How An Aussie Billionaire Went From The Housing Projects To Making Blackmagic Movie Cameras | Forbes

[@justgouds]

He revolutionized video production for creators. I remember like 15 years ago, my blackmagic pci card had issues and when I called for tech support, I actually spoke to Grant who walked me through a fix....

[@CNC-Time-Lapse]

That's awesome. I get the impression he genuinely believes in his products and has a passion for truly solving problems within the industry and for his customers.

[@imtrollingson]

@@CNC-Time-Lapse He does. Blackmagic cameras are a gamechanger. He made, and still makes, cameras that compete with the top dogs for a fraction of the price.

[@HoltHamiltonFilms]

Love this!

[@Akasacarafilm]

I am not exaggerated but this soft spoken revolutionist made it possible for me to realise my first independent scifi feature film, and got screened in 50 or so cinema chain in Indonesia back in 2018.

[@MikeCrocker]

Congratulations!

[@southlondon86]

Well done sir. Any links to trailer?

[@Akasacarafilm]

@@MikeCrocker thankssss

[@Akasacarafilm]

@@southlondon86 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqS2h414erOamdE . Hi, this is english subtitled trailer for local stream service in 2020. Enjoy.. the original theatrical release is not subtitled.

[@hansf.6463]

Yo, you are the studio who produced tengkorak! Even though it's in Indonesian, the movie is great! What software did you use to create such a film?

[@ozzmanzz]

While listening to him I realised that I did exactly what he was saying. I got their free software then bought their camera and then bought a mixing panel. I love what they are doing and that they are an Australian company taking on the world!

[@MrAlexTech]

Grant is an absolute legend! I base so much of my thinking/mindset/approach off this guy.

[@TudorBaba]

Thanks for sharing this!

[@kevinbillington9773]

Thanks for this Alex

[@vaidehiarts]

Blackmagic changed the industry from us young filmmakers struggling with high rental prices to owning our own little cinema beasts. And in the past few years, the ecosystem has matured and keeps evolving so much, it's beautiful to work with it. Thanks Grant, and the BMD team

[@justkayy]

Been shooting with the Black Magic 6k for three years now and still haven’t found anything that compete with it. Such beautiful color science.

[@fredr.]

iPhone?

[@stealthstar4]

@@fredr. Never in your life compare ANY weak phone to a professional camera. NEVER! These are two different worlds. You sound crazy.

[@danilomc9124]

@@stealthstar4 well said!

[@prodj.mixapeofficial6431]

@@fredr. iphone? U joking?

[@Mandaramaster]

Don't want this to come across badly but it sounds like you've not shot on any pro grade cameras. BM are absolutely incredible for the price and even compete with kit much more expensive, but most high end gear matches or beats it.

[@ianmcg521]

I came across Grant about 30 years ago when he was a backroom technician at a local video post company. He'd developed a simple cheap method of recording single frames on to a basic video tape recorder. It revolutionised my budding animation studio and set me up for future success. He won't even remember me, but my memory of him was as a humble friendly ground breaker willing to give me his time. Later on I also used to hire million dollar Davinci suites pre Blackmagic buying it and was bowled over when they released their free software version. He single handledly revolutionised the production industry. Mate, youre a legend - dont change.

[@tommills9379]

One of the great joys of being a filmmaker to me (business-wise) is seeing the smug 80-100k dismissive camera makers have to finally accept that a camera line that costs less than 10% of their digital cameras are able to create cinema imagry at the highest levels. There's a reason those companies have all made concerted efforts to produce more budget-friendly (by their standards) cameras. You don't try to emulate or compete with a product you don't respect. You try to match it. And DaVinci Resolve has taken an industry that was held hostage price-wise and given it, yes, given it to the world. While I will shoot on any brand of camera as the job dictates I will remain loyal to the company that showed what matters most. Its customers. Yes, DaVinci wants to make money like any company should. They just do it the right way. After seeing this video and learning even more about Blackmagic's formation and ethics I'm more inclined than ever to always make them my first choice.

[@kolecava]

Imagine quality has caught up for sure. That said, there is always that 10% from image quality to reliability. Love the Pockets/UMP but still far away from the Alexas and some Reds. It's not fair to compare those however.

[@tom_cressey_dop]

@@kolecava Arri are the industry leaders and almost don’t need to acknowledge what’s happening in the industry. They do their own thing in their own time. What impresses me about Blackmagic is the bang for buck you get. I regularly shoot with the Arri Amira and Alexa and I’ve lost count of the amount of shoots where we’ve used a Blackmagic Pocket 4K or 6K as a C-cam or rigged one up on a car dashboard etc. The colour science really is top notch for the price.

[@prodj.mixapeofficial6431]

Definitely, Black magic nailed the market between DSLR and pro Cinema camera, and this is where they sit. The best position right now.

[@lionel.mukendi]

Really loved how you put it, mate. I have the utmost respect for these guys.

[@MrGamelover23]

The secret is that they are a privately owned company, so there aren't any shareholders demanding infinite growth, which is the inevitable downfall of all things good.

[@ThongNguyen-fl9jp]

finally grant is getting the respect from a major us publication that he deserves

[@valtonsteve1]

I respect this man…I want a longer documentary now

[@nevencuca1680]

There is a 45 min -one hour interview with this man somewhere on yT. Its amazing. He has such a unique mindset. Must love him and his products

[@valtonsteve1]

@@nevencuca1680 Ok Thanks gonna look it up Right NOW

[@nevencuca1680]

@@valtonsteve1 its called Bootstraping a 300 mil $ from scratch. 51 minutes. Enjoy it mate!

[@valtonsteve1]

@@nevencuca1680 Wow Thanks Bro..Am already 2min in..Nuff Respect to u Bro

[@FreshSqueezedLightning]

Grant is a legend. The man literally changed the course of all digital cinema cameras with the revolutionary pushes they first made and continue to make, which made every other camera company try again

[@glenncogan8109]

Congrats Grant, well deserved success. I remember all those years ago calling Blackmagic on many occasions and you were the guy on the end of the phone. Always helpful and friendly back then and still today as well.

[@nevencuca1680]

Wow. Thanks for that insight piece. It didnt come as a surprise since I heard him talking about he himself being coding their internal software.. he is one hard working and humble man.

[@Alaminjos]

I rented a Blackmagic camera and was surprised by how relatively easy and intuitive it was to use. I'll definitely be buying into that system pretty soon especially after learning how principled this CEO is.

[@imtrollingson]

do it. they're great, really.

[@TylerEdwards]

The 2.5K sensor was such a special image. It is still one of my favorite images from any camera.

[@mindscream7818]

BlackMagic Design is s beautiful company making cinematography attainable for normal people. God bless you Grant

[@icecreamforever]

I just SO respect this guy..... his thoughts on subscription services are just so spot on!

[@valentinmovilaru2690]

Congrats for putting Grant in the spotlight. A unique approach to film and TV. Davinci resolve and BRAW is the best thing that happened to my production. Thank you!

[@Mr.BobsDog]

This was an interesting video Forbes, thanks. It’s good to see there are still some business owners that have morals to look after their customers properly.

[@SamoScopom]

Blackmagic deserves more coverage. They enable so many people to start their professional filmmaking journey - it's incredible!

[@ricardobirnbaum]

This man is a huge inspiration. Their products always bring the best bang for the dollar!

[@danielhuang2488]

as a young film student, i will thank this man forever for making a hollywood level color correction software completely free for us to use. i learned so much about color correction using davinci resolve for the past two years, and that couldn't have happened if he didn't made this professional af software free for us.

[@Fishaholicboy]

I started my editing journey with Davinci Resolve and after watching this, I feel happy I made the right choice. I respect Grant’s business model and to give everyone a chance to use such a great tool with the potential for these users to upgrade if needed. Now I know I will continue to support this business and stay loyal.

[@KitLaughlin]

A genuine human being, worth supporting. We use his switching gear, and will buy his cameras and editing software. His stance against the subscription model, and his free versions of software that are not crippled is a breath of fresh air in the industry. Three thumbs up.

[@leecourington2536]

Big respect Mr. Petty. We need more persons with this level of integrity and wise generosity in the media business. There is no way we could pull of the projects we are doing without his vision and his company, BlackMagic Design. Massive respect and the very best for the future.

[@getezra1]

when an investor has higher level of moral conscious and zero greediness. We love such ppl-

[@mjgfromDDD]

I'm still rocking the OG BMPCC, even shot my first feature with it and edited in DaVinci. Thank you for helping offer such great quality products!

[@larryFWD]

As an indie filmmaker, I'm just so happy they have this guy as the man behind the called shots. So forward thinking and consumer-centric. Blackmagic Design equipment and software has changed a lot of my workflow capabilities for which I remain grateful! Onward and upward BMD!

[@ninadavadamarvayam]

I freaking paid Adobe money when I was not productive at all with that software. Having using Davinci for a week now and I just like everything about it. Things feel so natural and so much idea flows through. Now I was searching who was this brilliant guy that made this software. Now I love the CEO. This is how every CEO should be.

[@mellosanog]

Man's the reason why I am able to quit my day job and work fulltime wedding filmmaker. Thanks.

[@andrewmarthie5062]

To make a product as capable as DaVinci resolve… without a subscription model… and having a free version on top of that which has more than 90% of the functionality of the paid version is all you need to know about this guy… I love companies like this

[@untitled8005]

This man has given an impulse to young filmmaking communities around the world. Everywhere you look people who, traditionally, couldn't have afforded to make professional content and films are doing so by the virtue of the blackmagic revolutionizing the industry. We owe him/them a lot

[@ginnodizon6551]

For me grant petty is not a businessman he is a real "HERO!!!"

[@dsdddsd4543we]

Major respect for Blackmagic. DaVinci Resolve and the recent Pocket 6K have changed the game forever. Waiting for the new updates for 2022 + 2023.

[@ProtonFilms_Mark]

I am so glad that he did. It disrupted the market, production became accessible to smaller teams and thus a wider range of creators could finally put their ideas as they see it to the screens.

[@JonasStuart]

This guy is the real deal. One of the few entrepreneurs who truly cares about the change he can affect. I've been using their cameras and software for a while now and can't see myself buying serious cameras outside of their ecosystem at any point soon. Legend. Thanks Grant °¬)

[@rajgurung4493]

He might be unknown for half of the world, but for us he is legend. Thank you for Bmpcc with da Vinci.

[@howtodostuff1244]

Just like his vision, I started with the free version and in less than a year I bought I speed editor that came with a free studio license and my next purchase is a pocket cam. The best part about it is, I feel good about spending the money cause I know that the company cares about his customers. There should be more business men like him in this world.

[@teedeeking527]

Grant Petty, what a man! Even if i am highly invested in another system. I am going to buy a blackmagic camera. Just because I love the philosophy of the man behind the company.

[@gopij287]

I own one and it's the best value for money

[@ZimTechGuy]

I have respect for this man after watching this interview, thank you for creating great products for creators who are still coming up

[@messageweek]

All our film work in recent years has been on the BMCC series: 2.5K, 4K and 6K - matched with good Canon lenses and now excellent BRAW quality, this has truly been the most innovative contribution to cinema work, both for pros and amateurs. Thanks Grant Petty and your team of engineers and entrepreneurs. (I also agree and appreciate with your non-subscription model!)

[@aussietesla7821]

Here is someone with a great sense of what people really want in the industry and also that people hate subscription models. I switched to resolve and tried the free version, then purchased the full version with the speed editor bundle. What fantastic value. Hoping in the future to get a BM camera eventually more advanced control surface. Keep doing what you're doing Grant. Simply fantastic approach to your customers.

[@martingrierson1152]

So inspiring! I was thinking of upgrading from my mirrorless photographic camera to a cinema camera, and this video helped me decide which way to go. It's gonna be a BM as they are not only very good cameras, but I would be proud to buy from a company led with the values seen in this short video.

[@0zymanndias773]

Every founder and ceo needs to think like this man.

[@gummoman]

This man has all my respect and admiration. His company has transformed the audiovisual industry and I am entirely grateful for that. Long live Blackmagic and its philosophy.

[@daneoman1000]

Haha YES! Love how he calls Adobe and Avid the Mafia. Very happy loyal Blackmagic customer here.

[@Director_S]

lol i said the same thing

[@CNC-Time-Lapse]

He has single-handedly changed the film and video production industry. He's given the consumer access to an industry only the elite formerly had access too while innovating the industry. It's an exciting time for video production thanks to Grant!

[@Padmaraj408]

Thank you BM.. You vision was right... Our concern is growing with your support!!

[@KETANORANA]

The differentiating factor between CANON and Sony and BLACKMAGIC DESIGN is the approach and ethic values of the company . Very rare companies and their respective founders have this wisdom where they cure their customer’s pain point without looting them like MAFIAS. BLACKMAGIC design empowers creators and in return creators would take the company even further ahead. Thanks GRANT PERRY 🙏🏻

[@H76Pro]

I wish him a long, healthy and happy life! He is wonderful human being!

[@travispearson9535]

If I ever win an Academy Award, he will be one of the people that I thank. His company's products have helped me tremendously as a filmmaker. Thank you for bringing fire to man. You have a lifelong customer.

[@MtZionMediaPro]

I LOVE THIS MAN! Such humble beginnings & he has the right heart. His products have changed my life & made my dreams possible! Forever appreciative! 🙏🏾

[@60whatnow]

Thank you Grant you are a legend and saviour for all those wonderful content creators, helping us focus on what we are meant to.... Creativity! I've always been impressed by BlackMagic Design, so much so I bought 3 of the 12k cameras when they were first announced in 2020. I've been in the media industry for over 30 years and one of the most difficult hurdles in the industry was the cost of hardware and software (subscriptions). So many times, working on projects when you are reaching deadlines your software licences expire. I've spent a lot over the years on hardware and software... We won an Award for Innovation in Media, Visual Communications & Entertainment, for our studio in the middle east, which is completely fitted out with the latest BlackMagic equipment.

[@andrewbrilliant7591]

Grant Petty will go down in history as the Robinhood of Hollywood. He is a legend, fueling creators all over the world to share their stories - we all owe him a note of gratitude!

[@JBond73]

Without this guy and his products I’d have never thought I’d be able to start my KZbin channel. Davinci resolve is so user focused it’s a joy to use. Best software I’ve ever used.

[@AlphaSphere]

Love the Black Magic stuff! And on top of that a full featured video editor for free?! Common, that's just incredible. Totally agree with his view on the whole subscription model.

[@ciro8861]

we use the blackmagic sdi to hdmi converter and their 4k capture cards to broadcast our tv channel in rural kenya. when he says cheap, $1000 is cheap in american dollars its expensive in kenyan shillings but ITS STILL CHEAPER in comparison to regular tv broadcasting servers. sawa tv wouldnt be a thing without blackmagic

[@MotoTravelUSA]

Really appreciate them staying away from a subscription model. Moved from years of using Adobe products to black magic because of this.

[@ca1688]

A great business man, but more importantly, what a great guy he is

[@weeliano]

Grant Petty is a godsend to the film and television industry. He single handedly made all the hardware technology and software easily available for everyone! I love his rationale for making Resolve free! I hate the subscription model as well! I bought the license dongle for Fusion and now I have permanent access to all the studio versions of the software which is absolutely fantastic!

[@ShaneHarderPhoto]

I absolutely love Blackmagic design and all their products. I own a bunch of their gear now and completely transitioned from premiere to resolve a few years ago now and haven’t looked back.

[@FernandoQuevedo]

I owe a lot of my career to Grant and his Blackmagic products. It has allowed me to play on a much higher level and compete with the “big boys”. Thanks Grant for helping out food on my table.

[@GaryCunninghamyouareenough]

Thanks so much for sharing this Alex 🙏🏻. What an incredibly humble guy - his reasoning behind why Resolve is free is just 🤯. Also, it gives us, your followers, an insight into why YOU are so generous with us (which we really appreciate). Cheers as always man 👊✌️

[@stela_camera_girl]

Even if I did not buy yet my first Blackmagic camera, I love BMD products since I've discovered it back in 2013. Thanks to the CEO of the company and to all men involved that created all the awesome Blackmagic products for the world!

[@jacksonfilm]

The success is well deserved. Great company and products. Really appreciate how much they've shaken up the whole tech side of filmmaking.

[@AB13]

That's it ! I have tried this software for about 6 months and honestly...i was forced forced to come to this software. I used filmora about 2 years back when i was using low end office laptop...then i upgraded to a newgen rayzen laptop and purchased PowerDirector 365...used it a few months, render used to take hours ! I lost all hopes that ill not be able to buy a laptop that runs these high end softwares ! I was wrong the PD365 had compatibility issue with hardware i contacted PD 365 team but could not solve problem. Then from youtube i came across DVR listening to it being free 90% features I was skeptical. However i went ahead and tried to learn though learning curve was difficult...now after about 6m of learning and editing i know for sure Adobe is on the run ! That's it I am purchasing this ! Their business model is working...big time youtubers are switching from adobe ! Just search for Zak Kolder !

[@enregistreur]

Thanks to Grant, I was able to discover and prosper in a field I didn’t even know I was good at, and that I love! Start small with a base Atem Mini or a BMPCC4K, and the sky is the limit!

[@UnderFortyYards]

The self funding by designing and manufacturing products for your own future is so important to understand. The lack of VC in the equation means succeed or die. Brilliant.

[@kapturelab]

Love hearing about visionaries and entrepreneurs. I got my first BM camera last year. Love it!

[@LintonNkambule]

I hate the subscription model, Adobe has not innovated in the space since it moved to subscription.

[@TechLevelUpOfficial]

I am going to switch to Resolve because i like this guy. he has a unique vision and that's what i respect.

[@nevencuca1680]

There is a longer interview with Grant on YT. Its called Bootstraping a 300 mil $ from scratch. 51 minutes. I am not affiliated. Just love the guy and I think everybody will love this interview as well.

[@TerenceKearns]

I've been a camera nerd for years, and BMD is by far my most favorite company because of their values and their engineering culture.

[@JoussefJouda]

I used the free Davinci Resolve for years and made money from it. I purchased the software now. It has almost everything in one software for the post-production pipeline. Thank you Grant Petty!

[@djjoeray]

Big fan, thanks Grant, the OG pocket got me into filmmaking and now you have a loyal customer for life!

[@jasonporthouse5042]

I've been a Blackmagic user and proponent for years. The more I hear about Grant and his philosophy the more I like him, and the company he's spearheaded.

[@darlingtonjonesimagery9247]

Title is misleading. It should be like " The most epic disrupter in the film industry started his success mindset"

[@belperite]

Davinci Resolve is hands down the best free NLE there is. I'm not a professional editor or colour grader but I bought the studio edition because of how impressed I was with the ease of use and how good the community is for tutorials etc.

[@chrispenney]

Revolutionized an entire industry, $500mm in revenue, still writes his own code, and calls rent seeking subscription model out for what it is. Lots of respect to Grant.

[@RobertWGreaves]

My first Black Magic Design product was a few mini converters. Then when a video capture card I had went bad I replaced it with a BMD capture card that was half the price and 4 times the quality. Wow! So I took a look at Davinci Resolve. At first it was so different I was not sure if I would like it, but it quickly became my editor of choice. For me this is a retirement hobby but the product line is truly excellent.

[@willemhdx]

What a company. Great products, great service, great attitude.

[@NowyKurs]

Definitely the company that shapes the industry.

[@martyjwalker]

This is how you build brand loyalty, so up yours Adobe, faceless mafia of design software. Grant didn't even mention Fairlight, which back in the day cost a house for a deck.

[@mitchmedmedia5386]

Mind blowing. What a great business model from the consumer point of view. I’ve had 4 of the pocket cams and I’ve always edited on resolve. I love blackgmagic design

[@oscardoesit2129]

My journey started in 2020 when I started looking for a free competent video editor. After doing some research, Davinci was the top contender. I downloaded it and immediately fell in love. Since then, I have purchased BMPCC6K Pro, a speed editor, and a micro panel. I love what black magic is doing and its principles. I love all of my Blackmagic products, hardware, and software. I look forward to buying another BMPCC and possibly the URSA 12k in the future. After watching this interview, I will continue to support Blackmagic.

[@andywakeman9806]

Love this guy! BMD has a really honest and smart philosophy. Their cameras are kinda weird and quirky but produce great results and have definitely driven down the price of cinema cameras overall.

[@dp_zee]

I'm a giant blackmagic fan .. and his attitude towards his customers makes me a lifelong customer... I still use the bmpcc6k pro for smaller projects... But the min bm comes out with a box style, more robust professional cinema camera (sdi, timecode, genlock, 12/24v power) I'll be using it on bigger projects

[@JhonatanLopezProductions]

I purchased the pocket 4k a few months ago. The software and camera are really great to use. Thank you Grant

[@kernelpanic2887]

There's actually just been a camera OS upgrade, more featurea for a 3 year old camera!

[@JhonatanLopezProductions]

@@kernelpanic2887 I have the new OS upgrade and DaVinci resolve update

[@SeshanDecodes]

Great CEO. Great Company Ethos. Just love everything you do for us video creators.

[@HisLordDudeness]

3:28 - "I don't like subscription software...it feels like a mafia style pay-off." CUT TO: Adobe software Nicely done, editor.

[@SlightlyNasty]

That little passive-aggressive touch cracked me up.

[@MagicFactoryFiji]

Revolutionary. Much respect.

[@VAsHachiRoku]

I would love for Grant to disrupt the lens industry next! It would be great to have a BMPCC and a BM Lens. I'm sure they could test and have some amazing quality workflows in Resolve to match the camera and lenses; However, the big players have been there for years like Canon, Sony, Nikon making both products. I do think BM could do some amazing cine lens for a fair price compared to renting a 20k lens for a shoot.

[@arturc8443]

I'm a huge fan of BlackMagic because of the way they treat their customers. Free upgrades, amazing quality cameras at a price that allows amateurs to develop their skills, great software that is all you need for professional work. I will most likely buy one of their controllers soon, even though I don't need one :)

[@newwayofthinking]

Fuji xt3 and Xt4 user here. I bought the bmp6k pro about a year ago and never really used it until recently. I bought for a specific client job and then it just sat there afterwards. Anyways long story short, recently I started shooting with it as my main camera and started learning davinci resolve. Wow. Unbelievable image quality and amazing work flow in davinci. I'm tempted at buying an xh2s, but I'm thinking I'm going to buy another 6kpro or wait for update on the camera. Hoping BM brings dual stacked sensor, better camera ergonomics and viable autofocus to the game. Then it's absolutely GG

[@prodj.mixapeofficial6431]

No doubt Fuji is legendary on stills, but for video, black magic nails color science and cinema look.

[@keithbennett5179]

Great Interview with Grant band Blackmagic Design thanks for telling this story!

[@kingdavid2.021]

So transparent... This is why we Love BMD

[@onimar]

Love Blackmagic Design and Grant Petty's ethos.

[@lukerabin5079]

Grant Petty is living proof that good guys do get ahead, and, more importantly, that there will always be a place for a range of products that simplifies the processes of content creation, while maintaining quality and affordability.

[@alioufilms7644]

This guys and his company made journey into filmmaking a lot easier.

[@jonpav6224]

BMD, Grant and his team have done a lot, in terms of shifting the pro video and production market, providing a new level of accessibility and points of entry, genuinely innovating at the high end.

[@computerjantje]

BlackMagic did for video what Behringer did for audio. I am grateful for both as it made quality creative audio and video affordable for everyone.