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A Caerphilly-based film production company has marked ten years in business.
Tree Top Films is a video and animation firm specialising in high-quality 2D animation, film production, corporate and commercial video production services.
In addition to its corporate work, the company also produces dramatic films – with the latest, titled Achievement, being nominated for several categories in the British Short Film Awards.
It stars leading Welsh actor Richard Harrington, of Hinterland and Poldark fame and is due to be shown at the upcoming Manchester Film Festival.
Started by Owain Hopkins, the company has enabled the filmmaker to follow his passion for film.
He explained: “I studied Media Production at Ponty college and then went on to do an honours degree in the subject.
“Unfortunately things didn’t work out for various reasons – it’s not an easy industry to break into.
“In my 20s I did call centre jobs and then I went travelling.
“I came back from that life-changing experience and decided I needed to do something I wanted to do.
“I managed to secure a grant with the help of the organisation Business in Focus and never looked back.”
With helpful advice from friends, Owain moved into the business start-up hub Welsh ICE, on Caerphilly Business Park, and things started to take off.
“I thought I was not going to be able to make this a full-time business,” admitted Owain. “But things improved and that was it.”
He explained: “I always believed that if I kept on making better animations and better films then the clients would come in.
“I’ve also had to develop some business acumen, but I always try and create better work.”
Corporate clients that Tree Top Films work with include the WRU, Qualifications Wales, the BBC, charity Save the Children, and Ffilm Cymru.
Owain, along with his small team of staff, is now looking to the future and developing further short dramatic films – and possibly more.
He said: “I am passionate about filmmaking for all different organisations, but the opportunity to develop our own projects – such as Achievement – really excites me. It was fantastic to be recognised with nominations for best Welsh short film, best director, best editor, and best supporting actor at the British Short Film Awards, but I’d love it if we could make the next step-up.”
As well as ambitions to become one of the leading film and animation companies in south Wales, Tree Top Films also has one eye on producing its first feature film.
A script is in place for the exciting project, and efforts are now being made to raise finance for its production.
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