Lifestyle Profiles
Mad Monkey – Creative Monkeys in the Vista
In a creative environment like Columbia’s Vista-based film production company Mad Monkey, you never know where the next great idea might come from.
And so a recent anecdote from the office manager about accidentally splashing her dog with yellow paint will be incorporated into an upcoming television spot. “We have incredibly talented people here,” says owner Lorie Gardner.
Seven years ago, Gardner and her husband, Tim, along with David Johnson and Todd Stuart started Mad Monkey, which is located at 808-B Lady St.
Collaboration, not superstition
They were frustrated with boundaries and envisioned a company that would foster over-the-top ideas. They obviously
weren’t superstitious: They formed Mad Monkey On Friday, Oct. 13, 2000.
Lorie Gardner says Mad Monkey has succeeded where others failed by creating a collaborative, creative work environment and building trust with clients. “We’re successful because we do what we love and truly believe in our work. People sense that and know they won’t be let down,” she says.
Succeeding vs. the big markets
Mad Monkey has worked with a national autism coalition, the Food Network, the Do-It-Yourself channel, and
Zaxby’s restaurants, to name a few of its clients. It competes on the national audience, and is thriving
against big-market competition—as evidenced by the line of Addy awards from the American Advertising Federation
in Mad Monkey’s conference room. “The best work can come out of Columbia, S.C., not just New York
and L.A.,” Gardner says.
Mad Monkey has recruited its employees from across the country and the world—an animation artist is from South Korea. With three Gamecock grads who are now Monkeys as well, the company has also dipped into the University of South Carolina’s talent pool.
‘An up-and-coming city’
“We get resumes from everywhere,” Gardner says. “Columbia is on the radar for people looking to
move to the Southeast because it’s an up-and-coming city with affordable housing.”
Mad Monkey partners outside their office in the heart of the Vista.
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