Case Studies

5 years of Film - Wild Film

Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 09:00

Wild Films turned 5 this year and we interviewed owner Leanne Gator about how far they have come and what they are looking forward to in the future. 
Turning five is a big deal for us. This year mypartner Alex joined the business and it’s really started to take off - so allthe hard work is paying off! My first hour long documentary, TheTigers Of Scotland, is due out this year too and we’re excited aboutwhere that might go and what opportunities it may present to our business inthe next few years. 
Whathave you learnt in the last 5 years?
I’ve learned a good deal in the last five years. Thebiggest thing has been to accept that things take time to build up - especiallyin such a competitive industry as filmmaking. I’ve also spent the last fiveyears specialising and developing niche skills which will stand me in farbetter stead than the jack-of-all approach I took when starting the business. Iwas taking on jobs as a commercial and events photographer, trying to makepromotional films and making films about things that personally interested me,all at the same time - and it was tiring. It’s possible for some businesses todo that in filming and photography, but for us I think specialising helps alot. 
Whatare your goals for the next 5 years?
As a wildlife filmmaker, I would of course LOVE towork on an Attenborough programme - who wouldn’t?! Alex is a cinematographerfor fiction films and we hope the next five years follow the current trend ofhim gaining increasingly more work on feature films and high end commercials.Both of these goals for our careers would mean our business growsexponentially, which is ultimately always the goal.
What has been the single most helpful thing to you(advice, support, finance, etc) over your business life so far?
 I would say probably training. Continually improvingour knowledge of our industry and the tools we use in it, but also improvingour knowledge of how to run a business is what has been the most helpful thing.There’s always new camera equipment to familiarise ourselves with and newcapabilities added to existing cameras, as well as new skills to develop, butthere’s also trends in marketing and social media to keep on top of. I thinksometimes people underestimate the value of training and development, buttechnology moves so fast that every business needs to keep on top of theirtraining and development really.
Wild Films Specialises in Natural History shows and Cinematic Narrative/Drama productions, including outdoor, adventure and wildlife documentaries plus features, dramas and commercials. Wild Films provide cinematography services to the film and TV industries and is based in Cheshire, United Kingdom.