"Protagonist is the best in the business." - Jim Brown, Speed Auto

We help auto shops stand Out
with premium videos

Whether you need to strengthen your brand image, improve customer loyalty, or build your team of talent, we’ll help you elevate your message in today’s crowded digital landscape.

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What We Do

We handle every step of the process to plan, produce and deliver a best-in-class video package that will elevate your shop’s image and message across your website and social media.

Filming

We've got the camera gear, lenses, lighting and know-how to capture cinematic interviews and b-roll that will make an impression.

Coordination

Our team will handle all the scheduling and production coordination. You just need to show up and let us in.

Message Crafting

We'll help you craft your story and message points through pre-interview calls and an expert led on-camera interview.

Sound Mix

All parts of the finishing process will be handled with excellence, including a professional sound mix.

Color Grade

Our colorists will balance every shot, giving each finished video the perfect polish.

Final Delivery

We'll deliver every video in your package in whatever size and resolution specs are required. Don't know? We'll make sure you've got what you need to post immediately.

Social Media Crops

We'll deliver each finished video with any additional reel-ready crops, resizes, or versions necessary to promote your content across all social media platforms.

Music Clearances

Every video will feature licensed and pre-cleared music for you to use across all channels worldwide, forever.

Our Process

We've been doing this for decades, and it shows.

PHASE ONE

Prep

You’ll get a kick-off call that lays out everything we need for your day of filming, including key messaging points and any specific goals. You won’t do any of the heavy lifting – we’ll handle all scheduling and coordination and absorb all production travel costs for our film crew. And we travel anywhere.

PHASE TWO

Production

After approving our shooting schedule, you just need to show up. We’ll guide the interviews toward the perfect messaging soundbites, and we’ll film “b-roll” footage of your shop in action and any other approved locations or moments.

PHASE THREE

Post

You’ll review each draft of the video edit until the end, where you’ll receive a compelling and authentic final product. Your video will be true to your brand identity, with a clear story and messaging crafted by our veteran editors. 

Here's what our clients are saying...

Powerful & Effective

“The film Protagonist made for us told our story in a way that no one else could. It is so effective and so powerful for the audience. Thomas and his team are true professionals.”

AARON STOKES

Shop Fix Academy

A Show Stopper

“The recruiting video is an interview show stopper! It did its job alright! One candidate realized he was out of his league and the other was sold on us!”

JACK HARLAN

Harlan Auto

Transformational

"Protagonist has truly transformed our capabilities of video. They are truly an extension of our marketing team.  I get nothing but praise on the quality of video we rollout regularly with Protagonist."

SUNIL PATEL

Tekmetric

Customer Loyalty

“I know customers who said they won’t go anywhere else after seeing our story. And people who knew me and the business were blown away by what they didn’t know. And we have just hired a new team member who saw the recruiting video and wanted to be part of our mission.”

FRED YOUNG

Young Automotive

Moved to Tears

Protagonist did beyond amazing work! I was inititally intimidated and they made the process easy to understand. When we got the first draft, I was moved to tears. I never expected it to so perfectly tell my story! Thomas and his crew have a true gift!"

JASON AQUILA

Willoughby Hills Auto

Truly Skilled

"Protagonist has built an amazing team. The work they do is absolutely incredible. I feel honored to have worked with them. They are truly skilled at what they do."

CHARLIE ZLATKOS

Pleasant Car Care

View our 2025 Wrap Out Video

Featuring dozens of shops from across the USA.

I've been capturing stories on film my whole life...

Hi, I’m Thomas Torrey, founder of Protagonist. 👋

After graduating film school I started working full-time as a freelance director and producer. I worked on all kinds of film and video projects: corporate, shorts, television, and even indie features.

In 2020, my good friend Aaron Stokes asked me to capture the story of his new auto repair coaching company Shop Fix Academy. He wanted to show the struggles he overcame from wrenching Saabs in his backyard to almost losing his six-shop empire Euro-Fix. And he wanted the benefit of the clarity and consistency that video provides. I was so proud of the finished film and it became such a powerful marketing tool for Aaron, that he said to me, “You should do for other shop owners what you did for me – help them tell their stories.” And in 2023, Protagonist was born. 
Today, Protagonist has grown to a team of passionate professionals -- filmmakers, editors, producers, and cinematographers – all committed to helping auto shop owners stand out, authentically, with prestige-level video. This is what makes us the best at what we do, helping shop owners build their brands, build their teams, and build stronger emotional connections with their customers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. What's the typical timeline for a project like this?

Timelines can take the shape of your needs, but often we can begin filming any early as one month from our initial kick-off call. After that, edits can take as little as two weeks, depending on the number and length of videos commissioned. Longer projects can take up to eight weeks to deliver. Our initial proposal will outline any timeline estimates or restrictions.

Q. What will my time commitment be for this?

Plan for a one-hour Pre-Interview Call during our pre-production phase. During production, for smaller projects, we can spend as little as three hours at your shop, capturing interviews and b-roll. For longer projects, we can spend as many as two full days capturing interviews, b-roll of multiple locations, and other slice-of-life moments.

Q. I'm nervous about being camera. I don't quite know how to communicate my story. How can you help?

Crafting a compelling, clear and authentic message from the raw parts of your interview is exactly what we’re the best at. We start with a thoughtful pre-interview over Zoom, getting a sense of what you want to say and how best to say it. Then, when the cameras are rolling, we’re not asking you to say pre-scripted lines or deliver a monologue. Our veteran film directors are skilled interviewers, pulling out the emotional core to your story through a simple conversation, all guided by the message guidelines that we’ve already laid out. Then, our expert editors take that material and craft into the most elegant distillation of your story and message that you can imagine – no stutters, no awkward pauses, no flubs.

Q. I have a marketing agency handling my digital marketing. Where do you fit in?

We love auto shops that already have a marketing strategist in their corner. This only elevates how effectively our video content is deployed across your digital channels. We regularly work with many of the industry’s leading marketing companies, and we’ll deliver you a video package that’s on-brand and on-message.

Q. How do I get started?

Click the "Get Started" button below to book an intro call and let's see if we can help your shop.

Are You Ready to Elevate Your Brand Image

& Stand Out Across Your Industry?

Click the button below and let's book a call.

We help auto shops stand out with premium videos.

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