WELCOME TO
WANDERLAND
Chloë Clover – Wander
Films creative director.
BY JOANNE BARRETT
Lou Tonner – Wander Films
managing director.
T
here’s an advertising slogan on a
hoarding just outside the offices of
Wander Films that shouts a bold
message – Great Ideas Start in
Middlesbrough.
But in the case of this vibrant filmmaking
business which has made the town its
home, the above is not strictly the case.
For the great idea to launch Wander
Films came whilst company founders Lou
Tonner and Chloë Clover were sitting on
a beach in Melbourne, Australia, 10,500
miles away on the other side of the world.
They’d upped sticks and headed off on
their travels and Oz was the place where
the pair realised their knowledge and
flair for film and TV production, putting
creative ideas into action and sheer
enthusiasm and energy could combine to
make something special.
Fast forward just a few short years and
that reality has become a buzzing business
in an office at the heart of Teesside’s
thriving digital and creative community
with an expanding team and an impressive
client list that boasts national and
international clients.
Wander Films has worked with games
developers, sports stars, financial
companies, hotel chains, engineering
businesses, universities and top-end
restaurants to name just a few.
What do they do? In short, the talented
team of filmmakers and creatives
help businesses stand out in the ever-
Meet the innovative
filmmakers stoking up the
world of the promo video
expanding world of social media and
online marketing and they do it with clever
films that aim to have a high impact.
“People come to us because we are
different,” says managing director Lou.
“We are all about changing the way
businesses sell themselves online.
“We coined a phrase 'beat the scroll'
and that sums it up really. Wander Films
creates high-impact and engaging videos
helping businesses ‘beat the scroll.’
“We’re all about turning digital
filmmaking on its head.”
Wander Films creates
high-impact and engaging
videos helping businesses
‘beat the scroll.’
From that beach in Melbourne, Lou and
Chloë pulled together a business plan
and took on work making promotional
videos for businesses as they continued
their travels across Vietnam, Thailand
and through Europe too. Home has
always been Teesside – Lou is from
Middlesbrough and Chloë from Redcar
– and when they arrived back from their
travels, friends and acquaintances started
commissioning work.
A search for a base began and they
found themselves at the door of Boho 5 in
Middlesbrough last July, a natural fit.
Within the past year, the business has
taken off – Wander’s team has expanded
to five and now includes content producer
Simon Pettett, filmmaker Jack Holmes and
digital marketer Charlotte Mitchell. The
company and its individuals have been
nominated for – and won – a number of
awards recognising their excellence and
growth and clients are queueing up to
offer positive feedback.
The team can find themselves on a
shoot detailing a heavy engineering
project one day to filming an innovative
docu-series the next; sending up a drone
to shoot an innovative angle to capturing
the essence of a thriving restaurant
kitchen with clever camerawork.
There’s a rapidly developing and
talented creative industry hub on Teesside
and Wander taps into that vibe with an
energy that is infectious.
“We saw the growth of digital and tech
companies on Teesside, it is an exciting
place to be and is also our home, it feels
right to be here,” said creative director
Chloë.
“There is a creative buzz going on and it
is great to be part of that community.
“We have ambitious plans and Wander
is continually developing, including
strategies that will help us work with
clients remotely all over the world.”
Wanderland, it seems, is an exciting
place to be. Dive in, you’ll be stoked.
Find out more at
wander-films.co.uk
The voice of business in the Tees region | 37