Company
Showrunner builds operating system software that unifies all equipment on film sets—cameras, lights, virtual backgrounds, Unreal Engine, media servers, and audio—into a single interface. The platform serves virtual production studios and enables crews to control every piece of set technology from any device.
The Challenge
Film and TV production has always operated on a waterfall workflow: one department finishes its work before the next begins, creating cascading inefficiencies and delays. Tools and technology remain siloed within departments, forcing crews to juggle disconnected systems and duplicate information across multiple platforms. Shane Snow, best-selling author and Showrunner co-founder, saw how this fragmented approach was holding creators back—production teams working late into the night, budgets bloating from coordination failures, and an industry stuck decades behind other sectors in operational efficiency. Without a unified system, film sets would continue burning through time and money while crews struggled to synchronize equipment that couldn't talk to each other.
The Solution
Showrunner needed an MVP to prove their vision, so they brought in A.Team to assemble specialists who could move fast. A.Team matched them with three builders who brought exactly the right mix: a designer with deep film industry experience who understood what production crews actually needed; a globally recognized Unreal Engine developer; and a front-end developer who could transform complex technical designs into intuitive interfaces. The core challenge was synchronizing disparate on-set devices—each with unique protocols—so a director could adjust lighting while a cinematographer rotated virtual backgrounds by a few degrees, all through one seamless interface. The team triaged and integrated the chaotic mix of protocols film sets rely on, focusing on real-time collaboration and minimizing the redundancies that plagued traditional workflows. The A.Team builders integrated fully into Showrunner's daily standups and worked as part of the core product team to build the platform from zero to one.
Technologies Used
Next.js: Framework for building the cross-device application structure and interface
React: Front-end library for real-time equipment control and user interface components
TypeScript: Type-safe development for reliable system integration across protocols
Unreal Engine: Real-time 3D creation tool integrated for virtual background control and rendering
DMX Protocol: Industry-standard protocol for controlling lighting and stage equipment
"We got into a kind of a crunch where finding the perfect talent to make that team of our dreams was really really hard. So we spun up an A.Team of a few developers and a designer to help us really make progress on this and it was worth every penny."
— Shane Snow, Founder, Showrunner
The Results
What began as an ambitious prototype evolved into a production-ready platform that won industry recognition and attracted both customers and investors within the first year.
Industry Recognition
Won "Product of the Year" award at the National Association of Broadcasters' annual convention for their virtual production toolkit.
Revenue Growth
Reached $1M in ARR in the first year and raised $9.8M, establishing product-market fit.
Production Efficiency
Created a system that significantly reduces on-set inefficiencies, enabling crews to work proactively and finish in time for dinner rather than late nights.
Market Position
Secured global partnership with Vū virtual production studio network and positioned Showrunner as one of the world's leading smart studios.
