{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Fabulist","title":"Protecting the Craft — Barton Damer at ALREADY BEEN CHEWED ","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/ea2e9b7a\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3049,"description":"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 learnHow “scrappiness” evolves from guessing emails to building brand-direct pipelinesThe mindset shift from on the box to on the business—and when to make itWhy 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 clientsAn owner’s take on AI: client fatigue, what’s commoditized, and where premium work growsTimestamps00:00 Intro — The bigger needs are getting bigger01:00 Barton’s origin story & ABC’s focus on photoreal, story, and craft04:00 Scrappy beginnings → modern hustle (and why it still matters)09:00 Firing yourself from the box: role shifts as the team scales16:30 Keeping the bar high without “saving” projects17:30 Process > panic: the pool-construction analogy clients never forget22:00 Why ABC built brand-direct from day one (and agency pitfalls)27:00 Stop selling time: pricing for outcomes, not day rates33:00 Risk, transparency, and the real reason studios charge more35:00 “We pick clients too”: reframing awards, pitches, and selection41:00 AI fatigue is real: what clients want now vs. what’s replaceable47:00 iPhone vs. Alexa: a clear framework for AI and premium craft50:00 Closing & takeawaysKey quotes“The person who wins the negotiation is the one willing to walk away.”“If my slowest, least-experienced artist bills the most, your...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/erP8-cNer8s1b7zNvAo5hFqEQ4G-grgetfRxs1plZL8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mMTkx/NDFmMzQwMTM3ZGI4/YWFjMTUxZDhhYjkx/YWRkOC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}