Wadebridge Filmmaker Launches Business with Support from Start Up Loan

An in-water photographer and filmmaker from Wadebridge is riding the wave of success after launching his business with a £5,000 Start Up Loan.

From Hobby to Profession

Sam Sherring, 28, originally from Bournemouth, turned his long-standing passion for filmmaking into a full-time business after moving to Cornwall in 2015 to study film at Falmouth University.

He spent four years working for a creative agency, producing everything from TV adverts to school productions. “It was a varied workload and a great way to learn, a hugely positive experience – but it was time to go freelance and carve out a niche for myself,” said Sam.

That niche became outdoor lifestyle and surf-focused filming, inspired by his love of surfing and filmmakers like Mickey Smith.

Making Waves with Major Brands

Sam’s work quickly attracted high-profile clients, including footwear manufacturer XtraTuf in partnership with the RNLI. “I’d been working with an influencer who was blogging for XtraTuf and they recommended me to them,” he explained. “As luck would have it, I had also been working on a personal project about lifeguarding, and they chose me on that basis.”

“The RNLI project was a dream – real people doing real stuff, lots of outdoors action – I went out with them on boats and got some cool stuff.”

Sam also landed a role as in-water camera operator on a mini-documentary for luxury car brand Bentley, produced in partnership with Gen Z fashion agency Culted and Surfability, a Welsh charity that helps surfers with additional needs. “It was awesome to work with Bentley, and it was a big success online.”

Recent work includes a documentary on racing driver Sam Shrimpton, filmed at Silverstone, and a campaign for the launch of XtraTuf’s new COTTY boot, created with professional big wave surfer Andrew Cotton. The campaign took Sam to the world’s first inland surf resort in Edinburgh and to the legendary waves of Nazare in Portugal. “It was one of the best experiences of my life.”

How a Start Up Loan Helped

To set up his business, Sam applied for a Start Up Loan through SWIG Finance. The funds allowed him to invest in vital equipment, including a Canon Eos R5C camera with rigging, lighting and sound gear, and essential accessories like adaptors and hard drives.

“I felt the most appropriate option for me was a Start Up Loan. The fixed rate of interest made a lot of sense,” he said. “The SWIG process was pretty smooth and straight-forward. You have your own business advisor – mine was Jo, and she was great. The application was quite in-depth and you need a business plan.”

Jo MacEachen, Senior Start-Up Loans Manager for SWIG Finance, said: “Sam had already done a lot of groundwork and tested the market by the time he came to us with his proposition. As a result, it was well-considered and detailed; he had established strong links with an existing customer base, and was asking for a realistic sum of money. Sam was an absolute pleasure to work with, and I was delighted to assist him in attaining his dreams.”

Start Up Loans is part of the British Business Bank and offers personal loans of up to £25,000 along with free mentoring. SWIG Finance is the Bank’s Business Support Partner for the South West and last year delivered £7.2 million in Start Up Loan funding to more than 400 new and early-stage businesses.