Member Article

New film business wins first contract and takes on apprentices

A 26-year-old Newcastle film-maker has launched his own business specialising in 48 hour turnaround corporate videos and already won his first contract filming the ‘Return on Innovation’ event organised by Thinking Digital and Newcastle University Business School.

Joshua Kerr set up Now Film in Gateshead with the backing of Transmit Start-Ups and Rob Earnshaw of the National Youth Film Academy (NYFA). As well as providing a niche quick film-making service the new business is also helping local, young people get experience in film-making skills with its creative apprentice scheme.

Now Film has received a £9.5k loan from Transmit Start-Ups which will be used to buy film-making equipment, fund large video productions and the develop their website.

Josh said: “Rob and I saw a gap in the market for a video company which could produce and deliver high quality films for events and conferences in a really short space of time and at a cost-effective price. For example, we want to be able to shoot footage on a Friday and have the finished product with our client first thing on the Monday morning.

“The support from Transmit Start-Ups has been invaluable for us to get this company off the ground, especially in terms of new business leads. They have given me great contacts and sound practical advice as well as the loan.”

Richard Myers director, Transmit Start-Ups said: “Josh and his team have an outstanding track record in film-making. His films have been shown at the British Film Institute in London and the Tribeca cinema in New York. We are delighted to be able to support him and his company to ensure a talented film-maker stays in the North East, creating jobs and helping the next generation of creative people.”

Looking to the future Now Film’s ambitions are to set up the company as a franchise and open an office in another part of the UK.

Josh began making films when he was only 12. His first was an animation called ‘Relatively Speaking’ which used his grandfather’s voice and was inspired by ‘Creature Comforts’. He went on to study film production at the Arts Institute Bournemouth and then set up his first production company Stray Fox which he ran for three years directing commercials and creating web content.

This business enabled him to produce and fund his third short film, Head in a Box which is currently being shown in film festivals worldwide.

Transmit Start-Ups award loans to potential entrepreneurs 18 – 30 years old and are also part of a national pilot scheme to give loans to people over 30 until the end of November.

Further information on Now Film can be found at www.nowfilm.eu and on Transmit Start-Ups on www.transmitstartups.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Transmit Start Ups .