2. My Business
Summary
Scarlett SFX is a practical effects business that
wants to provide the physical realisation of
otherwise dreamt of props and prosthetics for
both those who are involved and wanting to
become involved within the arts such as film
and TV and make-up.
With no two commissions ever being the same,
Scarlett SFX is reviving the idea of originality
within a once thriving market.
3. Current state of my
business
• Studio already established and equipped
• Building personal relationships with potential
and existing clients
• One commission completed
• Creating a portfolio of designs for inspiration
• Beginning to advertise on social media –
currently only on Instagram
4. SWOT analysis of
my business
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
• Affordable
• Approachable
• Originality
• Passionate about my
market
• Attention to detail due
to focusing on one
project at a time
• Small business
• Unfavourable location
• Not as experienced
as the much larger
corporate businesses
• Cannot mass produce
• Social media
advertisement and
growth
• Film makers returning
to their roots
• Business could be
brought to a stand still
if Covid-19
restrictions are
brought back in the
future
5. Vision
Scarlett SFX will establish a
quality of product that is
both affordable for those
who don't have masses of
funding available and is of
the highest quality -
becoming the supplier for
independent businesses
and individuals.
Mission
Statement
Rebuilding the relationship
between customer and
businessperson and
supplying institutions and
individuals with custom
commissioned products that
are affordable.
Values
Communication
Trust
Reliability
Affordability
Dependability
6. • First discussion with the customer and create
a transcript to keep record of all details
• First design created either digitally or on
paper
• Criticisms received and used to develop the
design
• Physical creation is begun with constant
updates and criticisms throughout for the
highest quality
• Product is then completed and delivered to
the customer
Creative process
7. Prototype Prosthetic
The Cyclops
Key details
• The wearer will not be mobile and active while
wearing the prosthetic, they wish to use it only for
a photoshoot.
• Not meant to be worn on an individual who is
moving around, I am able to be a lot freer with how
I make the prosthetic since there will be no need
for vision.
• They want it to be their exact skin tone – the colour
of foundation that best matches them will be used
as an example for me to adjust the colour of the
silicone with skin-safe dyes.
• They don’t necessarily need this prosthetic to be
more than a one-time use.
8.
9. Management
Keeping the creative opinions within my
business as miniscule as possible keeps my
work that I produce for the customer as
unchanged as possible from what they want.
• One-person workforce allows for more
financial flexibility.
• Working alone will allow no delay in the
creation process.
10. Market Research
My target demographic are film-makers and make-up
artists.
I am aiming my product towards these groups because
I thoroughly understand that budgeting is an issue for
many film-makers whose careers have barely begun
before they are no longer able to fund their projects.
Make-up and the creative process is ever evolving and
I want my business to be the one that enables talented
artists to grow along with the industry.
11. Market research
Films are leaning on CGI (computer generated
imagery) in the present day media. CGI can
make or break a production, more often the
latter than the former.
The golden age of practical effects in the late
1970’s and throughout the 1980’s, with films
such as Star Wars IV, Alien, The Thing, Dawn
of the Dead, The Fly, and many more.
I take great inspiration from this era of film,
especially as a fan of the horror genre.
12. Advertising
Instagram has a much higher advertisement-
interaction rate than Facebook along with better
prices.
• Begin advertising on Instagram
• Move to 15 second un-skippable adverts on
YouTube videos related to my demographic
• Advertise through my customers social medias
I will use a website as a portal for those who are
searching the internet for a prosthetics company.
The website will be put online once I have built up
a portfolio of previous clients – as of right now, it is
dormant.
https://www.instagram.com/thescarlettsfx/
13. MFX Warehouse
Unaffordable prices
Slow order process
Real SFX
For veterans of the industry
Large-scale and expensive
Scarlett SFX will combat these issues by
providing:
• Affordable and custom prices for longer
lasting products
• My availability will be explicit at all times
• The customer whose product is currently
being made will have highest priority
• My business will not require a reputation or
level of experience to contact
• Being small scale emphasises the personal
customer relationship that means a lot to me
and my business
Competition within my industry
14. Operations
• Replenishing my consumables regularly for
an efficient work environment
• Work within a studio room within my home
that has been adapted to my business’
requirements.
• Consultations between myself and the
customer
• Designing process
15. Tax as a sole trader
As a sole trader, these are the kind
of taxes I would have to face:
16. Finances - Output
I will need a sufficient amount of funding as I will
need to keep replenishing my supplies each
month depending on the amount of work I had –
this is one of my most vital expenditures.
The creation process begins digitally, and so I will
need to keep a constant subscription for
Photoshop.
An unlimited minutes phone plan would be
needed so that I can have constant mobile
contact with my customers.
Output Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Sum at 3rd month
Postage £68.80 £103.20 £137.60 £309.60
Photoshop £9.98 £9.98 £9.98 £29.94
Liquid Latex £9.67 £19.34 £19.34 £48.35
SFX paint £37.51 £0 £37.51 £75.02
Skin-safe silicone £34.99 £34.99 £69.98 £139.96
Adhesive £11.95 £11.95 £11.95 £35.85
Unlimited minutes
phone plan
£20 £20 £20 £60
Plastic tubes £3 £0 £3 £6
Tools £27 £0 £9 £36
Public Liability
insurance
£6 £6 £6 £18
= £228.90 = £205.46 = £324.36 = £758.72
17. Finances - Income
A £3000 grant from Arts Council England
would be needed to kickstart my business
successfully, so that I’m able to stock the
proper resources and get the correct
technology
I calculate my price at the start of the
commission with an estimated time that the
work will take to complete at a rate of £16 an
hour. This is based on the average hourly rate
of an experienced make-up artist at £20.51
My prices will adjust as my business grows –
where more expensive resources are used,
the more expensive the commission will be.
Income Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Sum at 3rd month
Commissions £384
-
24 hours of work on
three commissions,
each being
completed in eight
hours over the
course of one week
(separately).
No expensive
resources required
for any of the pieces.
£480
-
30 hours of work on
three commissions,
two taking eight
hours each spread
over one week
(separately) and the
third taking 14 hours,
spread across nine
days.
No expensive
resources required
for any of the pieces.
£592
-
37 hours of work on
four commissions,
one taking eight
hours over the course
of one week, two
taking six hours each
over the course of
five days
(separately), and one
larger project that
took 17 hours over
ten days.
No expensive
resources required
for any of the pieces.
£1456
-
Gradual build up of
both time spent on
commissions and
the amount of
commissions that
I’m able to
complete and
receive payment for
in a month.
Arts council
England grant
£3000 (spread across the beginning three months of my business).
This grant would pay for the more expensive things such as postage
which becomes more expensive the heavier the package is, and the
more expensive resources.
£3000
18. Cultural Policy
Businesses worldwide have been affected by the Covid-19
pandemic, and the debilitating consequences are still persisting
to this day and through to the unforeseeable future.
As well as the pandemic, being a business that is situated within
the UK, it will be affected by the changes that Brexit has wrought.
19. Legislation
My business is affected by the BBFC and the
ASA.
• Censorship of graphic content for younger
ages.
• Clarification that the work featured in my
advertisements are synthetic creations,
regardless of the content.
I would need to have a thorough discussion
with the film-makers to see if they wanted to
alter their commission to fit certain age
restrictions.
