Shoot the Company, the award-winning film production agency is continuing to celebrate its 15th year with a strategy to bring more opportunities to the next generation of content creators. The announcement comes as they reveal the film made by the winner of their £15k budget grant alongside a new website and office move to align with company expansion.
Following a campaign entitled ‘£15k for 15 Years’, Shoot the Company offered a £15,000 budget towards budding content creators looking for a leg up in the industry. The agency was overwhelmed with applications thanks to support from notable producers, presenters and artists, who also recognised the need to bring new emerging talent into the industry. After whittling the shortlist down, Amber Akaunu was announced the deserved winner, with her idea to make a film about the story of the oldest Black community in Europe in her hometown of Liverpool, through the lens of rap. Titled, 0151: Liverpool, Rap and Politics, Amber Akaunu’s film can be seen here.
Henry Wilks, co-founder Shoot the Company said: “We were delighted to mark our birthday and have the opportunity to give back with something like the £15k for 15 year campaign. Our deserved winner Amber has a brilliant combination of storytelling vision, an artistic eye and a real determination.”
“The competition showed beyond doubt how many talented young people are looking for ways to make films that matter to them. For Shoot the Company, it’s important we can help this generation of distinctive storytellers break through. We are already working with some of the other entrants from our competition and hope to do so with more talented young filmmakers over our next 15 years.”
Shoot the Company has used the project to launch their initiative to contribute towards making the industry as inclusive as possible for the next generation of emerging talent. While the agency has since brought in other applicants from the £15k for 15 years campaign, it is looking to continue driving awareness for ways in which the industry can find and recruit talent outside of the traditional methods and will be rolling out wider partnerships to nurture talent in the coming months.
Sara Butler, MD Shoot the Company said of the news: “There is a wealth of talent out there who are still hearing the message that this industry is about networking and who you know. To truly tap into and nurture this talent, we have a responsibility to seek out the next generation, open our doors and give the message loud and clear that they are valued and their contribution is important. We want to change the status quo and look to offer new opportunities and nurture those interested in all aspects of storytelling and content creation.”
Having set out a new strategy for inclusion, Shoot the Company has also been celebrating turning 15 by moving into a new London office following steady expansion during the last few years. The milestone has also been marked with the release of a new website featuring a filmed interview from their first ever client and industry icon, Kate Bosomworth, with her recollections from the early years.
Tom Hillier, co-founder of Shoot the Company said: “We’re incredibly proud of the heritage and values of Shoot the Company and we take this ethos into the films we produce and all of our working relationships along the way. This next strategic phase of expansion is another exciting chapter in writing our own story within the industry. We look forward to continuing the work with our fantastic colleagues and clients as we develop even more incredible productions over the next 15 years.”
Amber Akaunu’s winning film: ‘0151 Liverpool, Rap and Politics’ – can be seen here.
Reflections of 15 years of Shoot the Company filmmaking can be seen here.