Harrogate's media company founder, 26, who was a drone pioneer is taking Skyward to new heights
A successful 26-year-old Harrogate media production company founder who ran his first business from his bedroom has completed work on a new state-of-the-art studio in his hometown.
Josh Hill launched Skyward Media Productions by using savings from a job in retail to buy his first drone, becoming one of the UK's first licensed drone pilots.
Since then his video and creative marketing work has appeared on everything from BBC TV’s Songs of Praise to Sky News, as well as in social media advertising campaigns and corporate videos.
"I am really proud of what I have achieved with the business and the studio which I believe it is one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in the region,” said Josh.
"I have largely built it by myself without any loans or borrowings but by continually reinvesting my profits into the business.
"My first job was flying my drone over a golf course so that the professional could do a voice-over instructing players on the best way to tackle each hole,” said Josh.
"It made me realise that I could make money from doing something I loved.”
The list of Skyward's clients is varied and long but Josh says he is proud, in particular, of two long-running National Trust projects in Yorkshire - recording the changing seasons at Fountains Abbey, the World Heritage site, and the multi-agency, Skell Valley Project to develop a sustainable future for the river and its landscape.
“Of all the places I have been on assignment, filming at 4am in the morning in an eerily silent and deserted Fountains Abbey was magical and an absolute privilege,” said Josh.
"Moments like that live long in the memory and remind me why I love this job so much.”
Skyward Media Productions may be Harrogate-based but it is international in scope.
Recent years have seen Josh engaged on drone filming, video and content production assignments in the Caribbean, luxury yachts in the Adriatic and sporting events in Malta, as well as working in Italy, the French Alps, Belgium and Sweden for clients in the travel, sports, fitness, environmental and construction industries.
Drone technology has advanced rapidly from its early days.
Josh has kept pace by continually investing in the latest equipment to produce ever more sophisticated content.
With post-production a vital part of the video and film-making art, Josh’s dream was to develop his own studio facility to provide an enhanced suite of creative services to clients.
Job done – and by hand – the Skyward studio contains advanced editing suites, a fully-equipped podcast studio, an infinity curve used for fashion shoots and music videos and meeting rooms.
"It enables me and my network of specialist consultants to create innovative, high quality and high impact video content for clients, as well as animation, brand and design and web development,” said Josh.
"However, I also want to make the studio available to other creative businesses who may not have this level of facility themselves."
Based at Freemans Way in Harrogate, it may have begun as a hobby but Josh Hill now boasts an international video and content production operation with its own studio.
And his aim is to develop a network of Skyward studio facilities around the country.
Skyward is living up to its name in more ways than one.