Media graduates’ new venture in the heart of the City
A new film production business has taken root in Sunderland after three media graduates set up Tri-Aperture in 2015, within a year of graduating.
The new start-up, based at The Enterprise Place in St Peter's Gate, was established by Andrew Robson, James Watson and Austin Spinks who met while studying Digital Film Production at the University of Sunderland.
Andrew, 28, said: “We made several short films and documentaries in our time at University and worked together on a project for Hitachi as part of a graduate internship. This was a three-month project documenting the progress of their train factory being constructed.
“Due to the impressive final product and brilliant feedback, we decided to continue together as a business. It was clear that the footage looked very professional, but one thing that was lacking was drone footage.”
To improve their production process the graduates turned to the Futures Fund for support. Thanks to a £2,500 award from the Graduate Development Scholarship, the team was able to fund a quadcopter camera drone and the appropriate CAA camera drone training that will make them stand out from their competitors.
Tri-Aperture specialises in promotional videos for companies, especially those in the construction sector. The new quadcopter camera drone will be extremely beneficial for the business and it will allow them to achieve unique perspectives that would not be feasibly achieved in the past.
Andrew said: “This new equipment would keep the video as smooth as possible and can move through arches and openings, letting the audience fly through the subject location.
“The North East is known for its film production companies and so having this new drone will give us an edge; allowing us to stand out against our competitors as the images we can produce will be higher quality and smoother as we have the newest equipment.”
Austin, 24, is currently undertaking the CAA camera drone training which is required to fly the drone commercially. He has already passed his theory test with high 93% and will be doing his practical in the coming months.
He said: “This process takes a while. I have to practice using the drone and I also need to create my own operations manual for the test. This training was made possible because of the grant we received.”
Andrew, Austin and James have invested in themselves as a start-up company and are passionate about positioning themselves as a market leader within the region.
Andrew said: “This piece of equipment will give us the edge required for us to embark on successful post-graduate careers and help us to stand out in a fiercely competitive market. We are committed to establishing ourselves within the region and being part of its economic growth.”
Since the graduates started their business, they have built up a diverse range of clients including Hitachi and Shepherd Construction, putting the skills they have learned in the lecture hall into action.
The young entrepreneurs credit the Futures Fund for boosting their production value with the new equipment which will help them attract new clients and they are currently working on two adverts for the local TV company Made in Tyne & Wear and on a testimonial video for local business.
Speaking about the support they have received from the University in setting up his business, Andrew said: “The University’s Enterprise Place team have been a great help and have been very supportive, offering office space, resources and business advice.”
He added: “The further support from the University’s Futures Fund award has also given our business the best chance of succeeding in such a competitive market. Very few companies in the area can offer the drone service by a certified pilot.”
The Enterprise Place is receiving up to £3,004,158 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Department for Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, European Regional Development Fund funds help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.