Hi Keiran, Chris, Rob and Atlanta thanks for chatting with us, first of all can you tell us about Like an Egg, its ethos, how it came about and the sort of clients you work with?

We started Like an Egg in 2010 on the basis that we wanted to create a video production business that could compete on a national stage and still be based in the Valleys. We began in Blaina before moving back to Ponty in 2012. Our aim was to deliver the best quality content possible with the same level of quality service, no matter who our client was.

Intertwined into our vision is a strong sense of place. We are proud to call Pontypridd our home and that Valley sense of empathy, hard work and friendliness is ingrained in what we offer.

Our work is varied, we’ve worked with companies such as Warner Brothers and Giff Gaff but we are equally at home working with local Charites such as Valleys Kids and Age Connects Morgannwg. We work for local Government and Universities.

What were the main reasons you pitched for the Your Pontypridd BID video series?

We are very passionate about Pontypridd and the Valleys and proud to call it our home. We felt a level of responsibility to make sure it gets the right treatment when it comes to video. Too often places like Ponty are treated poorly or has a tendency to down play itself.

There are people and businesses doing amazing things to make Ponty a better place. We wanted to get involved because those businesses deserve to have their story told in the best possible way.

The ‘Our Past Our future’ Your Pontypridd promotional video series has been very well received by the local business community, residents and visitors, how did you come up with the initial concept?

We felt the strength of Ponty has always been the people. Whether they’ve lived here all their lives or found themselves living here and never wanting to leave. It is a place that is easy to call home. It is not perfect and over the years it has taken a beating. There is a still a huge amount of work to be done to improve infrastructure and what is available. But behind all of that and the negative stereotypes that cling on Ponty is a special place with some very special people and businesses.

We knew if we could get those stories on film and show how much heart and passion is in our town, we could create a series of films that stood alongside any town or city in Wales or the UK.

That was the idea we pitched. We simply wanted to show the stores behind four very different business that call Ponty their home. The focus wasn’t on selling their services or product but showing the people behind them. We wanted to change perceptions and show how much pride they have in their town and business. We hoped that an audience would see this and feel that same attachment.

Was the process of filming business people at work any different to what you normally deal with when filming? We’re there any specific challenges and opportunities you faced with each business?

We knew when we won the job that we’d be doing it for more than just the money. We knew that to get the best possible films would take time and effort that could not be budgeted for. We couldn’t just choose four businesses and script what would be said. Achieving the quality we demanded of ourselves would take time.

For the videos to succeed the voices needed to be real and genuine. We knew we would have to interview as many people as possible to find the four that would hit our brief. I believe we interviewed 10 people for at least an hour each. That’s 10 hours into 8 minutes. It’s not something we’d recommend to anyone. But we knew we’d have to spend the time getting the stories engaging, impactful and genuine if we were to succeed in our aims.

Admittedly the reality of making videos like this is that it’s not always the priority for the people involved. This does mean time becomes a factor. It is understandable as they all work or run full time businesses and time is valuable. But that isn’t unique to this project and is something we have to account for.

You filmed four very different businesses for the series that all capture the essence of Pontypridd, what were the highlights and lowlights of the project for you and the Like An Egg team?

I think just the opportunity to work in the town itself was great. To work out of our office and be filming without having to get in the van. Plus, we got to meet some great people throughout. Some of those don’t appear in the videos directly but all played a role in getting there.

For example, for the Wholefoods film along with Caspar we also interviewed Pete the owner and one of Ponty’s local legends. Some of my earliest memories are of Pete’s original store on the market and him giving me free yogurt covered raisins. It was pretty special to see him again telling stories. And anyone who knows Pete will know he’s a great storyteller and not even we could cut him down to under two minutes. But I think Caspar does a great job of explaining the ethos of the shop and Ponty.

Trying to get footage of the street without any cars on it was not fun. As hard as we tried it was almost impossible. A street looking like a carpark isn’t that inviting.

Talking of filming, what advice would you give to a young film maker looking to open their start their own film company?

Feed off your self-confidence and don’t give in to yourself doubt. Always have a goal, however long it takes to get there just make sure you are going in the right direction. Concentrate on what you are good at and what you enjoy.

When it comes to accepting advice only listen to what works for you.

What potential do you see for Like an Egg over the next five years with the ongoing redevelopment of Pontypridd town centre? ( Taff Vale, Bingo Hall etc)

Hopefully more businesses that can see the value of video and knock on the door.

In all honesty we want to see Ponty shake the shackles of the past. The words that haunt it like an unwanted miserable dinner guest - “it’s not what it used to be.”

It can’t be that giant market town again, but it can be a great town that people want to visit from across Wales. It’s the people that make it special. We just need to see businesses that follow that ethos. I think the new Chain House café is the perfect example of showing what can be achieved by offering something different, something special with heart and passion.

The Lido proves that people will travel here, events like Parti Ponty show the potential is right here. The new developments are exciting, but we also need to see new and existing businesses thrive. Getting people into the town is vital and needs to be part of the strategy of the new development.

I’m worried about the level of residential usage increasing in the town centre but I hope that if it’s managed right we can still have a vibrant nightlife and still attract bigger retail businesses.

And finally what are your thoughts on the Your Pontypridd Business Improvement District and how it has benefited the town? And how did you find working with us and the businesses?

I think anything that brings people together with a common goal is a good thing. It does come with its difficulties, committees can impede action but from what I’ve seen all members care deeply about the town. It’s great to see young people involved and a real sense of wanting to make thing better. It’s still early days but word is spreading and having that link with the community to try and make improvements and take suggestions on board is crucial.

We’ve enjoyed making these films although the process has taken a lot longer than we would have hoped. There are benefits to that as we have been able to spend time on getting the best possible films. We’ve also been given the creative freedom to make what we think will work. As filmmakers that has been a great opportunity.

We would like to thank Like an Egg for creating five very special videos for the 'Our Past, Our Future, Your Pontypridd' campaign, to find out more about Like an Egg visit their website.