Bristol film production start-up living large on a barge

Huxley is a full-service film production studio, combining contemporary film making and animation to create brave, branded content. Huxley specialises in creating online video content for lifestyle, sport, tech and travel brands. Daring creative and strong narrative are the drivers of their approach and they are always looking to push production values to create something new and exciting.

Huxley was first established in January 2015. The founding directors had all previously worked together on freelance projects and shared the ambition to run their own company as well as create a culture around a brand. Right from the outset, they knew their skills complemented each other and that they all shared the same taste in design and film aesthetic.

The Huxley office is based in the centre of Bristol on a Dutch barge, a quirky, central location, perfect for an enviable work life balance and the odd Friday gin and tonic on deck.

The team consists of three directors; Andy Eagles, Alex Try and Jose Macerola. Andy comes from a post production and digital management background. He has previously worked as head of post production and digital for local agencies. Alex comes principally from a commercial lighting and photography background and has also managed production teams in previous companies. Jose is an experienced producer and director and has a wealth of experience in the broadcast and commercial sectors. When taking on larger jobs, the team at Huxley have a pool of trusted freelancers that they use to expand their team.

The team at Huxley first discovered Business West when a friend suggested that they could help with a start-up loan and business development support. Alex spoke to Alyson Eyval, start-up adviser at Business West, who guided them through the loan application process.

“It has been invaluable having someone to help us who is familiar with Virgin StartUp loans, who could make sure that we were always on point with the information we were including. Alyson asked the right questions about our company which prompted us to interrogate our financial and marketing plans to ensure they were as tight as possible.”

Alex Try, Huxley

The £21,000 in finance that Huxley has received will allow them to implement their marketing strategy, set up a robust IT infrastructure and most importantly buy some new equipment. Huxley fully realise the importance of differentiating themselves from their competitors and establishing a strong brand presence. Huxley is built on the principal of brave creative and they put it right at the forefront of what they do. Brand competition is so fierce in the film production industry that businesses have to endeavour to stand out as well as to engage. Having great content is one thing but getting it seen is the real challenge and this comes from a combination of brave ‘stand out’ creative and a cohesive marketing strategy.

Apart from creating work that they are proud of, the highs at Huxley often come from the smaller wins that are made day to day. It’s hugely satisfying for the team, knowing that everything they are doing, no matter how menial, is to benefit their own business.

“Make sure you take the time up front to get your brand right. You’re going to be building it and living it for a long time. Get it right and things will just fall into place. Get it wrong and you will spend time, money and energy going back to square one. Every day is different, some days you come away feeling like you’ve made huge leaps forward and on others you need to have a lot of patience. We love to work with people who also love what they do. This is when creating exciting, authentic content comes easily!”

Andy Eagles, Huxley

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