Film & Video Production
Tom, Andrew, Damian & Graham
Totem Films Ltd are a film, television and video production company. Currently we
have four full-time staff with a range of part-time and freelance staff. We attract
business by quite simply offering a higher quality, faster service to our clients at a
better price than our competitors.
The four of us who grouped together to form Totem Films have all enjoyed and
benefited from being on the student placement for entrepreneurs in education
programme. The scheme gave us the ability to immediately move into an office and
purchase the equipment that we needed to get started. We were able to pursue
contracts and start gaining clients from day one. The office and funding provided by
SPEED helped us to establish a professional base in which to focus our business
activity, as well as giving us a professional environment in which to work.
The training and mentoring has been very important to us as a business. All aspects
of running a company were covered, from marketing and accounting to sales and
entrepreneurship. We have learned that we have many of the skills required to run
and grow a successful company. Being dedicated, hard working and creative are
essential qualities needed to set-up and run a company.
Activities
Since setting up Totem Films we have managed
to achieve the following;
 Established ourselves as one of the leading
corporate video providers in the UK.
 Secured high value contracts with some highly
respected and industry leading clients.
The main piece of advice that we could offer to people looking at the SPEED
scheme is that the programme will not help you or your business if you are not
willing to put in the hours, work hard and make sacrifices.
Customers Comments:
 Produced video work for a huge variety of
clients, ranging from baby products to nuclear
submarines.
 Our work has been broadcast over one
thousand times on a variety of UK television
channels.
 Provided both training and paid work for a
number of students from local universities.
 Producing two short films for screening at
festivals.
 Filmed in all of the UK’s leading event venues.
"Wow! this looks fantastic. Thank you so much for all of your hard work - this will be
a wonderful marketing tool."
Christine Scippo - BPA
“We're getting some really good feedback from Directors and other clients about the
DVD. Early indications are that the film is going to prove an even more powerful
marketing tool than anticipated. Well done and thanks again.”
Martin Dare - Rural Projects
“Totem films are an energetic and successful company involved in
the SPEED student enterprise scheme. They have proven reliable, imaginative and
produced some excellent programming for me”.
Peter Hughes - Head of Film Production at Staffordshire University
"Thank you for this, the film is great, well done to you chaps!"
Raf Kotowicz - Jane's Information Group
Future
Totem Films aim to continue to increase the corporate production
side of the business within the next 24 months. The already
successful television and film production departments will be moved
to London to enable the company to grow and to be closer to our
larger clients. We aim to move the corporate production crew into a
larger office, remaining in the West Midlands area.
SPEED Fellows:
Tom Mumford
Andrew Foster
Damian Livesey
Graham Bennett
W: totemfilms.com
E: production@totemfilms.com
Tel: 020 3355 9528
Programme Details:
W: www.staffs.com/enterprise
E: speedandefs@staffs.ac.uk
Tel: 01785 353809