the development process, which would become the topic of my NFTS Dissertation). In addition, the course equipped me with the relevant financial and legal competencies to work with accountants and lawyers in order to grow a creative business, as well as the high-level, macro-economic considerations to anticipate storms to be weathered and opportunities to be capitalised upon.

Moreover, by being embedded within a film, television, and games school as highly-regarded as the National Film and Television School, a Creative Business student is exposed to the mechanics of the major creative departments of a production and is taught to place these within their economic and business contexts. This is vital in learning to finance, support, and monetise creative endeavours to the benefit of a creative business and the creative professionals who will power it.

An experience of finally finding my place in the world.

Access to industry was a huge part of my learning—from school-wide screenings and masterclasses to the calibre of executives and entrepreneurs who would give specific guest lectures on the course. This gives you the confidence and belief that you will one day be in their position, shaping the industry and creating major creative businesses.

My favourite part of the course was undoubtedly my fellow Creative Business peers. We very quickly became a tight-knit unit, united by our diversity and shared love of both entrepreneurship and creativity. We made a firm commitment to one another to raise each other and the Creative Business course up, and took it upon ourselves to pursue extracurricular learnings such as attending the world-renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival. We learned a huge amount from one another, as well as from the amazing students pursuing other courses at the school.

Life at the NFTS was magical. For me and so many others, the ‘Springboard Week’ at the start of the year was an experience of finally finding my place in the world. The campus–and London–became a home, and the people were extraordinary. Watching some of the best young creative minds in the world hone and elevate their craft during their time at the school was a profound privilege. The principal goals of pursuing Creative Business at the NFTS, therefore, should be to 1) identify the opportunities that exist in the Creative Industries in a business sense, and 2) foster a network of immensely talented creatives to which one can belong for life.

Going forward, I will continue to develop and push Fable as part of my role at Envision Entertainment toward realising it as a successful content platform and IP engine at the core of the British creative industries. I want to take my learnings in artificial intelligence, game engines, and virtual production further (perhaps via additional education) and continue to develop my understanding of what will be required to found and run successful companies in the Age of AI. Additionally, my experience of going to India to forge business ties and represent the country through Innovate UK as well as various other experiences through the adjacent organisation Creative UK at some of their policy-related events have awoken a keen interest in industrial and political policymaking on the part of the Creative Industries. Of course, I hope to always maintain a relationship with the Creative Business course and the NFTS, forever being a strong advocate for both and folding them into my own professional journey as much as possible through the strengthening of its alumni network and the support of its students.”

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Read more from our Creative Business graduates here:
Jonny McCausland | Fani Ntavelou-Baum

If you’re interested in a successful career as an executive in film, TV and games and are considering applying to the Creative Business MA course, visit nfts.co.uk/creative-business to learn more.

Places available to start January 2025, apply today!
Funding available.