What inspired you to launch Sam Teale Productions in Cleckheaton, and how did the Huddersfield community play a role in shaping your journey?
I started the company after I had a YouTube channel when I was a kid, reviewing technology products. I made one video on a debit card company called Go Henry and they commented on it saying they liked it, so I offered to make videos for them, and they agreed!
Through those videos I realised I really enjoyed being behind the camera and the editing process.
A big part of my journey was Huddersfield town, I contacted them when I was 14 saying, “can I make you an Amazon Prime documentary?”. Obviously, they did not take it seriously but in turn offered me some work experience with the club instead. I decided during my work experience, I wanted to build a business that’s big enough to work with Huddersfield Town, not just work for them,
I remember they gave me some big pointers on how to edit better which really helped me, and with that kind of experience, I gained the confidence to start the company. Alongside this, local businesses allowed me to make free videos for them to build a portfolio, helping others to trust my skills.
Every year, we do our own version of the John Lewis Christmas advert. We need local support in that we need houses to use, local places like my old school, who let me film in there every single year. Everyone wants to see you do well and then helps you do that. If it weren’t for the community, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am now.
Your 2022 Christmas advert captivated millions—was there anything about Huddersfield life that influenced its emotional storytelling?
Every year my family does Secret Santa, and that year they decided that they couldn’t do it for the first time. That inspired me to focus that year on the cost-of-living crisis.
Around that time someone told me the story of a kid whose dentist asked them “what are you getting for Christmas?”, and they said Santa was ill. We took that line and then built a whole story around it. We realised that many of us and our relatives had wanted or owned a go-kart as kids and that it’s this item that everyone can relate to, so we tied that story into it.
All of the West Yorkshire places that I used to go to, the barbers, the graveyard, my primary school, a park that my grandma used to take me to, and the house we used was just in Brighouse. All of that created this story that 40 million people related to, which was unbelievable.
How has being based near Huddersfield shaped your creative style and approach to filmmaking?
Being around here is really grounding, because everyone wants you to keep your head, to be able to keep focus, which I really like.
I always say that I love being in this office building, for example, because we can have the greatest day in the office but you just walk out and there’s someone who will treat you like a normal person. There’s a Leeds fan down the way who just gives me loads of rubbish, or people that we’ll just have a little laugh and joke with. Because success is something that comes and goes, you can feel successful in one moment and then it can be gone in the next. Keeping a level head just means that you can continue striving.
And the other part of it is the countryside, to be able to get out and walk around and not be city based is absolutely lovely. I like that it’s kind of quiet, you’re not too far away from green space to be able to get your head back or get some fresh air. Also, you can set anything around here, the access to locations is incredible.
What challenges have you faced as a young entrepreneur working in media within the Huddersfield region?
Imposter syndrome is a big one because there are few examples of people that have done a similar thing locally. When I first started off, everyone my age went to college and I didn’t – I was a little bit unsure of what I was doing.
I think as well, before I could drive I had to ask for lifts and I used Ubers to get around to different jobs, which was difficult.
Finally, my issue now is hiring and managing people who are older than me. It can be daunting but I keep reminding myself that I’m the boss!
How do you personally define creativity, and how do you keep pushing the boundaries of storytelling?
Creativity is a very hard thing to define, but to me, it’s what can you do that really sums up this particular feeling, mood, instruction, which feels right within yourself. I think to be creative you’ve got to really feel it. I can get on a call for half an hour with somebody and I can say 25 different ideas because I’m getting so passionate about the topic.
And I think you can’t copy creativity, it’s got to come from inside yourself. Once you relate to something, pictures just start forming, creativity is more of a feeling, it’s creating something, not because you have to or not because you want to, it’s because you feel like you need to.
I love doing what nobody else has done. Other companies might look at a brief and take it literally, whereas we look at a brief and go, how could we do something different? And when you’re creating content for audiences that are your age you want to scroll on something that’s different. You’ll click on it if it feels different. We like mixing it up and just creating something new. So, I keep pushing boundaries by hopefully creating stuff that no one’s ever seen before.
What advice would you give to young creatives in Huddersfield who want to start their ventures?
Believe in yourself. No one’s ever going to give you success. You can’t expect that one day you’re going to wake up and just be in your dream job. It’s got to come from hard work. Even if you just work hard, you’re already 50% ahead of the game!
And just know that anything’s possible, you can do whatever you want, genuinely anything. I always look around for examples of people that are doing things where they’ve had to really believe in themselves and had lots of challenges and that motivates me to continue.
What are your thoughts on Huddersfield as a growing creative hub?
It is a wonderful place for creatives. I’ve noticed that there’s a lot more entrepreneurial people from Huddersfield or setting up in Huddersfield.
There’s lots of people that are coming out of Huddersfield with lots of confidence to start their own thing, which is amazing. Look at the university and the high standard of alumni they are producing. You look at their collaboration with Huddersfield town, and that’s really lovely to see.
Huddersfield is world-renowned. Everywhere I go on my travels I say I’m from Huddersfield, and people recognise it. Huddersfield’s a proud place to come from. I think the development and the money that’s being spent on the town is inspiring. People are realising there is something special here.
If you could direct a dream project, regardless of budget or location, what would it be and why?
A John Lewis Christmas advert, because they’ve made a name for themselves, and there’s an appetite for it, and millions of people wait for it. There’s an opportunity with John Lewis adverts because you’ve got two or three minutes of people’s attention. Everybody will watch it once, the whole thing. There’s few things that people watch the whole way through, so, you have an opportunity to make something really magical, really emotional and push a really important point where you’ve got a guaranteed three minutes of someone’s time.
When it comes to brainstorming ideas for your videos, what does that process look like?
We put some music on and I always call it be sick with ideas. It sounds horrible, but there’s no bad ideas. We all just shout out ideas together.
I have this little test about if an idea sticks. If you put an idea on a virtual shelf in your brain, and if it falls off and you think about it again, that’s a keeper. If you never think about it again the idea is rubbish. That’s the mindset we live by and the main thing is no idea is a bad idea.
Sometimes a brainstorm session can last a week and even when you’re in the shower or about to fall asleep the best ideas will come. Write everything down and try and connect the pieces and always remember why you’re doing it, keep the why close by, because you don’t want to forget that.