Harborough Hustle Podcast

Martin [00:00:08]:

Hello. I’m your podcast host, Martin Robson. Special thanks to our sponsors, Roman Britons websites. Harborough hustle proudly sponsors local charities. Check us out on www.marketharboroughbiznetwork.co.uk/podcast where you can find a transcript of today’s podcast, all the links that are mentioned, hosts that you can share on social media to spread the word, and everything you need to know if you’d like to help our local charities find out more about our lovely sponsors. Welcome to this episode of Harborough Hustle, where I am delighted to be chatting with Daniel from Polarity Theatre. Daniel, hi.

Daniel [00:00:53]:

Hi. Nice to be here.

Martin [00:00:56]:

fantastic, really pleased that you you’ve come on. So, kick straight off into it. The the first question really is just to kind of in case anybody doesn’t know you can’t imagine that’s the case, but just in case, is to tell us a little bit about what to about yourself, what you do, kind of a nutshell version because we were, you know, we’re gonna dive deeper in, as we go on. so a little bit about who you are, where’d you live? what do you do for fun besides your job?

Daniel [00:01:25]:

Oh, so my name is Daniel. I maybe I should’ve said earlier, We’ve changed our name to polarity Filming to reflect more of what we do. and I do this with 3 other colleagues of mine, I now live in market Harborough itself. I’m originally from Wigston, and, my spare time, I coach football, with, young people at Kibworth Town, FC.

Martin [00:01:50]:

Excellent. I’m a big football fan myself. Glad to hear that. Do you have a a more famous team than than Kibworth that you also support?

Daniel [00:01:58]:

well, I support Manchester United. I must apologize for.

Martin [00:02:03]:

You you should. ladies and gentlemen, this is the shortest podcast ever in the series here as well now. Say goodbye. Fair enough. I’m a I’m an AFC Bournemouth fan for my sins. So —

Daniel [00:02:15]:

Oh, dear.

Martin [00:02:16]:

There you go. I know. I’m I’m very I’m very happy about that. Anyway, perhaps we should get back to the business business stuff.

Daniel [00:02:24]:

Yeah. There it is.

Martin [00:02:26]:

So, yeah, tell us a little bit what what was the name change for?

Daniel [00:02:30]:

So, well, basically, because obviously, before COVID, there we go, well, COVID, I did used to do quite a lot of search shows we’ve performed at market Harborough theater itself in the past. There was one of the things that we were like really passionate about. We then after COVID for the difficulties that I moved into short film. Found that we love doing short film more. Started the video up with your business originally to fund the short films and then realized actually we’d quite like this to be our actual job. So we moved it from to to to to reflect more what we’re doing these days.

Martin [00:03:08]:

Okay. Brilliant. Yeah. Interesting. You you you mentioned “we” several times. So who else is involved in this?

Daniel [00:03:13]:

so there’s my friends, Liam, Nathan, and Michael, and we all work together to do the various bits within it. So, 3 of us specifically do the videography side that for myself. Frank Gilliam, he does mostly the filming and the editing. I help with the filming. and Nathan, here’s our in house composer. Micromor does the creative side of things and helps with the short films in the storage that we right and stuff like that.

Martin [00:03:44]:

No. Fantastic. You got it all covered. That that’s great. So tell me something, Daniel, is there something that people don’t think about enough when they’re they’re dealing with, media companies, you know, film production.

Daniel [00:04:00]:

Yeah. So for me, it’s, I would say it’s actually working with people and and what I mean by that is, like, There’s so many people that that get into filming and stuff like that and and the focus becomes the shots and how the framing looks and everything. and they forget to build that like repertoire with with the person that they’re talking to. So, particularly for us with videography when we’re working with another business, we want to know about you because you’re passionate about your business and we want that to shine through and I just feel that some other people, not so much, but I mean, like, don’t get that right and there’s too much focus on the technical and not enough on the emotion. I lift that. an expert of sense.

Martin [00:04:44]:

Yeah. Yeah. It does. I mean, you know, I use a lot of tech in in my business and, obviously, you know, with AI and things like that. there’s there’s an increasing, opportunity with tech, but, you know, what makes a good film is is the the human side, isn’t it, really?

Daniel [00:05:02]:

Yeah.

Martin [00:05:04]:

Yeah. So, Tell me something that you wish you’d known earlier, you know, in in this business journey of yours that might have made things a bit easier, maybe a note to a younger Daniel?

Daniel [00:05:17]:

and I’d tell you over the Daniel would simply have just, started video up if we’re seeing it because one of the things my background comes from acting and performing arts but and so that’s why we went down the 3rd route, but actually I love videography. It’s it’s the meeting people, seeing what they do and and then being able to promote and showcase that. I would have just gone just to straight there. Get straight there because that you’ll love it and I didn’t realize how much I did love it until literally I started it because it ends to a means to begin with and now it’s a passion. So, yeah, get straightened videography is what I would have said.

Martin [00:05:56]:

It’s really interesting, actually. That’s not the first time that I’ve heard people saying, what I would have said is do it now. You know, don’t wait. don’t keep putting it off. So, yeah, It’s that’s a good sign that you’re enjoying what you’re doing, which I think came through when you’re talking about the passion there. So did you ever, did you have any any mentor in in your journey? You know, somebody kinda took you under your wing or or, you know, gave you advice. You thought, yeah. That’s

Daniel [00:06:26]:

Yeah. Definitely. there was, my grandfather is suddenly no longer here with us. He was actually a freelance cameraman. He used to work at the old diamond cable up in Johnston for those people, old enough maybe to remember that. But when that all came down, he just, like, say, operated freelance, he mostly worked with filming music videos for upcoming bands and things like that. And he literally made this living out being a freelance camera manager. I remember as a kid, he used to plug his camera into the TV, and we’d be on the TV. So to speak, I think that’s where my passion for acting. So I came from stuff and and yeah, we we’d sit down then when he was here and we’d talk about shots and filming and all that sort of thing and and he was just a great inspiration there.

Martin [00:07:13]:

Oh, it’s brilliant. Brilliant. Yeah. I can I can remember as well. The, suddenly being, let you say, odd there too. He’s like,

Daniel [00:07:23]:

Yeah. In my head, we were actually on TV, not that it was just our screen in this one house, like, you know, was seeing me, but, obviously, though.

Martin [00:07:32]:

And the thing is still it gets people still, doesn’t it? I mean, you know, you know, from, like, the the football games or whatever when panning around the crowd and all of a sudden somebody realizes that they’re on the big screen and they all act totally cool and naturally now they don’t do they?

Daniel [00:07:49]:

I’ve been caught. I I I’ve got a friend who was in Australia and he was watching Alaska game and last minute I’m there at the match myself and the screenshot comes through and I was on the TV. What are you doing at Lesley sort of thing? Thought he’s fine, man. Right. Yeah. So, yeah, you you’ll be on the TV when ever you least expect it as well.

Martin [00:08:12]:

so I was thinking about the the past we’ve seen and and you you grandfather and how you kind of inspired you. What about nowadays? Is there there anyone, you know, that you admire now and and why would that be?

Daniel [00:08:24]:

This one’s a bit cheesy, really, if I’m honest, but it’s actually my mom. So, my dad left about 3, 5 years ago. it’s still around. We still don’t get on and we go out for meals and stuff together. All as a family, none included. but none, they had to sort of get herself a full time job and she used to just work in a car, shop. now she’s a PCSO and she’s out there doing that and thinks she works in a night scenario and, you know, just just to see the confidence that she’s gained from that and and it’s just like inspired myself. She also unfortunately suffers from 5 of my elders so the ability that she just gets up and she does that every day. yeah, I quite admire them, and I strengthened where she’s coming from and what she’s become now. I think she’s, quite amazing.

Martin [00:09:16]:

That’s that’s absolutely brilliant. I mean, Sometimes people, you know, they talk about a specific business person because of their business acumen, if you like, but, you know, if if we want to succeed in life, succeed in business, you know, like like you say, there’s so many qualities and, yeah, you might say it’s juicy, but that’s really nice. Thank you for sharing that.

Daniel [00:09:41]:

That might work.

Martin [00:09:44]:

So switching, tack a little bit. Obviously, you you already know a fair bit about the industry. Like you said, you’ve got an an acting background and and all the rest of it. what’s something that you still want to learn? it’s

Daniel [00:10:01]:

so I read this question a bit and I thought about it long and hard. I and I thought, it’s not so much, what I’d like to learn, but strive to improve on technique. So you know, I think you can always improve on your camera. I always improve on your editor. It was an old acting teacher of mine who also said that it’s passed away recently that and I did an amazing performance on stage of scrooge for the the college and he come off and he said, oh, he said, what did you think? I actually think he could have done better. I said, well, yeah, I could have probably done better. Even though it was the best thing I’ve done at the time, and he went, good. That’s the right answer. is because the moment you believe you’ve done the complete performance, you’re no longer an actor. There’s always something you could have done more Alright. Once that was obviously direct advice as an actor, you can apply that to to many things and that’s not just my videography. That’s like my football coach as well. There’s always something you could have done more. I I don’t I’m not saying I’m striving for absolute perfection, but I think you just need to keep yourself open so ideas learning more developing, you know, videoography itself with an industry that’s always moving forward is used as mentioned, a bit before I think about AI and things like that in this industry. So there’s always new things that come in and you need to be open willing to learn and develop while it’s technology moves on. I suppose

Martin [00:11:29]:

Yeah. No. I couldn’t agree more. I think, it’s you never stopped learning, and, I think there’s there’s more opportunities I learned nowadays than they’re everywhere, you know, with the way that you got access to stuff that that we didn’t have, you know, perhaps when we were kids, etcetera. so alright. We talked about improving and all the rest of it. So confession time, what’s what’s one of the biggest mistakes you’ve made, and what did you learn from it?

Daniel [00:11:57]:

I don’t know if it’s a mistake, but I do feel it’s a long time ago when I started putting a team together this with one of them there. I think my biggest mistake was taking a lot of people at face value. And what I mean by that is when you look at so many runs of business, and they’re passionate. They’re dedicated and you have that drive. There were so many people I’d come across when I wanted to get them on board with me and they go, yeah. And then when it came push came to shove, you know, that they they didn’t execute what what they said and and it ended up making the whole process more difficult. And I think, you know, just finding genuine people is is really important, you know, but particularly, you know, if you’re doing something like what I’m doing exactly where you need other parts of the team and the cogs. So I think that that that was a massive learning car for me. because I just assumed that everybody would be as passionate and as dedicated for anyone who’s out there watching this, who runs their own business. They will understand the hard work actually has to go into it. You know, it’s not all sun shines and rainbows. So to speak, you know, there’s a lot of grinding and hard work and you know, sadly in the very early days of military bills in my early twenties, there’s just some people who are not for that.

Martin [00:13:14]:

Yeah. Yeah. No. Yeah. really good point. Really good point. what about your produce business moment?

Daniel [00:13:24]:

which sort of relates to the the other one in sort of way because my proudest business moment is when myself Liam and Nathan, in particular, sat down and had the meeting and said, we’re gonna do videographer and we’re gonna start and start it. because I think that instead, you know, it’s, you know, you hear so many people talk about things and they do this and they just don’t get started and I think just start it and just you know, we’re here. So I think, you know, we’re doing it, I think is is massively important. I think because of that, that would be the proudest moment that’s what led us right here today. I suppose as well doing this podcast with yourself. just getting started. So yeah.

Martin [00:14:08]:

Yeah. No. Brilliant. Yeah. I I know, you know, it’s like for me, in my past, you know, I was gonna start a, a company doing computer training, so IT training, especially for for beginners. And, I had, you know, 2 or 3 contracts just kind of on the side. And I was like, will I make that leap and at the time I had a small kid? And I never did it. and always regret that. I think, yeah, that that first step is a really big step. so, yeah, brilliant. One of the, one of the things that that one of the other guests said is is can we ask a question for the next guest? I might. Alright then. So, this is a question from, Natalie of well in Raleigh legal. And and she wants to know, what is your USP?

Daniel [00:15:07]:

Oh, a USP. Oh, well, I would say we’ve got 2 USPs. I think, for me, our first one, and most importantly, is, we don’t just wanna make another business advert. for your business. We wanna make a promotional video that tells your story and explains your passion and all the hard work in your business and and that sort of thing really, you know, for me, it’s I wanna be able to tell people’s stories. I think one of the things I’ve learned doing this in the so far is that you turn upon set and you just you learn so much about things that you just really didn’t know about, but then you see the passion come from those people and I think that’s important to us. Our second unique selling point is bit more straightforward. we have Nathan who’s our in house composer. So all the music that we put to any video or publication that we do for you is like none of this royalty free rubbish way trying to crowbar your video to fit. the music, it’s all composed. We do the edit fast and then the edit goes to Nathan and then Nathan composes music as the client, which is to go through that. And I think that’s very important. It gives us a unique, really because we make it’s all personal to you from the story that you’re telling us to the music that we put and that’s all I think.

Martin [00:16:35]:

I like that. I like that. And I know again from personal experience, you know, putting together, different bits of media for clients that, like you said, crow barring the music to be the right the right length is easy, but but the right atmosphere and feel at the right point while still being the right length is not, you know, unless like you say, you you compose it from scratch, fantastic stuff. Alright. Let’s think about you then. What if, I mean, if you weren’t working in videography, which quite clearly is your passion, what what’s another career you you’d like to attend?

Daniel [00:17:12]:

Oh, wow. It’s we’ve sort of touched on it earlier, but football coaching but at an academy. definitely that. one of the jokes I have with the boys in the team is that me and my my good friend John Holland. we won the National Cup with the year 11 boys team at the school. We both worked at together. And from that, I jokingly call myself the special one. I’m sure it’s it’s stuff like that. But, yeah, coaching football and and work with young people has always been a a passion of mine. And, it gives back to the community as well, which is why I love doing it. So, yeah, I’ll definitely probably be a football character. Right? Thanks.

Martin [00:17:55]:

Brilliant. Brilliant. I’ll make a a a 3 with you and John see if I could join as well. That would that would suit me. Yeah. So what’s something on your bucket list then?

Daniel [00:18:07]:

a little bit geeky. I’m not gonna lie. So, one of the other colleagues of mine here, Michael, Me and him, he got me into anime, and we’re proper into anime, of those that aren’t sure that is it’s Japanese, Harborough, and manga, etcetera. and we both want to go Japan and experience the culture. We’ve read it down as a target for the next 2 years. We’re gonna go to Japan and do this bucket list and experience this culture and what have you. So, yeah, a little bit nasty, but, you know.

Martin [00:18:39]:

Alright. Yeah. Why not? It’s it’s insanely popular. I know that.

Daniel [00:18:44]:

Even though I’ve I’ve I’ve I’ve been in the waterstones in market Harborough one day I just went in went upstairs and there’s a whole section of the manger and stuff up there. So that’s pretty cool.

Martin [00:18:56]:

Wow. Who knew? Alright. can you tell us or maybe even show us possibly about a hidden talent you have? that maybe people don’t really know about?

Daniel [00:19:11]:

Don’t you know what? I thought long ago. I don’t think I really have a hidden talent in particular. Anything I can say is that we know I mentioned today, we we do make sure films as well for just pure fun and entertainment. and we’ve got a film called clown that’s currently on the film festival circuit. Film festivals take place all over the world with most of us in Europe but we’re a few couple we’ve got into in India and, you know, saying this, a film in particular clown has won 19 awards this far across these film festivals. So I’d say that’s probably a little hidden talent behind the videography because well, as I said earlier, that the short films was the driving force to do the video on film and the video on became, oh, you know, this could be the the the job and that’s the fun so to speak. So, yeah, that would be the closest I’ve got to ahead and tell our direct short films.

Martin [00:20:08]:

Alright. Alright. So where can we find you online social media website etcetera.

Daniel [00:20:18]:

so you can find us online at polarityfilming.com. Facebook and Instagram, both the web with the forward slash polarity film in, or you can email us directly. It’s still info@polaritytheatre.com as explained earlier. We’ve had a bit of a a change, but at the minute, that’s still the email address. And, yeah, I think that’s all. Oh, we’ve got a YouTube channel as well, polarityfilming, and you can find some of our trailers for our short films and see the quality of our work on polarityfilming

Martin [00:20:51]:

Cool. Yeah. I was gonna ask you if you had a YouTube considering the industry that that you’re in. Okay. That’s brilliant. Obviously, we’ll have the, all all the links, etcetera, in the the show notes on the site after the, after the episode. so anything else you’d like to share before we let you go?

Daniel [00:21:10]:

just to say, if you are looking for some sort of promotion, get in touch with us, we offer a free meeting with no obligation. We just wanna discuss and brainstorming if there’s something that you like that we can do for you. We’d love to do it. So just give us a call. It’s worth it. And, yeah, let us try and promote your business and tell your story.

Martin [00:21:35]:

Brilliant. Brilliant. Sounds fantastic. Daniel, great to meet you. Dear listener. Okay. Show some love for Daniel, checking out all the show notes, k, links to their website, socials. As I said, they’re on Market Harborough Business Network dotco.uk/podcast. Even better, join in. Leave a comment, a question, a suggestion. We really appreciate you Okay? Listening to the show, and we want to make it as good as it possibly can. and, hey, if you’d like to be a guest on the show as well, we would love to hear from you. hop along to the website for more details. Daniel, once again, thank you very much. Been a pleasure.

Daniel [00:22:17]:

Thank you for having me. It’s been amazing. Cheers.