Gateshead video production firms to fast-forward growth with new merger

A duo of Gateshead-based video production agencies have merged into one entity in order to strengthen their offerings.

YourFilm and Digital Sidekick have now merged under the YourFilm brand after plans were initially put on hold in March 2020 due to the pandemic.

Founded in 2005, YourFilm has a portfolio of clients including Admiral, Flymo, Frank’s The Flooring Store, Nissan, Sage and Thomson Reuters, as well as working with agencies on projects for brands such as Warner Bros. Games, The Walking Dead, Parkdean and Ladbrokes.

Digital Sidekick founder Marc Runkee has now joined YourFilm as production director, heading up the agency with existing co-founders Matthew Newman and Kevin Owens. The new structure will see the three directors lead the five-strong team in the Northern Design Centre, Gateshead.

Matthew Newman, co-founder of YourFilm, said: “We’ve been working with Marc on ad-hoc projects for a couple of years now and in summer 2019 I floated the idea that we’d be stronger together than apart.

“We needed another senior creative who could produce work and Marc was the perfect choice as we had witnessed his creative talent first-hand. He was also keen for the support of a team, rather than running things entirely on his own.

“We’re really pleased to have Marc onboard with us, especially as we continue to set our sights on further growth in the coming months.”

Digital Sidekick founder Marc Runkee added: “Having run Digital Sidekick for over 11 years I was ready to take our offering to the next level and in order to do that, I needed to work with more people and be able to tap into more resource and a broader range of skills.

“Merging with YourFilm was the right choice - I’ve collaborated with Matthew and Kevin on various projects and they have bags of experience in the sector.

“It’s my aim to add my experience to their offering so that we can work with more clients on exciting projects, both regionally and nationally.”