Consider the tiger lily. Native to Asia, it’s a hardy plant that, according to legend, symbolizes prosperity and good fortune. A popular ornamental, owing to its showy orange-and-black blossoms, it’s most often found in the Eastern US – even in places like New Jersey. That’s where Brenda Kolb first encountered them, growing wild by the side of a highway.

Back then, she and her mom used to pull over and pick them - they’d even make special trips to do it. “As the years passed, we eventually stopped making the ride,” she recalls fondly. “But every summer, there was a bouquet of tiger lilies on our dining room table. They always reminded me of her.”

Years later, while living in Florida and building her career in production, she was introduced to her first client, whom she thought wanted to hire her to do P.R., but in reality he wanted her to create a video for him. When he pulled out his checkbook and asked for the name of her company, she came up with TigerLily Media on the spot. The name stuck, and in the 20-plus years since then, it’s put down some pretty deep roots.

From its base in Jacksonville, this creative and production studio produces everything from TV spots to nonfiction longform programming to docs, experiential work and social content. Brenda, whose title is CEO and Founder, has been at the helm since that very beginning, initially working with a single partner, and now with a new team of leaders and co-owners. Her background covers a wide range of production genres and categories, from working on reality TV to features to commercials.

While a lot about TigerLily has changed over the years – the studio has expanded beyond just live-action production, for example – some things remained the same. “As the industry has evolved, we’ve had to shift with that,” Brenda explains, noting how its bread-and-butter work for agencies has diminished over time. “We began to focus more on direct-to-client brand work, with a large concentration in design and animation.

“At the same time, we never really lost our passion for documentaries,” she adds. “That early work we did in documentaries and features really kind of set us up to be better brand storytellers.”

A particular sweet spot for the studio is its ability to package work and deliver projects from start to finish. As a collective of creatives, directors, writers, producers, editors, designers, and artists, it’s a capability that grew organically, adds Andrew Fallon, Chief Creative Officer and Partner. “I think it’s especially important today because production has evolved,” he notes. “Clients are more savvy to technical details, there’s a wider understanding of the process, and campaigns require a broader range of deliverables and executions. Since we have that toolbox, we’re a great fit for navigating those spaces at all levels.

“That ability to know, understand, and execute the entire process is something we bring to every project, and it’s why our clients love us,” he continues. “We can assess a project from every angle and know what the right approach is because we have experience in creative, from production to post to animation to delivery.”

“The way we built out the company is to have this kind of creative firepower, which is our creative direction, our writing and our directing,” explains Brenda, “and our staff can then execute in different areas within their craft.” That capability got a boost earlier this year when art director Varick Rosete, a 10-year veteran of the company, was promoted to Chief Design Officer and Partner.

The role that design plays in the TigerLily toolbox is underscored by the fact that they have someone in the position of Chief Design Officer, which is unusual for a production company of this size. But it makes sense, says Varick, when you look at it from their point of view. “It may seem unconventional, but times are changing. TigerLily stands out as a creative studio with both a live-production arm and a design/animation arm. Design plays a crucial role in shaping our creative vision and ensuring each project reflects our clients' brands.

“For us, design is not only about achieving the right visual aesthetic, but also about making the emotional connection as well,” Varick says. “For example, on the animation side, we're coming up with that creative look that can drive the storytelling while making sure that we’re in sync with the brand’s visual identity and building on that.”

Asked what makes TigerLily different, Andrew says it’s a number of things. “First off, there’s a range of disciplines we can leverage towards problem solving. So from Brenda's experience producing everything from series to features to national ad campaigns, my experience, both on set and in post, and Varick’s experience from the agency world and in design, illustration and animation, we can bring to bear almost every craft that exists within commercial filmmaking.”

“Our goal has always been to make the process easier,” adds Brenda, who says they frequently get client feedback that expresses amazement at how fluidly they can turn work around. “We take all of our skill sets and capabilities to really smooth things out for them, and we do it without a lot of handholding.”

Making things easier is also why TigerLily switched to the Simian video sharing platform. Their primary use is for building showreels, and they’re finding that process has become much more efficient for them. “It’s been a game-changer for getting our portfolio organized and being able to quickly share things,” says Andrew. “It’s really become an extension of TigerLily, like another appendage that I never knew I needed, but now that I have it, I wouldn’t want to get rid of it.”

“The updates that come out are great, and I’m impressed at both the frequency and the general usefulness of each one,” adds Brenda. “It’s nice to see software development that isn’t focused on feature bloat, but actually introduces real-world tools that make your life easier, not harder - like so many other platforms.”