This Is Tees Valley This Is Tees Valley - Issue 1 2020 | Página 71

WELCOME TO
WANDERLAND
Chloë Clover – Wander
Films' creative director.
BY JOANNE BARRETT
Meet the innovative
filmmakers stoking up the
world of the promo video
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-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.’
Wander Films creates
high-impact and engaging
videos helping businesses
‘beat the scroll.’
“We’re all about turning digital filmmaking
on its head.”
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
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