Tristan Media Group is two people in Los Angeles. That is not a stage we are trying to grow out of. It is the reason the work holds together, and the reason an independent artist gets the same attention here as a restaurant group.
The story
The studio started the way most do, saying yes to everything. Social media management, content packages, whatever the month required. It paid, and it taught us a great deal about how businesses actually present themselves, but it was not the work we were best at and it was not the work that changed anything for a client.
So we stopped selling months and started selling projects. Today we do three things. We build brand identities, we shoot the photography and video that carries them, and we build the websites they live on. Everything else we used to offer is gone from the menu, which means the three that are left get all of our attention.
Founded and led by Timothy Tristan, with Rance Shaw-Tristan running operations. Between the two of us we cover direction, design, development, photography and film. Nothing gets handed to a contractor you have never met, and our best work has almost always come from people building something of their own.
The people
Timothy Tristan Chief Executive Officer, Media Specialist
Sets the direction on every project and shoots most of the photography and video. If you hire the studio, this is who you are talking to.
Rance Shaw-Tristan Operations Director
Runs scope, schedule and delivery, which is the difference between a project that ships and a project that drifts. Your dates are his problem, not yours.
In house production
We shoot our own work.
Most studios at our size buy stock or subcontract the camera. We do not. Photography and video direction happen in house, which changes three things about a project.
01
The imagery fits the brand
Because the person who set the art direction is the person holding the camera. Nothing has to be forced to match afterwards.
02
The site launches with real pictures
Not placeholders you promise to swap later. A launch built on stock photography always looks like a launch built on stock photography.
03
You own the files
Shot for you, licensed to you, yours to use anywhere. No renewals, no per platform fees, no expiry date on your own photographs.
A production day is included in Brand and Build. It can be added to any other engagement.
What we believe
One direction, not five
Presenting a client with five options is a polite way of asking them to do the design work. We do the thinking, commit to a direction, and show you why. You are welcome to disagree, and often you should, but you should be disagreeing with a point of view rather than picking from a menu.
Prices belong on the website
Studios hide their pricing because it lets them charge different clients different numbers for the same work. Ours are published. If the number does not work for you, you found that out in thirty seconds instead of after three meetings.
Stock photography is a tell
Everyone can spot it, including your customers, and it quietly says the company could not be bothered. We would rather shoot something imperfect and real than buy something polished and generic.
A brand you cannot maintain is not finished
Beautiful work that falls apart the first time you post without us was never really delivered. You leave with the files, the templates, the guidelines and the training to run it yourself. Keeping us on afterwards should be a choice, not a hostage situation.
Start a project
Let’s build something bold.
Projects start at $2,500. Most engagements run four to twelve weeks. Tell us what you are building and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right studio for it.
