Introducing A New Wave Of Creative Business Execs: Victoria Fäh

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.

A glimpse of what it takes to run a creative business was all Victoria Fäh needed to inspire her to start her journey into a world of business, creativity and technology.

From Switzerland to One of the World’s Top Film Schools

My passion for entrepreneurship ignited while working with light artist Gerry Hofstetter in Switzerland years earlier. Having seen behind the curtain of running a creative business, one thing was clear: I needed to understand the business.

With a BA from King’s College London, academic stints at the University of California San Diego and Harvard and a filmmaking course at NYFA, I was now looking to combine my creativity with my interest in business and entrepreneurship. The National Film and Television School was the place that allowed me to blend these worlds.

NFTS: A Mind-Opening Experience

My time at NFTS, though undeniably influenced by Covid, can be best described as mind-opening. It taught me business fundamentals in finance, law, strategy and marketing, and immersed me into the film, TV, gaming, digital, music and live events industries. Meeting leading entrepreneurs, business leaders and industry veterans, introduced me to the unique challenges these sectors face.

Among many business analyses on companies like Patreon, business plans, and countless presentations on the rise of enterprises like King (makers of Candy Crush) to unicorn status, we were introduced to emerging technologies such as AI, VR, AR, Virtual Production, Web 3, and the like. One thing became evident to me: the future of the creative industries lies in the confluence of technology. That’s when my passion for the triangle that is business, creativity and technology was born - a realisation, nurtured by the course’s forward-thinking ethos, setting the foundation for my next step 2 years later.  

During my time at NFTS I joined a content start-up Platonic Films, an alumni-founded company focused on creating content for sustainable brands, to drive client acquisition and concept development. Upon graduation, I joined Anyway Content as a Development Executive, Creative and Strategy, a move made possible by course leaders. Here, I developed various TV shows, pitched them to international broadcasters and streamers and gained invaluable skills in business development, partnership building, strategy development and of course, storytelling.

“You Learned The Theory, Now Go Do It”

With a passion for the future of media and the ambition to develop my own tech-driven solutions for the creative industries, I joined a start-up incubator in late 2023. Enabled and fuelled by the learnings from NFTS, the time had come to apply what I had learned.

Joining Antler, a VC backed 12-week start-up incubator, I was thrust into the realm where ideas meet execution at lighting speed. Alongside 70 carefully selected, incredibly talented and smart individuals I had 12 weeks to find a co-founder, identify a problem to solve, speak to as many customers as possible, validate a proposition, start building and finally – secure investment.

Victoria with the Antler team

On top of sessions on design thinking, valuation models, go-to-market strategies and venture capital fundamentals, I felt like I was in a TV show – a mixture of weekly Dragon’s Den and Love Island – not in a romantic way, but the business version. Here, I applied lessons from NFTS – storytelling, business development and a deep understanding of the creative industries – to develop and pitch tech-driven solutions for the media industries.

Despite this speedy roller coaster and not receiving investment, the fundamental lesson was clear: the insights from NFTS and the individuals I had met along the way were not just helpful, but my main asset in navigating the tech start-up landscape. My knowledge of the challenges the creative industries face - whether that is a business model, monetisation, data or knowledge problem – was the foundation of our ideas. I had arrived in the triangle of business, creativity and technology.

The Journey Continues: Back At NFTS

Today, I find myself returning to NFTS as a tutor, sharing insights on navigating the delicate journey of identifying problems and customer needs, product-market fit, and the art of pitching (and to grade the occasional business analysis and essay). This endeavour has allowed me to start working as an external assessor at the University of Oxford and Exeter and to now consult for various media and entertainment companies and start-ups.

Whilst my journey led me closer to technology and business innovation, this path was different for everyone. Individuality is at the core of NFTS and the freedom to explore varying interests is widely nourished by course leaders. So to current and future students, my advice is simple: Embrace curiosity, remain open to new sectors and ideas, and attempt to find your triangle – your own unique intersection of interests.

The NFTS and the people who make the Creative Business course happen will support and stand behind you in your journey to find it.
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Read more from our Creative Business graduates here:

Jonny McCausland | Fani Ntavelou-Baum | Liam Stout

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.