“Toy Story” was the first movie Nick and Patrick Rieth saw in theaters. Now the brothers are on the other side of the camera, with their own Muncie-based film company called Rieth Brothers.

“Since a young age, we’ve been in love with movies and the power of story,” Patrick, a junior animation major, said. “We want to use the power of story to help people deliver messages.”

Starting their own business took the Rieth brothers 15 minutes and $90. The two started the company in May 2014 through the services of Innovation Connector. Innovation Connector is a business incubator in Muncie that supports start up businesses and helps them grow.

The Rieth brothers won Innovation Connector’s “The
BIG Pitch” idea competition in October 2014. They’ve been working with Ted Baker, Innovation Connector’s executive director, ever since. The competition provided the brothers with connections and opportunities they didn’t have before.

Nick, a Ball State alumnus, and Patrick are starting to get their footing in the film industry. They are currently doing a lot of “bread and butter” work, including weddings, events and training videos. They’ve not been able to create as many creative projects as they’d like, but these kinds of projects are in the works.

“We’re definitely looking forward to what we have planned this fall,” Nick said.

One creative project the brothers recently made is a parody of Taylor Swift’s song “Bad Blood” called “Dad Bods.”

When it comes to schedules, Nick and Patrick’s are jam-packed. Aside from running their business, Patrick is a full-time student and works with Ball State’s Digital Corps while Nick works as a redshirt at Brothers Bar and Grill.

Nick’s schedule can change from week to week, which doesn’t bother him in the slightest.

“That’s part of the fun of it,” Nick said. “I like knowing my schedule, but also like having a varied schedule.”

Patrick said owning a business requires “way more hours than you’d think.” The hours depend on the work that needs to be done. Some weeks can be slow while the next week requires 50 hours of work.

“The hours don’t count, it’s what you do that counts,” Patrick said. “If you can perform when it matters, that’s what’s the most important.”

And the brothers can do that, Baker said.

“Nick and Patrick are awesome people to work with,” he said. “They want to learn and make their business successful.”

Baker works with the Rieths as a facilitator and coach and answers questions when needed. He monitors their company’s processes.

“It’s their business; it’s not my business,” Baker said. “I’m here to guide them into the best practices.”

The brothers are taking advantage of Innovation Connector and other resources in Muncie to expand their company.

“Muncie’s definitely on the upswing in the small business community,” Nick said. “It’s really cool to see all the growth that’s happening and to be able to be a part of that.”

 

Miller Kern. “The power of a story: brothers build a business in film after winning competition” Ball State Daily Published 08/21/15 8:45am http://www.ballstatedaily.com/article/2015/08/reith-brothers-company