Five Star Story

Five Star Productions' founder and president Scott Woolley grew up in the supermarket business. His father - a successful entrepreneur - owned Foodtown Supermarkets - a chain of grocery stores in New York. From the age of ten, Scott worked summers, stocking shelves, sweeping aisles, and eventually managing stores in his early teens.

Later, Scott and his father opened one of the largest independently owned supermarket chains - South Florida's Woolley's Fine Foods. If he had stuck with the family business, Scott would have been virtually guaranteed prosperity and financial security, but he gave it all up to pursue a childhood dream.

With a storefront office, $4,000 and a laptop computer, he started what is today the nation's 26th largest, and South Florida's largest independent film, video, and radio production company.




Scott Woolley in Digital On-Line

For a short time after attending St. John's University, Scott joined Swan Song Records, where he worked as a promotional coordinator. Soon after, he moved to South Florida to open Woolley's Fine Foods. Drawing from lessons learned from his father in customer service, Scott searched for a way to add to the shopping experience. He installed TV monitors throughout the stores, to keep waiting customers engaged, entertained, and informed. He served as a "director" and cameraman, while store employees served as "actors" in the video shorts that covered topics ranging from delivery service to cooking tips. Customers loved the videos, and continually asked for new ones.

Lacking the production resources and time to create the quality videos he demanded, Scott - armed only with a home video camera - rented editing facilities and equipment in the evenings and on Sundays, and taught himself the art of production as a hobby.

All the while, Scott dreamed of moving from the grocery aisles to producing network-quality television shows. So he left. He left the security of a very successful family business to pursue his dream. The odds were stacked against him. His family and friends thought he was crazy to make such a change. Quite simply, Scott "just decided" to make TV shows. In retrospect, he says, this was "like just deciding to be a heart surgeon." There was certainly no shortage of television producers, nor television shows. And even at the network level, most new productions never see air time - this with major financial backing and successful track records.

Scott forged ahead, opening Five Star Productions. He named the company for the universally recognized symbol of quality - one he not only intended to live up to, but exceed.

Five Star Productions began in a small, rented storefront office space. He hired two employees and was at a standstill. "We didn't know what to do next, so we had a phone installed, and ordered business cards and letterhead," he recalls. But the phone didn't ring. Why should it? No one knew about the fledgling company.

But, much like his innovations in the grocery industry, Scott was bound to be an innovator in his newest pursuit. He and his employees identified a niche they felt they could fill. "We liked airplanes. We had every book, every magazine about flying," he recalls. At the time, they saw no TV shows that mirrored those interests. So they made one.

They were right, and Five Star Productions took flight. Advertisers eagerly bought time on the show, and Five Star's first series, "Flight" was picked up by a network, then sold into syndication. Scott built on that success, identifying other untouched areas of programming, and developing and producing a total of eight series, five of which are still in production.

One of Five Star's earlier productions, the groundbreaking "Today's Environment", was hosted by noted environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr. The show not only made a positive impact on the way people regarded the environment, but made an impression on a world-renown environmentalist, activist, and fellow entrepreneur.

John Paul DeJoria, CEO and co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems, is an innovator in the hair care industry, and one who uses his success to benefit others. John Paul saw the show, and became a frequent sponsor. Because of his reputation as an outspoken defender of the environment, Scott soon asked him to co-host the show. John Paul agreed, and brought a new perspective and appeal to the show.

As Five Star grew, so too did Scott's relationship with John Paul. Eventually, John Paul and Scott became partners in Five Star.

Along this nine year ride, some things have been slow, others fast. Parts of the journey have been bumpy, others smooth. But things have always moved forward. Five Star Productions is the recipient of prestigious industry awards, such as Addy's, Cindy's, Telly's, and an Emmy award. And Scott is the recipient of the coveted 1999 "Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award".

Those words have an entirely different meaning than they did in 1992. Rather than figuring out how to get a phone to ring, Five Star Productions, with Scott still at the helm, builds on its successes, branching-off into new areas of production. And we continue to be innovators, always striving to exceed expectations. When asked who our competition is, Scott will tell you, "Us. Each project we complete sets the bar a little higher for the next. We don't worry about anyone else; instead we choose to concentrate our full energies on delivering the best that we can, all the time."