Video agency shifts to bigger studio to accommodate expansion

Manto Films, a video agency working with brands such as Yorkshire Tea, Bettys and G4S, has relocated to a larger studio to accommodate its expanded team and enable new services for its roster of clients.

The team of film makers have moved into a 1,100 sq ft office in Leeds, kitting it out with preloved furniture and materials.

Growing from four to nine members of staff, latest hires include Sophie Bodenham as studio manager and Charlotte Callaghan as editor/motion designer.

Managing director Paul Broadie said: “We’ve been working hard to minimise our environmental impact as a business.

“So we made a conscious effort to fit out the new office with furniture sourced entirely from charity shops and Facebook Marketplace, built our own storage area with materials from Leeds Wood Recycling, and created our own wall murals and artwork using paint from a local charity.

“It’s made for a really distinctive space that we all love working in.

“Now we have a dedicated filming studio where we can create more great content for our clients and our own team projects, offer more training and work experience to students from local colleges and universities, and eventually we want to open it up to the local creative community.

“Over the next two years we want to increase turnover by 25% and create two development positions for talented young filmmakers.”

Major client wins for the agency over the past year include Leeds City Council, NaughtOne, Boxphish, Powerleague, Cartwright & Butler and Airedale.

Manto also operates a test project programme, where staff are given time and resource to produce personal passion projects.

Broadie added: “The test project programme has helped to stretch ourselves creatively and technically, and enabled us to produce more innovative and ground-breaking content for our clients.”