Studio Process Goes Beyond the Script to Create a Big Impact

Laura Formanek, Owner of Studio Process, shares about creating meaningful content and founding her business in Greater Des Moines (DSM) with the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Small Business and Member Support Manager Emily McLain.

About Studio Process

Located in Historic Valley Junction in West Des Moines, Studio Process is a full-service, mission driven small business that is plugged into the DSM community. Studio Process works with nonprofits and for-profit businesses that want to create a big impact through video, and Formanek’s work focuses on the following:

1. Understanding your brand.
2. Showing off your most impactful programming — social, environmental, etc.
3. Creating a story around that programming through interviews with stakeholders.

Formanek graduated from the University of Iowa before moving to Dallas, Texas, where she worked three different jobs, learning how to make it on her own. At one point, she worked for a post-production studio honing her editing skills on commercials with major brands like Motel 6 and Home Depot. That video experience is what now helps her create videos for her current clients.

The feeling behind the videos Formanek creates comes from her editing background. She started behind the computer, not behind the camera and has worked on numerous pro bono projects. She attributes her creativity to that early experience finding sound bites and visual moments that tell something more than what you might find in a script. As her own company has grown, Formanek is especially proud of the work she has done with other DSM videographers beyond Iowa’s boarders and sharing the stories of students and young women in Nakuru, Kenya.

Growing in DSM

Studio Process now has a home at Maple Studios, a collaborative workspace for entrepreneurs in West Des Moines. The opportunity to edit in a studio, hire an intern and grow as a business is a big next step for Formanek and Studio Process. As someone who has been fortunate in her own career, it was important to Formanek to be able to pay her intern, and she is focused on helping the next generation of Iowans grow their careers and find opportunities that keep them here in Iowa.

Formanek’s advice for other would-be entrepreneurs is:

• Think of yourself as an entrepreneur.
• Look for ways to help others succeed as an entrepreneur.
• Attend local conferences and events, including accelerator clinics, networking opportunities and more.

Interested in exploring how Studio Process can help you? Collaborate with Formanek or learn more by visiting the Studio Process Facebook or Instagram pages.

Small Business and Startup Stories DSM was a podcast previously produced by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. For more information on small businesses and startup resources, sign up for our Small Business Resources Newsletter, read DSM Success Stories or check out our blog posts.