Entrepreneurs are often described as risk-takers, dreamers and innovators but business warriors? Dave Leahy, the man behind film production company Warrior Films tells Allaboutbusiness.ie that calculated risks can really pay off.

When you see a chance you take it is a philosophy to live by if you are Dave Leahy. The computer science graduate worked as an IT consultant for major banks and insurance companies for seven years.

It was a good, steady job but when Dave’s brother started Production Depot, a company supplying equipment and services to the Irish film industry, Dave’s feet got itchy. It was 2004 and he decided it was time to live his celluloid dreams. Dave took a position in the new company so he could get his foot into the industry to see how it all worked.

Dipping a toe in the water

While continuing to survey the film scene, Dave set up Warrior Films as a part-time business a year later. In 2007, with years of production know-how and experience he struck out on his own as a producer.

It was a risk, but a calculated one. Dave’s experience in his brother’s start-up business gave him real experience in what it takes to get a production business up and running. He wasn’t afraid to face the obstacles or give the time commitments because he’d done it all before.

Mentally, going out on my own was the hardest part. Securing business and keeping costs down were two other challenges says Dave about his move.

Today, Dave admits that it’s a challenging time for the sector. It has been difficult to keep going recently but they’ve just had some great news.

Warrior Films has mainly produced short films, including “The Pool” by Thomas Hefferon. This drama is up for several awards at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. "The Pool" is a drama about three teenage boys who break into their school swimming pool one night to stage a macho breath holding contest. But, as the night goes on, the loud, brash Charlie begins to tease the overweight, child-like Sam. After Katie arrives, a girl they all fancy, tensions start to escalate and by the end of the night none of their lives will ever be the same.

The high-profile award nominations are a major coup for Warrior Films and Dave plans to build on that success. Short to medium-term, he hopes to push into full-length feature films.

Keeping focused

At the moment, Dave is the only full-time member of Warrior’s staff. He works on his own in the office in Media Cube, DunLaoghaire but he enjoys it. It has forced him to manage his time well and use his strategic plan as a compass to guide him.

Dave finds the legal side of the business the most challenging. Contract negotiations are time consuming and he often loses track of the amount of hours he works in any given week. It’s all worth it though when it comes to the actual shoot. By that stage, most of the hard work has been done and he can relax and see all of his hours in the office turn into something tangible.

In Dave’s opinion, the best way for young directors to get themselves noticed is to have a good planning process. Dave is an attention-to-detail man. It’s a difficult, fast-paced industry and without a proper strategic plan you won’t get far he says. You need to put a lot of thought and preparation into it.

Warrior Films are now done with paying their dues says Dave and he hopes to use  the company’s experience and reputation as a springboard to bigger and better feature film projects.

Links
http://www.warrior-films.com/
“The Pool” group on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=360012627237&ref=ts
http://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/