As a longtime content producer for a large corporation, Monique Hutson felt stifled.
Yes, it was a secure, full-time job, but not a place where she could unleash her full creativity. And, as a woman of colour, she found herself seriously underrepresented.
So, Monique turned what she called, “A fun, small side hustle,” shooting music videos for friends, into a thriving full-time business.
Dom Productions is a content production agency specializing in photography and video work for businesses in the Greater Toronto Area and beyond.
Recently, they acquired The Stu (formerly known as Amica Studio), a beautifully-lit, 1,200 square foot loft space in Toronto’s East York neighbourhood that can host photo and video shoots, as well as small events.
As founder and lead producer, Monique’s mission was twofold: first—carve out a space for women and women of colour to make their mark in content production and brand marketing. Second—create top-notch content that’s authentically true and unique to the brands they work with.
And by ‘authentic’ Monique isn’t talking about producing manicured fluff. She’s interested in working with brands that want to be anything but perfect and connect with audiences on a deeper level.
“I think what really sets us apart is the people involved. We take the time to really get to know our clients before we do anything for them,” says Monique. “We’ll have a series of strategy and pre-production calls so that we’re not just showing up with a camera, but we’re a part of your team.”
A social media presence isn’t enough.
When it comes to growing the Dom Productions brand, Monique says that although they initially put most of their emphasis on their social presence, they quickly realized the need to invest in a website.
“If you talk to any marketing professional nowadays, they’re going to tell you that you can’t just be on social media—you need a website,” she says. “It’s your one-stop-shop, a place to put all your work out there and where people can get to know you, what you offer—and get in touch.”
Another important factor, she says, is that a website allows them to be more easily discoverable via web searches.
“Since we built a proper website, the amount of calls we’ve been getting [from clients] has been insane,” Monique says. “The more effort you put into your website, the more seriously you’ll be taken as a business. The return on investment for us has been instant and huge.”
The other key ingredient of Dom Productions’ web presence is their .CA domain (domproductions.ca), which clearly lets their audience know they are a Canadian business servicing other Canadian businesses.
“Being known as a local Canadian business means a lot because it feels like we’re making our mark in a place that hasn’t really been touched yet,” says Monique.
In building their website, she and her team went with Squarespace for its more creative-friendly look and feel.
“I found it offered me a lot of versatility in their templates, and really fits our brand personality today,” she explains. “And as a creative, I like to have the freedom to manipulate things to fit my vision.”
Carrying their mission forward
Monique sees their website as playing a huge role in their growth as a business. Right now, she and her team are looking to integrate domproductions.ca and thestu.ca into a single, cohesive website.
“That way, our clients can easily book our services, or the studio space as needed,” says Monique. “And as we grow our brand, our hope is that we can invite more photographers, creatives and event planners to come and check The Stu space out.”
Further down the road, Monique says they want to bring on at least 10 women of colour—which would triple the size of their team.
“I’ve experienced imbalances in race and gender in previous roles,” says Monique. “So right now, I just want to give more women and women of colour the chance to join this industry—whether it’s behind the camera, or in building more inclusive marketing strategies.”
Check out domproductions.ca, or follow them on Instagram to keep tabs on their latest projects!
