A sod farm, construction, and an Emmy Award-winning independent content studio. If you are wondering what the correlation is, this is the path of Joel Edwards, the founder of Evolve Studios, a full-service Nashville, Tennessee-based production company.
Launched in 2010, Evolve Studios runs the gamut with feature films, documentaries, short films, episodic TV series, branded content, trailers, promos, music videos and immersive VR video. The production portfolio from Evolve includes work with companies like Disney, Netflix, ESPN, National Geographic, HBO, Discovery, Fox Sports, NBCUniversal, History Channel, Wunderman Thompson and BBDO. And the list of projects is…pun intended…evolving.
Some examples: From the independent films Surprised by Oxford and the western action-themed The Stolen Valley, to the ESPN documentary series Draft Academy and Bettor Days, which showcases real people with insane betting stories. From National Geographic’s Origins to Chasing Whiskey: The Untold Story of Jack Daniel’s on VOD streaming, to a campaign of trailers for the Netflix documentary series Beckham. And, in the promotional spots category, from the ESPN College GameDay’s revamped show open, to the Disney+ sports-themed LeBron James produced The Crossover.
On the branded side is content for the likes of T-Mobile, GE, Lenovo, BMW, Heineken and City of Hope Cancer Treatment Centers. And in music, two examples of Evolve’s portfolio are the three-part music video series edited from the band Pearl Jam, and an original live performance visual album film for Stephen Sanchez’s Angel Face.
The password at Evolve is: diversification. And the overall accolades have been plentiful: six Emmy Awards (with over 50 nominations), an Edward R. Murrow journalism award, recognition via the Clio and Promax organizations, and more.
“Different formats and genres defines us as a studio; in the projects we produce, the stories we tell, and the creative tools we use,” noted Joel Edwards, who founded Evolve Studios with his younger brother Jesse. “We reach for a caliber of creative that is unique, dares to be different, and taps into a human point of view or message. Storytelling crosses all ages. No group or age category is out of reach.”
“We have a blue-collar spirit and hands-on approach. No two days are ever the same,” he said. “Consistent creative performance at this level calls for a unified team. Each member adopts a nimble multifaceted skillset; on set, in the edit suites, on pitch calls and in development meetings.”
From the Beginning
Starting straight after high school, the seeds to the eventual path to Evolve Studios were planted. Forgoing college for immediate experience, Joel Edwards worked in construction and in sod farms to make ends meet. At the same time, he enlisted to be an independent contractor for ESPN, invested in a digital film camera, computer and editing software, and found opportunities working as a production assistant, both locally and regionally. Ultimately, Edwards gained experience in the creative trenches as a producer, camera operator, and graphics artist. And he started his first production company, J3TV Productions, at the age of 20.
“As a young kid I had been around technology; my father was a software engineer. I had this hustler and rebel with a cause vibe with an entrepreneurial spirit,” he said. “It was hard work with your hands; working on the farm and flipping houses. And that all channeled itself into what I do now.”
“When I entered the industry, I saw an incredible gap and opportunity. I came with this fresh energy and realized there was a whole industry that I wanted to explore. My aha moment was when I began to learn how all these productions get done and how all this stuff is made. I felt a deep calling to contribute to it.”
Carving Out a Path
“Like anyone starting out, I did anything I could to press the record button for a dollar,” remembered Edwards. “I did weddings, video depositions, and small real estate commercials. I DJ’d on the weekends. And I believe that relational equity is the most important currency in life. If you can deliver for someone once, and you can demonstrate your integrity, your work ethic, and your quality of work, you can earn a client or a partner for life.”
Ironically, Edwards’ first official production was for the sod farm he used to work for. That led to local Comcast work, weddings and, eventually, high profile sporting events.
“All of a sudden I had a reel and a portfolio that I could showcase,” he recalled. “And I built enough trust doing jobs for ESPN that they brought me on to work for Monday Night Football when it transitioned from ABC. That led to opportunities with multiple Super Bowls, Wimbledon, the French Open and then World Cup. And that was the time when I naturally transitioned into the sports broadcast world.”
In time, Edwards segued to the role of cinematographer and editor for long-form documentary content for ESPN when it was launching programs likes 30 for 30, E60 and Outside the Lines. He had a project that landed on video platform Vimeo, which he describes as an “oasis” for young indie filmmakers. Then a phone call came from National Geographic Channel to help rebrand the network.
“That was really where the rocket took off the pad because that project won National Geographic an Emmy Award for Best Promotional Campaign,” noted Edwards. “It was my first Emmy Award as well. And that is when the rest of cable TV start calling.”
The first official production at Evolve was a documentary about the World Cup in South Africa for ESPN. Sports and documentaries are still a common theme at Evolve, but over the years the categories have expanded, both in-house and working with other production companies to provide those services.
Enter Evolve Studios
“Evolve was always more than just an LLC registered with the state. Evolve is an idea and it is housed by a collection of like minds that believe they can evolve their work and advance our culture through story,” noted Edwards. “Filmmaking is the ultimate team sport in that it marries the three main art forms of pictures and sound with story. To be able to tell the most powerful stories possible, we really needed to create a bigger team. We needed to have all the tools, the resources, and the people under the same roof unified in the same vision to tackle this goal. Evolve needed to become a studio.”
Surviving Against Massive Studios and Production Companies
“I saw so much dysfunction and waste and misuse of the resources in the industry,” said Edwards. “I thought, what if we could change it? I knew we had to build something that could compete with all these other studios and companies. We were responsible for creating the change that we wanted to see in the industry. I knew there were more ‘Vimeo kids’ like me out there, hungry to make great work and not be wasteful.”
“We had to build the company to compete at a studio level. We had the gear, the resources, and the technical experience,” he explained. “I knew the unlock for the studio would be our people and entrusted filmmaker community and we were ready to get to work. Around that time, we welcomed another partner, Daniel Kiedis, and began aggressively building out the vision at scale. The last seven years have been in hyper drive.”
Advanced filmmaking technology is still a key ingredient at Evolve. Earlier this year, with the same focus on diversification and cutting-edge storytelling, Evolve Studios formed a strategic partnership with Vū Network (an LED virtual production studio) to bring stories to life through its LED volume technology platform.
Upcoming at Evolve Studios
The indie feature The Stolen Valley opens in 2024. A third film, The Futurist, tells the tale of an 18-year-old inventor who discovers the secret to harnessing perpetual energy. It is expected in early 2025. And, through Edwards’ connection to National Geographic, Evolve Studios is actively working with streaming service Disney+ where a forthcoming original feature documentary focused on one of the platform’s new franchises is in the works.
“My vision for Evolve was a ‘we can do it all, we should do it all’ attitude. We can cross-pollinate these different creative tools, formats, and genres to become better filmmakers and storytellers,” noted Edwards. “We have always leveraged new technology and diverse techniques. Storytelling is the fabric of society. And we can use our format to cinematically move people emotionally.
“I believe that we can actually shape and unite our culture through storytelling,” he said.
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