#018: Are You Measuring the Right Value? A New Playbook for Studio Leaders (Part 1)

If you ask most studio managers how they’re measured, the answer is almost always the same: cost per shot. It’s a simple equation—divide the total budget by the number of assets produced.

But is that really the full picture?

I don’t think so. And if you’ve ever felt like your studio delivers far more value than a spreadsheet can capture, you’re right.

In my conversations with studio leaders, I’ve identified 10 key areas where studios provide value beyond just cost per shot.

These areas—from transparency to creative direction to scalability—aren’t always quantified but should be.

Why? When properly articulated, they help build a stronger business case, ensuring studios get the recognition and resources they deserve.

Over the next three issues, I’ll break down these 10 areas in depth. Today, we’re starting with three that are often overlooked but can have an outsized impact:

1. Flexibility;
2. Speed; and
3. Transparency.

If you can define and communicate these, you’re already way ahead of the game.

Let’s get into it.

1. Transparency: From Friction to Flow

If you had to count how many times merchandising, e-commerce, or marketing asks, “What’s the status of my assets?” you’d probably lose track. And you wouldn’t be alone.

Studios spend an inordinate amount of time fielding status update requests. Not because stakeholders love asking, but because they can’t see what’s happening.

And when teams can’t see what’s happening, it leads to friction, wasted effort, and constant distractions, pulling people away from actual production work.

That’s the real issue: transparency. And it exists on a spectrum:

• On one end, the studio is a black box, where no one outside the team knows what’s happening, so they send emails, Slack messages, or stop by for updates.
• Conversely, the studio is wide open, involving stakeholders in the process and offering real-time visibility into every asset’s status.

Most studios fall somewhere in between. But here’s the challenge:

• Too little transparency slows things down, creating bottlenecks.
• Too much overwhelms stakeholders with unnecessary complexity.

Finding the right balance isn’t just about keeping people informed, but earning trust and removing friction.

When studios operate clearly, approvals increase, revisions decrease, and collaboration strengthens.

The result? A smoother, more efficient production process where everyone can focus on their actual work.

2. Speed: The Fastest Route to More Revenue

Every studio wants to move faster. But why does speed matter? What’s the actual business value of reducing turnaround times?

I recently spoke with a studio with a five-day service-level agreement (SLA) for delivering assets to a high-volume online retailer.

They decided to run the numbers, analyzing how long their current process actually took. What would the impact be if they could cut that to two days?

The results were staggering.

Faster turnaround meant products launched sooner, inventory moved quicker, and customers saw new arrivals days earlier. The financial impact? Millions of dollars in additional revenue.

If improving speed requires a few hundred thousand dollars in investment, that’s an easy decision. However, the real issue isn’t just the cost but how the conversation is framed.

Too often, studios argue for more resources in vague terms, rather than making a direct business case for speed.

Instead of saying, “We need more resources to work faster,” say this: “Speed means revenue. If we shave three days off turnaround, that’s millions in extra sales. What’s that worth to us?”

If you can make that case, speed stops being just a workflow decision, it becomes a competitive advantage.

Now, speed is only one part of the equation. What happens when demand shifts mid-flight? That’s where flexibility comes in.

3. Flexibility: Adapting Without Breaking

Let’s say a new handbag arrives at the studio. The merchandiser wants five extra angles and a short video because they’ve realized this product drives high engagement online.

Can your studio handle that change on the fly, or is your process too rigid? This is the real test of flexibility.

Some studios operate with fixed deliverables and expectations: “This is the shot list, take it or leave it.”

Others build workflows that adapt quickly, responding to market demand instead of resisting it.

Flexibility isn’t about throwing structure out the window. Rather, it’s about designing workflows that can pivot without breaking down.

The most adaptable studios embrace this mindset, seeing last-minute changes not as disruptions, but as opportunities to deliver more value.

Here’s how:

• Offering dynamic content packages instead of rigid shot lists.
• Adjusting deliverables mid-production based on real-time data.
• Scaling up or down for seasonal shifts without breaking the workflow.

Flexibility isn’t accidental. It requires operational readiness. The right structure. The right tools. The right mindset to adjust without causing chaos.

Plus, it goes hand in hand with transparency: when teams have clear visibility into workflows, they adapt confidently, eliminate friction and keep production flowing.

Final Thought: Own the Narrative

Transparency, speed, and flexibility all have tangible business value—you need to define it, communicate it, and make it part of the conversation with leadership.

The work you do goes beyond numbers on a spreadsheet. And the more you own that story, the stronger your position.

Next time, I’ll cover the next three factors that elevate a studio from good to indispensable: consistency, reliability, and communication.

Stay tuned.