Published on 25 February 2022
A young North East videographer has seen his business go from strength to strength since its launch in 2019, and now just over two years after that launch he has been named 'Videographer of the Year' at the 2022 English Wedding Awards (North).
David Warren, 23, from Seaton Delaval, graduated from the University of Sunderland with a degree in Digital Film Production in 2019, and had little doubt that he wanted to start his own business. He turned to the Enterprise Place, the University of Sunderland’s business support facility which offers students and graduates access to co-working office space in Hope Street Xchange, Sunderland’s centre for enterprise and innovation.
“I joined the enterprise place immediately after I graduated and officially had my video production company DGM Productions registered as a business,” says David.
“I became self-employed full time from that moment on.”
The Enterprise Place supported David in the early days of his business, securing him a £1,000 grant to buy a professional 4K camera.
“That massively boosted the quality of what my business could produce and allowed me to compete with others in the industry. The enterprise place helped me gain entrepreneurial knowledge. I could now think with a business head on me, as well as a creative head.”
Now David has been named 'Videographer of the year' at the 2022 English Wedding Awards (North), and though he hopes to expand his business in the future he believes that his success is down to his approach to his clients.
“I never set up my company to take on other employees and dominate the market. I believe that a one-on-one approach provides the best service to a client, and therefore gives me the most job satisfaction.
“When you start your own business you have to be 100% sure it is something that you enjoy doing, because at first you are going to have to work for very little in order to pick up work and gain a good reputation. Word of mouth and client referrals are a massive marketing tool and have been the biggest source of new work for me.
“Just six months after I went full time with my business the Pandemic showed me that you have to be prepared to adapt. Never assume that you'll be able to leave your business as it is.”
Jenny Westgate, Enterprise Place Coordinator at the University of Sunderland says: “David engaged in all the support which the Enterprise Place offered and took onboard the advice provided by our business and marketing professionals. He showed his passion for video production from our first meeting, and it was clear that he had a vision and was determined to make his business a success.
“I know how Covid affected his business and how well he adapted. This fantastic award shows that David is clearly succeeding and delivering a brilliant service to his clients. This is just the start for David, and I wish him the best of luck in his professional career.”
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The Internships and Enterprise Project
The Internships and Enterprise project is receiving up to £3,326,399 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Department for Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, European Regional Development Fund funds help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit the gov.uk website.
The Northern Powerhouse
The Northern Powerhouse is a key aspect of this Government’s approach to addressing the productivity gap in the North and ensuring a stronger, more sustainable economy for all parts of the UK. Alongside over €1.5 billion of European Regional Development Fund support for businesses and communities across the North, the government has awarded £3.4 billion in three rounds of Growth Deals across the Northern Powerhouse.