We've been around for a little while now, so we thought we'd write a little about what we do and how we got here.
So, when I say "we" I actually mean me, Michael Marshall because for about 7 years Marshall Arts was just the work of me, myself and I. I built sites, made videos, directed commercials and did a bit of graphic design and copy writing here and there. My main "side hustles were my recording studio in Sandton and my lecturing gig at the Academy of Television in Johannesburg.
Over time, my side hustles and my creative directing gigs formed into aa pretty steady and consistent flow of work - people hired Michael Marshall because he knew about digital media, whether it was YouTube video content, adverts or just one element of the production, chances are Michael would be able to assist and at a reasonable rate.
In 2015 I was invited to apply for a post graduate degree program at AFDA for recognition of my works in film and TV over the previous 4 years. (I had written 2 screenplays which were produced at that time). So I went on to do an honours degree in Motion Picture Making. That's where my knowledge of broadcast and video editing technologies really expanded and soon I was interested in more than just video codecs and file formats, I was beginning to develop apps, work with video engines and build more complex software solutions.
In 2017 Kerry Marshall, my aunt and graphic design expert joined forces and Marshall Arts was officially a team. Kerry and I serviced high profile clients like Adcock Ingram, Optimal.me and BAIC. We produced content for film, TV, radio, billboards magazines and websites. Marshall Arts truly came into its own.
In 2018 I found myself being asked to head up the development of the Buygaloo app along side my business partner Kerry. The app was intended to be the ultimate digital marketing tool for brick and mortar businesses.
By 2020 the pandemic disrupted everything and most importantly my main client - the Buygaloo App. My business partner Kerry tragically passed away and I found myself needing a complete reset. In the quiet first weeks of the pandemic, as my clients retreated, I started to look around for new opportunities. It was then that I became aware of the challenges big corporates were facing with Virtual Events. Their multitude of annual staff events needed to go forth online, but the cost of doing so and the security risks involved were making hosting these critical events impossible.
Thats when I came up with my virtual eventing platform. The ask was simple, can I build the same platform that Mercedes Benz has been offered but for 25% of the price. The decision was also simple - I said yes.
The first event platform can be seen here.
We've since evolved the platform to be hyper customisable and available around the world at an incredibly low price.
Since developing the virtual events platform, I have hired 2 new team members.
Luke Coulson heads up my digital art and graphic design and Mbali Mbatha is client relations manager.
Marshall Arts is growing and I am excited for the new opportunities of 2022.
Our focus for next year will be on Corporate Digital Experience platforms as well as Virtual Reality merchandise an IP.
Marshall Arts will also be launching it first subsidiary Food Mind Soul.
Michael Marshall
Digital Media Engineer | Developer | Business Owner