Fettle Animation
An award-winning animation production company is seeking further glory.
Marsden-based Fettle Animation makes hand-drawn, 2D animation for broadcast, the internet and digital devices.
The five-strong company creates animated documentaries, children’s TV, music, videos, viral comedy and corporate promotional material with clients including the BBC, ITV, the Royal Armouries and the National Media Museum.
Run by couple Kath Shackleton and Zane Whittingham, the company has recently recruited graduate trainees supported by a creative skillset who have blossomed in their new-found roles and are helping the business to grow.
Fettle Animation has taken business advice from the Creative Industries Finance Scheme, from Growth Accelerator and from its bank to help the business expand.
Among this year’s highlights, Zane won a Royal Television Society Yorkshire One to Watch Award while the series Fettle Animation worked on with Children’s ITV – Share a Story – received a Children’s BAFTA.
The firm has been commissioned by BBC Learning to create a powerful new resource to help young people learn about the Holocaust. Children of the Holocaust is a series of six animations which bring to life interviews with elderly Holocaust survivors about their experiences of escape from the Nazis as children, plus short camera interviews about their lives subsequently.
The series is an online resource for schools and was broadcast during the autumn as well as being shown on BBC iPlayer.
Fettle Animation has also entered the project for a BAFTA and a series of international film and animation festivals. It is also finalising a deal to get the work shown on TV around the world.
Said Kath: “We are really proud of this piece of work and are getting great feedback and have delivered everything on schedule and within a tight budget.
“We have made a wide range of other types of animation, including animating the staff at Covea Insurance in Halifax for their annual awards ceremony, making a music video for Sheffield songstress Nat Johnson and a comedy music video for Alan Gregg, a musician from New Zealand.”
Kath said 2015 would see the company develop a new series with BBC Learning, pursue a new marketing and sales strategy with Growth Accelerator and enter its work in festivals in the UK and across the world.
She said: “We are genuine and passionate about what we do; we work hard to stay good at what we do and we work closely with the best people from the creative community around us. We are nurturing young graduates and helping them to grow and develop; we like people, listen well and we treat our contributors well. We respond quickly and provide good service to our clients; we network widely and keep getting out to meet new people.”
Paradigm Creative Ltd
A digital communications company in Huddersfield is working with some of the biggest names in business.
Paradigm Creative, based at Bates Mill, Colne Road, specialises in creating video content for clients including O2, Telefonica, Bupa, Arco and RSA Group to name just a few.
The four-strong team also links up with other specialist companies to deliver larger projects that fall outside its direct field of experience, enabling it to scale up to deliver projects that belie its size.
Katrina Cliffe, head of marketing, said: ““We work with clients to recognise the audience for their communications, what impact they are trying to achieve by communicating and to help them identify the correct channels to communicate through.
“We recognise that video is just one tool in any communicator’s box and that it is at its most powerful when deployed as part of a rounded communication plan.
“Our awareness of the context of the pieces that we create has helped us to add value to our clients by understanding the value of video before, during and after an event, the strengths and weaknesses of a corporate intranet as a communication channel and how to leverage social media to get the most out of any content created.”
Among its achievements during 2014, Paradigm Creative stepped in at short notice to organise a major event for Telefonica in London and Sao Paulo, Brazil – co-ordinating satellite feeds between the two venues, streaming the combined event from both locations over the internet to viewers in Europe, the US, Latin America and Australia and shooting and editing a video on site, which was available within minutes of the event finishing.
In another project, Paradigm worked with Provident Financial and partners to create a series of induction videos for new starters.
It also worked with the company to distribute tablets to its entire field-based workforce as well as creating a series of videos to tie in with the launch.
Paradigm Creative also worked with iCandy to provide product demonstration videos for the firm’s new baby strollers as well as working with the customer to provide social media content.
The next 12 months will see Paradigm Creative pursue a strategic growth plan following key appointments, including a head of marketing, an editor and an animator.
The company will target more blue-chip customers and increase its strategic partnerships with local and national creative and event agencies as well as capitalising on its knowledge of digital communications to advise clients, partners and other creative companies.
Said Katrina: “We’re a small, friendly and approachable team who love to do great work with interesting clients.
“There’s nothing that excites us more than a creative challenge.”
10 Associates
Staff at a Brighouse hotel pride themselves on the service they provide – and their strong community links.
The 94-bedroom Holiday Inn Leeds Brighouse provides facilities for wedding receptions, celebration parties and Christmas party nights. This year, it won a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence after amassing four and five-star reviews throughout the year.
But its 70-plus staff also go beyond the call of duty to back community initiatives benefiting local jobseekers, charities, schools and sporting clubs.
Its IHG Academy has worked with the JobCentre and Blue Training to run a three-week course for 14 unemployed people interested in the hospitality industry leading to an NVQ qualification. The course included all candidates working in the hotel’s housekeeping and food and beverage departments as well as taking part in mock interviews. At the end of the course, three participants got jobs with the hotel while the 11 others found work within a few weeks.
The hotel has raised funds for charities including the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, Hollybank Trust, Overgate Hospice and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
It also staged a Hell’s Kitchen event with sixth formers from Rastrick High School, who were asked to cook and serve meals to 80 customers in the restaurant - and raise £900 for the hotel’s national charity. An evening with former Arsenal footballer Paul Merson raised £1,000 for local football club Clifton Rangers while all its fundraising for local good causes has realised more than £3,800 in 2014 so far.
The staff don’t miss out either. All employees are entitled to free meals and refreshments when on duty, there are regular treats such as buns and ice cream and the hotel operates an Employer of the Month initiative as well as a staff Christmas party. Employees are also consulted online twice a year to monitor their engagement with the business.
Operations manager Simon Markham said: “The Holiday Inn prides itself on working with the local community at any level, whether it be for fundraising or helping individuals getting back into work. We also work closely with our local schools to provide work experience for students, so they have a knowledge and understanding if they are considering a career in the hospitality industries.”
Other events planned include the hotel management team undertaking the Three Peaks Challenge to raise funds for the Hollybank Trust, another sports event for Clifton Rangers, further work experience for students and unemployed people and a free Christmas lunch for a local church group.
