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Shiv Rajagopal is a filmmaker based out of Hong Kong & Los Angeles. With a background as a producer of indie films, music videos, and commercials, he writes about the entertainment industry at large. He is also the Co-Founder of Forgotten Films, an indie film company with a slate of films revolving around superheroes from the golden age of comics.
At Wrapbook, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding free resources to producers and their crews, but this post is for informational purposes only as of the date above. The content on our website is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for legal, accounting, or tax advice. You should consult with your own legal, accounting, or tax advisors to determine how this general information may apply to your specific circumstances.
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Production sets run on passion, but too often, that comes at a cost. Budgets are shrinking, deadlines are tightening, yet crews push through because they care about the work. In return, it's up to producers and productions to foster a culture that puts people first.
That’s the mission The Arridia Group has built its name on.
The Arridia Group is a Chicago-based production company that was founded in 2014. The founder, Hanah Soto, was inspired to create the company due to her experience as a production assistant in the 2000s. During this time, she saw how below the line crew members were often treated as replaceable rather than valued contributors.
Determined to change this culture, Soto built a company that prioritizes mutual respect and emotional intelligence. After all, who wouldn’t want to work in an environment where people are treated with kindness and stress is minimized?
By ensuring that production is a positive experience for both clients and crew, The Arridia Group has redefined what a successful commercial production company looks like.
Soto’s commitment to putting people before profits has seen the production company grow from a solo operation into a global venture. Along the way, The Arridia Group has collaborated with major brands such as Nike, Google, and Coca-Cola.
Now, let’s take a look at some of its standout work.
First on our list is Encyclopedia Britannica, the publishing company known for publishing the world's oldest encyclopedia. To celebrate its 250th anniversary, Britannica partnered with The Arridia Group to bring its vision to life.
This campaign consists of social media videos and short-form interviews. Each spot highlights Britannica’s ongoing mission to inspire curiosity. Interview excerpts with teachers and Britannica executives emphasize the importance of learning, both in and out of the classroom.
Speaking about their experience on this production, directing duo, Jason & Blue, touched on The Arridia Group’s commitment to hospitality:
“The focus on hospitality and care for the little things help us and the crew do our jobs better, because we are functioning out of a place of appreciation.”
This dedication to fostering a collaborative environment is what sets The Arridia Group apart.
You may not recognize the name, but you’ve definitely seen its products. Next on our list is Elkay, the manufacturer of the most widely used water fountains.
For this campaign, The Arridia Group partnered with director and photographer Ty Milford to create a series of vignettes showcasing the products. The campaign highlights people from different walks of life using Elkay’s drinking stations, water fountains, sinks, and faucets.
The production team initially planned to film in Los Angeles but pivoted to San Diego because it was more budget-friendly and still captured the sunny SoCal aesthetic. From its commitment to diversity to its intelligent location management, this project is a testament to why The Arridia Group continues to thrive.
Next on our list is a Coca-Cola campaign for the Tokyo Olympics. The Arridia Group collaborated with Sarah Silver to produce a photo and video campaign celebrating some of Team USA’s Olympians and Paralympians.
The campaign features big-name athletes such as Noah Lyles, Caeleb Dressel, Roderick Townsend-Roberts, Simone Manuel, Laurie Hernandez, and Alex Morgan.
With an incredibly tight turnaround, the team had just nine days of pre-production before starting production. The shoot itself was a massive undertaking, featuring three simultaneous sets and required a 75-person film crew.
The Arridia Group produced a sleek ad campaign for the launch of the Ritz-Carlton Residence in Chicago. Working with frequent collaborator Saverio Truglia, the campaign embodies the brand’s luxury status.
Speaking about the collaboration, Truglia explained how working with The Arridia Group felt like a heavy load had been lifted off his shoulders. As a result, he noted:
“I’m allowed to remain inspired, confident that unexpected turns to the creative direction will be navigated without stress.”
That level of trust and care is exactly what sets The Arridia Group apart.
As The Arridia Group expanded to manage productions across multiple countries, it encountered a common growing pain: workflows that couldn’t scale.
The Arridia Group’s previous payroll provider relied on a paper-based system. However, as their footprint grew, tracking paperwork across different locations became increasingly difficult.
To solve this, they upgraded to an online payroll platform, expecting a streamlined process. Instead, they found themselves facing a new set of challenges. The platform was unintuitive, required extensive training, and still caused delays. Producers would have to wait days, sometimes weeks, to process payments.
If left unaddressed, this could lead to disastrous delays and a frustrated crew. The Arridia Group needed a payroll solution that was as seamless and reliable as its productions–one that could scale with it.
After trying several traditional payroll providers, The Arridia Group kept encountering the same frustrating roadblocks. Payroll was more complicated than it needed to be.
That’s when Soto decided to try Wrapbook.
Payroll used to take days, but now The Arridia Group can complete it in three clicks, no matter the time of day. As Soto puts it:
“It's profound how easy it is because it saves time for crew, time for a coordinator, number of days for clients on the budget.”
By eliminating these bottlenecks in their payroll workflow, The Arridia Group was finally able to focus on what it does best.
Hannah Soto and The Arridia Group’s success proves that a people-first approach is not only the right thing to do but also the key to running better, more impactful productions.
If you’re a producer looking to level up your commercial productions, don’t miss our conversation with Hannah Soto on people-first production and learn more about how The Arridia Group runs worry-free payroll with Wrapbook.
