Reel Film, Leeds 
 

Adam Chandler

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Reel Film is an animation and film production company which helps brands and businesses achieves their goals through creative digital 2D and 3D content. Their client base is diverse and includes SMEs, UK Public Sector organisations such as Leeds City Council, and large corporates including Formula 1 and Santander. 

 

Prior to support, founder Adam Chandler had already identified the need to scale but was unsure how to approach the process. When the British Library team reached out to him about Get Ready for Business Growth in late 2022, he was initially sceptical as he didn't associate libraries with business support. However after seeing the depth and breadth of help available he became increasingly sure the programme would be a good fit. He was especially keen to engage with public support focused on the creative sector, and attracted to how tailored to his individual needs the programme could be.  

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Adam was particularly impressed with the community fostered by Get Ready for Business Growth and was struck during the introductory workshop - Getting the Growth Mindset by the benefits that a sector specific cohort brought. Whilst other businesses may have been at slightly different stages of development, they fact that all operated in the creative sector meant they shared similar challenges.  

 

“The programme has a real community feel and the environment created by the team is extremely welcoming” 

 

Adam found benefit in all workshop and one-to-one sessions he attended, highlighting the particular success of the IP, Finance and Market Research strands.  

  

Whilst initial concerned that Intellectual Property would be dry and difficult to engage with, it was the IP worksteam that had the biggest impact on Adam, resulting in a complete redesign of Reel Film's terms and conditions.  

 

“I learnt more in the two IP sessions than I have ever learned on the subject in my life. This helped form the basis of our T&Cs. As a consequence, we are now more secure as a business whilst making more money from our IP.” 

 

The Finance session was a similarly impactful, leading Adam to implement formal cash flows, along with robust forecasts and scenario planning. The knock-on effect has been that when they sit down with a potential new client, regardless of size, Adam already has a grasp of what the numbers might look like. Another key impact of increased financial planning is that Reel Films now has a solid suite of documents and processes which could be used to support future investment or funding applications. The British Library Market Research consultant was also able to provide Reel Film with numerous reports including a comprehensive competitor analysis, potential grant/funding streams and industry trends, the latter informing their current marketing approach.  

 

One of the key takeaways from the support was Adam’s realisation that although being highly ambitious can be beneficial, business leaders sometimes need focus and perspective. The programme allowed him to step back allowing a more holistic view of his business journey and when and to implement new ideas or plans for maximum impact.