Running a standout studio isn’t about selling hours—it’s about protecting the craft, picking the right clients, and staying scrappy (in smarter ways). Joel sits down with Barton Damer, founder/founding artist of Already Been Chewed (ABC), the Texas-based studio channeling skate culture into high-end 3D, VFX, and product campaigns for world-class brands. They get real about evolving from freelancer to leader, building a brand-direct engine, setting non-negotiables with clients, pricing expertise (not days), and why AI is making the best human work more valuable than ever.

You’ll learn

How “scrappiness” evolves from guessing emails to building brand-direct pipelines
The mindset shift from on the box to on the business—and when to make it
Why selling expertise beats selling time (and how to defend flat-fee pricing)
Scripts and stances for protecting process (and your weekends)
Why being willing to walk away wins negotiations—and attracts better clients
An owner’s take on AI: client fatigue, what’s commoditized, and where premium work grows

Timestamps

00:00 Intro — The bigger needs are getting bigger
01:00 Barton’s origin story & ABC’s focus on photoreal, story, and craft
04:00 Scrappy beginnings → modern hustle (and why it still matters)
09:00 Firing yourself from the box: role shifts as the team scales
16:30 Keeping the bar high without “saving” projects
17:30 Process > panic: the pool-construction analogy clients never forget
22:00 Why ABC built brand-direct from day one (and agency pitfalls)
27:00 Stop selling time: pricing for outcomes, not day rates
33:00 Risk, transparency, and the real reason studios charge more
35:00 “We pick clients too”: reframing awards, pitches, and selection
41:00 AI fatigue is real: what clients want now vs. what’s replaceable
47:00 iPhone vs. Alexa: a clear framework for AI and premium craft
50:00 Closing & takeaways

Key quotes

“The person who wins the negotiation is the one willing to walk away.”
“If my slowest, least-experienced artist bills the most, your model’s upside down.”
“Our business only works if we enjoy it.”
“AI will eat the quick, crappy content. The best human work only gets more valuable.”

About Barton
Barton Damer is the founder and founding artist of Already Been Chewed, a Wylie/Dallas studio known for skate-culture roots, photoreal craft, and brand-direct campaigns in 3D, VFX, and product visualization. Over 15+ years, ABC has partnered with top global brands while staying lean, family-friendly, and obsessively focused on story and execution.

Mentions
Nike, Vans, New Balance, Lucasfilm, Disney, Tiffany, Google, Street League, Camp Mograph, FORUM & Fuse dinners.

Links & Next Steps

Explore more episodes and push your creative business forward: joelpilger.com
If you’re serious about running a resilient studio and creating great work, apply to join Forum at joelpilger.com.

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