There is a quote that reads, “Silence isn’t empty; it’s full of answers.” Filmmaker Tom Shanahan found the insights that guided him to his approach to filmmaking in this silence. “Sometimes the most revolutionary changes happen in the quietest moments,” Tom notes, contrasting the chaos and noise often associated with the entire entertainment and film industry.
The Quiet Revolutionary
A few souls outside the inner circles of Hollywood had heard of Tom Shanahan before 2023,
although those with a penchant for war-themed shows and movies may soon recognize him from the highly anticipated blockbuster “Dongji Dao,” where he plays Captain Potter, a World War Two prisoner of war (POW.)
Tom is among the few Western talents who managed to break into the tightly-knit entertainment industry of the Orient, popularly known for casting exclusively Asian talents for filming projects. This inclusion speaks highly of Tom’s ability to capture the collective interest of the international crowd, as his talent enables him to cross the borders that most others fail to scale.
Venturing into the Entertainment Industry of the East
Tom Shanahan began his career as a presenter in China for the International English network, interviewing many personalities like Kobe Bryant, the Royal family of Belgium, and the King of Luxembourg. After a few years, he decided to start his own production outfit and ventured into creating documentaries before becoming an actor and film producer. Tom Shanahan was also invited to the Golden Globes in 2020 to discuss his work in the international co-production space, which is known to be immensely difficult to breach as a foreigner.
Apart from his various accomplishments in China’s film and entertainment industry, Tom Shanahan is also an entrepreneur who has raised over $20 million for start-ups. This includes the first platform to combine e-commerce and social media in 2015.
In the Center of A Prime Opportunity
Tom Shanahan’s extensive experience working in China as an actor, producer, and entrepreneur gave him a unique perspective on the evolving global entertainment landscape and how it affects the local industries. He witnessed firsthand the rapid growth of China’s entertainment industry, which showed him just how crucial China was becoming in shaping international trends. Tom Shanahan’s experience and connections in China put him in an excellent position to capitalize on the growing trends in Hollywood and even Australia’s entertainment business.
Not being one to let an excellent opportunity go to waste, Tom has launched a fund that will diversify into two production companies: one focused on feature films, including sci-fi and documentary projects, and the other specializing in vertically shot short videos, much like what is seen in the popular social video sharing platform Tiktok. Considering the massive viewership Tiktok enjoys today, popular video names like Netflix are keen to seize this market, and endeavors relevant to it, like the one Tom is set to spearhead, may skyrocket with its potential for audience engagement and retention.
Tom Shanahan’s brainchild film production outfit will focus on developing and producing high-quality, globally appealing feature films that delve into science fiction and documentary storytelling. He hopes that by focusing on these genres, he will have a rich resource to create content that sparks imagination, fuels curiosity, and inspires new perspectives.
