MEDIA
Vision – ThroughFilm directors Judy Linsley( right) and Sian Davison at St Michael and All Angels Church in Norton, one of their recent filming locations.
INSPIRE CHANGE,
THROUGHFILM
Corporate and community collide in ThroughFilm videos
PICTURES: TOM BANKS WORDS: DAVE ROBSON
For video production duo Sian Davison and Judy Linsley, driving positive change is just as important as the bottom line.
Since forming ThroughFilm CIC in January 2023, Sian and Judy have produced nearly 200 high-quality films, ranging from corporate productions to those with more of a community focus.
But this is film-making with a heart – because the profits gained from working with corporate businesses help subsidise the cost of films for charities and community groups.
It’ s an imaginative business model based on corporate social responsibility – the business and community worlds colliding for the benefit of both.
And as Sian and Judy talk to Tees Business about their journey so far, their enthusiasm for using film for good shines through.
Both studied film and TV production at university – Judy at Teesside and Sian at York – and met while working for the same video production company.
Unfulfilled by its corporate focus, they left to set up their own CIC and concentrate more on community-based content.
And before long, they’ d worked out a strategy that satisfied their creativity and desire to give back to the community – ThroughFilm.
Judy explained:“ We knew we wanted to help charities, but the corporate stuff is what we knew how to do – it’ s our bread and butter – so why not use that to our advantage to also help charities?
“ We work with corporate businesses and use the profit to subsidise the cost of film for charities.
“ So, essentially, when businesses commission us, they’ re giving back to the community, because we use the money they’ ve given us to help other charities.”
Sian added:“ That’ s almost like our USP – other video production companies aren’ t using that model. When you commission with us, it has social impact and social value attached to it.
“ We call it an ecosystem and we like the fact businesses can be connected through it. They’ re going to commission a film anyway, so why not commission it through us? That way, we’ ll connect you with the community, and you can have a real benefit and impact on your local area and people.”
In nearly three years, ThroughFilm has worked with 35 clients on 82 projects, with 196 films made and 161 days of their
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