Bradford firm looks to the Distant Future
Friday, 18th December 2009
University of Bradford graduate Bill Beaumont set up Distant Future VFX to provide computer animation and special effects services for corporate videos and music promos. Having completed an MA in Computer Animation in 2008, he went on to win a BBC Connect and Create award before starting out in business.
Through the Graduate Entrepreneurship Project’s Proof of Concept fund, Bill was awarded £1000, which he immediately put into developing his brand and website. He says: “The money has been crucial as it has enabled me to speed things up a lot in terms of getting my website and online show-reel up and running. Without these necessary advertising tools it would be impossible to drum up business. In the early stages I was just about bringing enough money in to cover the bills but this support has enabled me to start investing properly in developing the business.”
Having been trading since April 2009, Bill already has more than half a dozen clients and he knows that once his online presence is more firmly established he will be able to increase his portfolio further.
He says that his positive feelings about the future for his business are largely down to the support he has received: “By applying to the Think Business team for support I have been able to turn what was a very basic idea for a business into a realistic and potentially profitable project. I really can’t stress how important the advice and support I have received has been. I can truly say that I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”
Bill attended the 4-day residential workshop known as the Entrepreneurs’ Boot Camp - an event that is funded by the Graduate Entrepreneurship Project. Of this he says: “It was an amazing experience and I gained masses of knowledge in addition to meeting other companies in the start-up phase of their development. No matter what field you are going into it is important to be able to network like this, I am still in regular contact with several of the people I met at the Boot Camp.”
Bill Beaumont can be contacted on 01274 236680, 07504 335603, or by email at bill@distantfuture.co.uk. His website is under construction at www.distantfuture.co.uk.
