Good stories. Stories for good.
Everyone has a story to tell, and we’re no different
We are Neck of the Woods Films, a team of filmmakers, storytellers, animators and illustrators passionate about the work we do. We want to create films that we, and our clients, can be proud of – with all the craft and creativity that they deserve. Our work has helped raise money for hospital wards, tell stories of human achievement, and publicise world changing research across the globe. And we don’t plan on stopping there.
Our culture and values
We started Neck of the Woods Films with some core values that we wanted to shape the work that we do. These aren’t just guidelines; they’re the ideas that define us as a video production company and as people. They come as a result of everything that we’ve learned, all that we want to achieve and the principles that we hold personally.
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Storytelling
For us, ‘storytelling’ isn’t a buzzword. It’s rooted in all of our work. We know that a well-told story can change the world, and that’s what we hope our videos help to do. We make creative decisions to support the story being told – and to move audiences to act.
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Collaboration
Collaboration is central to every project we work on. It leads to better understanding, more impactful videos and stronger relationships. We want this to extend throughout the project, from the seed of an idea to the final delivery, because to really drive action, we have to work together.
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Impact
We aren’t interested in following trends or making videos based on what is popular. We work on projects because we want to help encourage action. Making a difference is important to us, so we work with clients and collaborators who value innovation and social impact.
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People-centric
At the heart of every good story is a human being or a group of people. People connect with other people, and that’s why we place them at the centre of our work. We work hard with our clients and collaborators to find the right human story to move the people that matter most to them.
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Understanding
We’re no strangers to working in difficult environments or on challenging topics. As filmmakers, we have a responsibility to handle these projects sensitively and truthfully, which is why we make every effort to fully understand the story we’re telling and protect the welfare and dignity of our storytellers.
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Creativity
We work to create unique ideas, and we pour our heart and soul into the concepts that we put forward for projects. When we propose an idea, we do so because we genuinely believe that it will achieve your end goal laid out for us and deliver meaningful action. This is why we do what we do.
More than a video production company
We’re not only a video production company; we are also a social enterprise. This means when you work with us, you’re helping us to make our community better. We care about that impact, and we’re always trying to find new ways to make that impact even more significant. As we grow, so too will our impact efforts to help young people, foster new filmmakers, and support those who are looking to make change locally. Because we never want to forget our roots.
Innovators.
Change makers.
Educators.
Who we are
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Neck of the Woods Films
Meet the team
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Craig McDougall
Creative Director
I’m one of the founders of the company, and I pretty much have a hand in most parts of creating a film. That being said, my absolute favourite things to do are developing stories and being behind the camera. I’m a real lighting nerd, so don’t get me started…
Favourite Saints goal: Ward-Prowse’s free kick against Spurs 2019. Limbs.
Favourite place to visit: Todai-ji in Nara.
Favourite band I’ve seen live: That’s a toughy, The Hives, The Black Dahlia Murder, there are so many! -
Emma Lieghio
Executive Producer
I’m the other found of the company! As well as overseeing the day to day operations at Neck of the Woods Films, I like to get hands on with producing our clients films. This usually means making sure the filming days run smoothly, ensuring we’re capturing all the shots we need and making creative decisions on set.
Favourite animated series: Bob’s Burgers.
Favourite street food: Halloumi fries with pomegranate.
Favourite TV character: Dwight Schrute, Leslie Knope, Bernard Black… -
Tom Hinkley
Head of Client Services
I’m basically here to keep everyone happy. Whether that be ensuring projects run on time, making sure clients get the most out of their films, or even helping them come up with new ideas for their marketing strategies. It’s incredibly rewarding work and our clients are bloody awesome.
Favourite film: The Thing, Hereditary, The Exorcist… light hearted stuff like that.
Favourite pastime: Eating. And I like my food like I like my movies: spicy.
Favourite video game: The Monkey Island games! -
Dan Shannon
Head of Animaton
I head up any projects that might involve any animation, design, or motion graphics and make sure they meet or go beyond our client’s expectations. You will find me in front of a computer or just standing in this exact pose.
Favourite pastime: Making – I like to make stuff in my spare time.
Favourite food: Just eating in general.
Favourite video game: Currently playing Cyberpunk 2077 for some reason. -
Joe Potts
Senior Camera Operator / Editor
I shoot, light, and edit content for Neck Of The Wood Films, and generally have the pleasure of playing a part in bringing the team and clients creative visions to life. You’ll normally find me behind the camera with my thinking face on, or playing with a light or two to get you looking your absolute best!
Top 5 favourite films: Lord Of The Rings The Two Towers, Nightmare On Elm Street (the original), Fight Club, Mortal Kombat Annihilation, (the terrible 90’s original), Bladerunner.
Favourite pastime: Playing video games, and if there was a way to combine this with my second love cooking – I think we’d be onto something…..
Top 5 favourite video games: Alan Wake, Bioshock, Dead Rising, Metal Gear Solid 3, Devil May Cry 5 -
Charlie Emsley
Junior Illustrator / Animator
I work with the Head Animator Dan to make graphics, illustrations and more, making sure our projects are visually stunning. It’s hard to find me not drawing or thinking up new ideas whenever I can.
Favourite film: Coraline.
Favourite food: Sushi and/or Sashimi.
Favourite animal: Spiders, but cats are a close second! -
Lukas Smith
Freelance Camera Operator
Planting seeds for the future
Young people are the future of every community on earth. If we want them to make the difference the world needs, then they’re going to need some help. That’s why we created the Neck of the Woods film fund. This fund helps filmmakers aged 17-25 to make films about social change.
Consider it a little seed capital
It’s all in the name
Our name is our philosophy. We work on making our neck of the woods that little bit better, and we tell stories about people who do the same.
Our roots
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Past
Craig and Emma met studying film and bonded over good storytelling (and occasionally bad movies). Making films was what they wanted to do in life, so that’s exactly what they did. They spent years producing videos, learned a lot about their craft and found their place in the world.
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Present
All of our experience has led us to where we are today. We’ve carved a place for ourselves and found our own unique style; now, we’re helping our clients to tell stories that matter and meeting plenty of creative collaborators along the way.
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Future
Who knows what the future holds? All we can say is that we’re enjoying the journey we’re on and looking forward to what’s ahead. We expect; new opportunities to be creative, a growing team of passionate video makers and plenty more important stories to tell.