TECH
Winter
Despite the odds , Wander Films reflects on a fantastic 2020
BY JULIE BURNISTON
Wanderland
While 2020 was a
challenge for many businesses , the team at Wander Films thought on their feet , swiftly adapting their services and pushing harder than ever before to overcome the obstacles that Covid brought .
The result has been an expanding portfolio of clients and an increase in staff – though it didn ’ t always look quite so rosy .
“ After the first lockdown , when clients were pausing contracts , we thought , ‘ Oh dear , this isn ’ t good ’,” recalls managing director Lou Tonner .
“ But we stayed focused and committed , and by the time of the second lockdown we could see that most businesses – including ourselves – were more prepared .”
Being prepared for Wander meant investment in training and upgrading kit that allowed them to take on new and different commissions , and the recruitment of some of the region ’ s most talented creatives .
In August , Wander had three new starters – social media manager Dean Wales , who works alongside Charlotte Mitchell , filmmaker Heather Luke and junior content producer Jay Horner .
In September , filmmaker Callum Neve joined the team , followed in November by post-production lead Phil Wray . Phil works alongside Simon Pettett , heading up those technical edits .
“ This has meant we can continue to
“ 2020 highlighted just how ambitious and caring the people and businesses of Teesside are .”
work closely with our clients and deliver the best services ,” said Chloë Clover , creative director .
As well as appreciating their own continued success , Wander also made sure they supported those who were struggling .
“ We are so lucky to have a lot of people who support us along our journey , and we wanted to give back ,” explained Lou .
“ We launched a social media service for our clients , which meant we could help them get the most out of the video content we created . The distribution process is a massive part of the film industry , so why should it be missing in corporate filmmaking ? We ’ ve also been giving extra love to other businesses on social media .
“ One of the best things about social is that it allows us to lift up and support each other . During both lockdowns , we gave away consultation time to businesses who needed it the most .”
The Wander team is shooting the nomination films for the Tees Businesswomen Awards , a project they ’ re hugely excited about .
They ’ ve also been busy thinking about their next steps for 2021 .
“ We are going next level with marketing plans and we might be in double figures with team members early in the New Year ,” says Chloë .
“ Hopefully , the pandemic will soon be something no one has to worry about – for health or finance reasons . Right now , people are spending more time than ever before on their screens , but with a proper strategy and distribution process , we can help our clients Beat The Scroll – as our slogan says – by creating and posting Wander vids , selfie / organic videos , graphics , GIFs and motion graphics .
“ We have insanely talented graphic designers on our team who can revamp social channels , too . It ’ s exciting because it allows us to delve into the culture of the companies we work with .”
Whatever 2021 brings , Chloë is confident that the Tees Valley will continue to thrive .
“ 2020 highlighted just how ambitious and caring the people and businesses of Teesside are ,” she says .
“ For Wander , we just want to keep pushing forward to achieve those personal and business goals and keep working on mega-exciting and epic projects .”
The voice of business in the Tees region | 77