Time flies when you’re having fun…

Where has the time gone?!

As I’m writing this, it has been exactly 4 months since we launched ThroughFilm, and what a whirlwind it has been!

We wanted to reflect on our journey a little, because it’s been a huge learning curve for us, and a huge adventure that we’ve been loving so far. We’ve worked really hard to fine tune our business model, to ensure that we’re here for the long run and are able to deliver what we’ve set out to do, and we’ve connected with some inspiring local businesses, who are also striving to use their industry as a force for good, so it’s been massively encouraging to see the synergy and stepping into that world to discover ways in which we can inspire change, through film. 

Naturally, we’ve also come across challenges, and the constant ebb and flow of building a business from the ground up has taken some getting used to, but we’re enjoying the ride. Knowing that we’re building a legacy and are already starting to work on projects that fulfill us and have a positive impact on the organisations we’re working with and the people they exist for is everything we’ve wanted and more. 

This is a breakdown of our 4 months so far 🙂

January 

We kicked off January with 2 projects in the works, both for really great initiatives. The first project we got started on was with Durham Area Youth and that recently got delivered and signed off which felt like a huge milestone for us. We worked on a promotional piece for them, which cast a light on their work and the happiness it brings to the lives of the young people who attend. It was a great first project to get stuck into, and we really appreciated how collaborative DAY have been throughout. 

The second project was in collaboration with Catalyst Stockton, another inspiring film that celebrates the outcomes, and highlights the achievements of their School Mentor Programme. Both films have recently been added to our website and can be checked out on our “Films” page. 

Another highlight of January was the launch of our website. We were very aware that starting in a creative industry usually requires a portfolio of work, and we were keen to share as much as we could right off the bat. Neither of us is a web designer, so this was a bit of a mammoth task, but with some research and dedication, along with honest feedback, the website developed nicely and was completed just before the end of January. 

January felt really productive, and we wrote 6,039 words in creative briefs and proposals, which felt like a big win. We were finding our feet and piecing together our offer and place in the sector, and also getting to grips with the ins and outs of running a business, we’ve been sharing a lot of our journey online and connecting with the community that way, and it’s been really nice having the support of like minded businesses and knowing there’s people who really get us and what we’re about.

February

In retrospect, February was definitely the calm before the storm as we dived into pre-production and research in preparation for Catalyst. We really wanted to get the messaging right and spent a lot of time chatting to the contributors to ensure we did the programme justice. From what we gathered, it was extremely impactful on everyone involved and we didn’t want to miss anything out, so exploring different perspectives and viewpoints helped us develop the narrative of the film.

One very important thing that’s worth noting, is that even though we hit go in January and launched ThroughFilm at the beginning of the year, things were not perfectly aligned yet - which is very unlike us because we always over prepare! But we knew that the foundations were there and we didn’t want to wait any longer before presenting our business to the world, our ultimate motivator was our mission, so because we were 100% aligned on that, the timing felt right. It meant that we spent a big chunk of time in February wrapping things up from an operational perspective and focused on putting as much groundwork in as possible. We’ve already seen such improvements over the last few months, in both our ops and also ourselves, and we’re so glad we launched when we did and didn’t want until things felt ‘perfect’, because there’s no better time to start than right now! 

March 

In March, things progressed further. We applied, and got into the Digital City Accelerator programme and began weekly workshops with their team of experts every Wednesday at Acklam Hall. Starting the programme also came with some funding attached to it, with which we were able to purchase some new kit. Getting our hands on new equipment is always an exciting time, from both a personal and professional perspective, so the kit has been put to good use and we can’t wait to share some snippets of what we’ve been up to.

The Accelerator programme allowed us headspace to do a lot of reflection and shape our business to achieve our mission and build a sustainable future as ThroughFilm. We had lots of fun, many discussions, tons of inspiration from the other businesses in our cohort, and of course,  plenty of epiphanies!

At the same time as immersing ourselves in the whirlwind of the Accelerator, we tied up some admin-y tasks we had been sorting through (huge relief!), continued to meet with new inspiring people, took on new proposals, and relished in the growth ThroughFilm was undergoing.

We wrapped shooting DAY so we could take it into the edit with plenty of time before the end of March deadline. We shot a huge amount of footage throughout February and March so putting the puzzle pieces together and seeing the film take shape was massively rewarding. DAY were hosting an Awards evening at the end of March that we were invited to, so we could see the film playing for the first time in front of people which was awesome, the feedback on the night, and since then has been so nice, with even the young people involved sharing how much they enjoyed the film. 

We also invested some time into our own content in March, and we took the plunge and stepped in front of the camera ourselves! We wanted to introduce ThroughFilm and show what we’re all about in a fun way, so it made sense to make a video shouting about what we do. It took a few takes, and we both definitely prefer being behind the camera, but talking about why we love filmmaking made us feel more at ease and it was good practice to articulate what we’re all about. We’ve also built up a healthy amount of bloopers, so we can use that ammo in the future marketing collateral, but also look at it as personal development. 

Real talk, March was also fiercely overwhelming at times. You know how earlier on I mentioned that February was the calm before the storm, well, I meant it, because March felt like a tidal wave. Luckily, after working with each other for years and building a pretty awesome friendship, Sian and I are  immensely in tune with each other. We always say we’re very much like Ying and Yang, so when I need the extra 25%, she has 125% in her tank, and vice versa. There’s no guarantees with starting a business, but we’re passionate about making it work, and we’re taking steps every day, one day at a time, to build a fulfilling business that we can be proud of.

April 

April saw the wrap and social launch of the Catalyst project. This, along with the signed off DAY film,  gave us some work that we could finally include in our portfolio on our website which was a nice start to the month. We’ve also been slowly drip feeding that content onto our socials. Everything is starting to take shape now, and we’ll be filling our feed with more work as we go, so watch this space. 

In April, we also completed the Accelerator programme and presented a business pitch at the Georgian Theatre in Stockton. This took a few weeks of prep, and it was tremendously nerve racking, but in hindsight we had a really great day and felt badass afterwards. Not that we’d offer to do it again anytime soon, but definitely enjoyed it at the time, and doing it as a pair eased a little bit of pressure, plus, it really helped us to articulate our unique selling point which is a huge bonus. 

We continued making really great connections with other like minded businesses and met some awesome people, with lots of valuable insight and new projects on the horizon that we’re excited to share in the near future 💚