For YouNeek Productions, good video starts with people: understanding them, finding the stories worth telling and bringing those stories to life in a way that makes an audience feel something. That approach has now earned the independent production company the title of Videography Studio of the Year at the local business awards. Founded in 2013 by Luke, YouNeek Productions makes television adverts, brand films, corporate videos, product demonstrations, documentaries and social media content, taking each project from the first idea through filming to the final edit so that businesses can tell their stories and reach their audiences. What began as a business Luke ran while working full-time is now a creative company he runs with his wife, Kasia. In October 2025 the couple opened a dedicated production studio at Squab Hall Farm, three years after Luke first sketched it out on a piece of paper. For them, the award recognises the determination and belief that turned that sketch into a building, and it is a chance to thank the people who have made the business what it is today.
From television scriptwriting to a creative business
Luke set up YouNeek Productions in 2013, at the age of 24. He was working full-time and raising a young family at the time, with his son just two years old, so starting a business on top of that took determination. He already had a strong pull towards the creative industry. He had studied Media and Television at university, and before he turned 21 he had worked with the scriptwriting teams on two well-known British programmes, Hollyoaks and EastEnders. That work taught him a great deal about storytelling and the creative decisions involved in bringing an idea to an audience.
His ambition had always been to make original content that people would connect with. Getting original ideas considered in television was not straightforward, though, and pitching unsolicited concepts was especially hard. Rather than give up, Luke decided to build a company that could one day become the foundation for telling his own stories. YouNeek Productions grew out of that idea. For the early years he kept his full-time job while building the business, gaining experience and taking on video work. The company was his way to build something independently, with his own approach to storytelling, around work he enjoyed.
Taking the leap into full-time production
One of the biggest turning points came nearly a decade after the company was founded. In 2022 Luke decided to run the business full-time. After years of fitting it around other employment, with all the demands on time and energy that brings, it was a major step towards the career in creative production he had always wanted. Working on YouNeek Productions full-time let him concentrate on the projects, relationships and ideas he wanted to develop, and it changed the scale of what he was aiming for. He began to think about what the business could become with a dedicated creative space and a stronger footing.
That same year he drew an idea for a production studio on a piece of paper. It was a picture of what might one day be possible rather than a finished plan, but it stayed with him. A professional studio would let him take on more ambitious projects and give clients a proper place to film, and it would be somewhere creative professionals could meet, collaborate and build relationships. Turning the drawing into a working studio would take a large investment of time, money and effort. It came from the same drive that had led Luke to start the company nearly ten years earlier: he wanted a business that gave him freedom, encouraged creativity and was built around the work he loved. With Kasia alongside him, the studio became the next big goal for YouNeek Productions.
Opening the studio that started as a drawing
In October 2025 Luke and Kasia officially opened their production studio, one of the proudest moments in the company's history. For Luke it meant all the more because the space had started as a drawing three years before, and seeing an idea become a real, working room was an extraordinary moment. The studio was designed as a professional creative space where businesses and production teams could make video content without travelling to larger production centres. Every detail mattered to the couple, who wanted it to be somewhere people enjoyed visiting, professional and welcoming at the same time.
Since it opened, one of the best parts has been watching people's faces as they walk in. According to Luke, almost everyone reacts with the same surprise, often a simple but enthusiastic “wow.” Visitors regularly comment on the sense of space, the airy feel, the furniture and how the studio looks. Knowing that customers, prospective clients, friends and family notice the details they thought so hard about tells the couple the effort was worth it. The studio gives YouNeek Productions a home for its creative work and a place where people can explore ideas together. For Luke it fulfilled a personal ambition years in the making, and after everything it took to build, seeing visitors enjoy it has become one of his greatest sources of pride.
Overcoming financial challenges
Getting there was not easy. Like many independent businesses, YouNeek Productions has felt the pressure of managing cash flow while growing, and Luke has had difficult days, weeks and months when the finances needed a lot of his attention. Growth brings opportunities but also extra costs and uncertainty, and Luke acknowledges that worrying about cash flow can make it harder to focus on the creative work that inspired the business in the first place.
One of the hardest moments came while the studio was being developed. Luke and Kasia had hoped to win grant funding for the project, but their application was turned down. For a business about to make such a large investment, that could easily have stopped the plans. Instead, within 48 hours of the rejection, the couple decided they would build the studio anyway. They found another route, a duplex loan, and carried on towards the studio they had imagined.
The experience showed Luke how much resilience matters, and how much it helps to have the right people around you. He credits support from people with different professional strengths as an important part of handling the challenges of running a business, and coaching and mentorship have helped him develop his mindset and face difficult periods with more confidence. Throughout it all, Kasia encouraged him, and having his wife beside him, pushing on when things got hard, made an enormous difference. Looking back, the obstacles have made the finished studio mean even more.
People, kindness and creativity
Three values shape how the company works and how it treats people: “People First. Show Kindness. Be Creative.” For Luke, they describe how creative work should be done, with a real understanding of the people behind every project. Video production involves cameras, lighting, editing and technical decisions, but he believes those are only part of what makes a film work. The real skill is recognising what matters to people and finding a way to show it on screen. That might mean noticing a reaction during an interview, asking a question that reveals something important, or spotting a moment that helps tell a bigger story.
For YouNeek Productions, storytelling takes observation, curiosity and an understanding of how people connect, and the team wants its videos to have an impact rather than simply present information. That matters for businesses too. Even a video about a product or service has people behind the organisation and people it needs to reach, and understanding those relationships shapes the story. Luke sees the edit as just as important, bringing different moments and ideas together into something an audience can follow and feel part of. Luke counts that focus on people and storytelling among the company's greatest strengths.
From television adverts to documentaries
The company's work covers television adverts, brand films, corporate videos, product demonstrations, documentaries and social media content, which lets the team work with a wide range of businesses, brands and creative projects. Each format does a different job. A brand film may focus on the people, values and experiences behind a business, while a product demonstration has to explain something clearly and show its practical benefits. Documentary work can mean exploring real experiences, asking questions and letting a story emerge from the people involved, and social media content often has to land its message in a shorter format. For Luke, the challenge is to work out what each project needs to achieve and the best way to tell that story, with the focus on the intended audience and on what the finished video should make them feel or know.
YouNeek Productions can handle the whole process, from the earliest idea through filming and the final edit, so clients work with one team that develops a concept and carries it through to a finished film. Luke believes the job is about more than recording what happens in front of the camera: it is about finding the details, reactions and perspectives that make a story memorable. Having learned about narrative early through scriptwriting, he still sees storytelling as the foundation of good video production, whatever the format or technology.
A professional studio for West Midlands businesses
One of Luke and Kasia's biggest aims for the studio was to make professional video production easier to reach for businesses across the West Midlands. For some companies, commissioning high-quality video can mean travelling to major production centres or working with providers far from their own communities, and Luke wanted to show that businesses do not have to look to London for experienced creative people and the right facilities. The studio at Squab Hall Farm gives them a dedicated space for production work closer to home.
The location matters to the couple for another reason. Squab Hall Farm is home to a number of different businesses, which brings chances to connect and collaborate, and Luke and Kasia value being part of it. Community is important to them in their personal lives and in how they do business. Alongside the wider community at the farm, YouNeek Productions has built its own network of creative professionals, and the studio gives those relationships a place to keep growing. For local businesses, the company has put together services and packages to make video production more approachable, designed with founders, marketers and people just starting to explore video in mind. Luke wants businesses across the region to feel they have the expertise and creative space they need to bring their ideas to life, and he sees the studio as a contribution to the creative resources available in the West Midlands.
A creative community beyond the studio
Building a strong creative community has become one of the most rewarding parts of the business. Luke and Kasia believe good creative work depends on people sharing ideas, contributing their skills and supporting each other, and that belief has shaped their relationships with the wider production team and freelance crew. Those connections matter because production usually means different specialists working together to get a project made, and having people who enjoy collaborating and feel part of the business is worth a great deal to the company.
One moment stands out. YouNeek Productions organised an event for 25 members of its creative crew and team, a chance for Luke to bring together people who had worked on different parts of the business. What made it special was the effort people made to be there. Crew travelled from Devon, Gloucester, Leicester, Birmingham, Cheltenham and elsewhere, and despite the distances, everyone who had said they would come turned up. Realising the next day that nobody had dropped out was a proud moment for Luke, and it showed how strong the relationships around the company had become. It also reflected the values Luke and Kasia want YouNeek Productions to stand for, since putting people first and showing kindness guide how they treat colleagues as well as clients. Seeing people travel so far to spend time together told Luke the company had built a community of talented people who felt part of the business.
Supporting men's mental health
Alongside its commercial work, YouNeek Productions has used its creative skills to support causes in the local community, men's mental health in particular. The company made an original series that supported conversations around local men's mental health. For Luke, video can be a way to explore subjects people sometimes find hard to talk about, and telling real stories about real experiences and emotions can help audiences engage with important issues. Putting people first, in his view, means recognising that creative work can have a purpose beyond promoting a product or business: it can share experiences, encourage understanding and add to conversations that matter.
That support extends to the company's choice of clothing partner, a Rugby-based not-for-profit organisation that supports men's mental health. For Luke and Kasia, it is another way of lining the business up with causes and organisations they care about. The company is also involved with the South Warwickshire Fundraising Team (SWFT) and is part of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, which connects it with local organisations and businesses. For the company, community work is part of its creative identity rather than something separate from it, and Luke and Kasia want it to stay that way as the business grows.
What one video can do for a business
YouNeek Productions does not see creative storytelling and commercial results as competing priorities. A well-made video can connect with an audience and help a business meet practical goals at the same time. One encouraging example came from a compliance training company that used video content produced in the studio. According to the figures the client shared, the single video received 11,000 views on YouTube within three days and generated 187,000 impressions on LinkedIn, taking it to a wider professional audience. The client also reported 24 meetings, six proposals and a further eight opportunities under discussion.
Those figures were especially rewarding for the team because they showed what a focused video project can do. The work had not just looked good; it had led to activity that mattered to the client. Luke believes that is a big part of understanding what video can do for a business: good production has to put its message across clearly and reach the people it is meant for, and for a commercial organisation that can support its wider marketing and business development. The company's films have also drawn positive attention from people and organisations connected to major names in media and sport. Luke reports that its work has been noticed or commented on by Adidas, the BBC, motorsport racing teams and a writer and director associated with Netflix's Drive to Survive. The team finds that attention encouraging, but seeing clients get real results is still what it values most.
A year of recognition
Since the studio opened in October 2025, YouNeek Productions has had an exciting run of professional recognition. In 2026 it was named Videography Studio of the Year at the local business awards, which Luke and Kasia see as an important milestone because it reflects what went into building the studio and the business. The year has brought other achievements too. Luke has been a speaker at Ideas Fest, sharing his experience and views. The company has been shortlisted for the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the Creative and Media category for the West Midlands, with the awards due in November 2026, and it has received a European Technology Award in the Video Production category. For a business that began in 2013 while Luke was working full-time, these show how far it has come.
Even so, what Luke is proudest of is the everyday life he and Kasia have built through the business. Running a company that lets them work together and spend their time doing something they enjoy is one of the achievements that means the most. Awards are welcome, but they have never been the reason he runs YouNeek Productions; the business exists for the storytelling, the creativity and the relationships. Recognition is encouragement that those values are appreciated, and an acknowledgement of what it took to get here, from going full-time to overcoming the funding setback and opening the studio.
Winning Videography Studio of the Year in the West Midlands
Being named Videography Studio of the Year has meant a great deal to the company. For Luke, it is reassurance that the vision behind the business is reaching other people. He and Kasia have put a great deal of time, energy and determination into a studio that reflects their values and ambitions, and they appreciate that people believed in the company enough to vote for it. The recognition feels like confirmation that the difficult decisions involved in growing YouNeek Productions were worth making. It also supports the reason for building the studio: the couple wanted businesses to have professional video facilities and creative expertise without necessarily travelling to London, so recognition across the West Midlands is encouraging because it matches that regional ambition.
Luke also hopes the award will reach people who do not yet know about the studio or its services, and help potential customers and creative partners feel confident about finding out what the company can offer. He is clear, though, that YouNeek Productions is not driven by collecting awards, and the team does not chase recognition for its own sake. Its focus is on making good work, keeping strong relationships and building a company that reflects its values. When an award recognises that effort and supports the wider mission, Luke is happy to celebrate it, and Videography Studio of the Year is one of those. It adds credibility and backs his belief that professional creative work can thrive in the West Midlands. For a studio that began as a drawing on a piece of paper, it is a particularly special one.
What the award means for businesses looking for video production
The award gives YouNeek Productions a chance to introduce more businesses to the way it works. Choosing a video production company is a big decision, especially when the finished content will represent a brand, product or organisation. Businesses want to know that the people behind the cameras understand what they are trying to say, and that the production will be handled professionally from the first idea to the final edit. YouNeek Productions aims to give that reassurance through its experience, its facilities and its focus on storytelling. For Luke, the award strengthens the company's standing as a recognised provider of video production and photography services in the West Midlands, and it points to the value of having professional facilities in the region. Businesses thinking about video sometimes assume they need a provider in a larger creative centre, and Luke and Kasia want to show that experienced production teams and dedicated studio facilities are available closer to home.
The company's range, from television advertising and brand films to documentaries, corporate videos and social content, gives clients room to try different approaches depending on what they need to say. But the team believes the relationship matters as much as the equipment or the format. It wants customers to feel listened to and involved in the creative process, and understanding the people and purpose behind a project is central to how Luke tells a story. The award endorses both, gives potential customers another reason to consider the team, and encourages YouNeek Productions to keep improving its services.
A creative business built around family and community
For Luke, one of the most satisfying things about YouNeek Productions is that it lets him and Kasia work together on something they both believe in. Opening the studio and winning awards are important, but he takes particular pride in the everyday side of the business: spending their working lives on creative projects and building relationships with people who share their enthusiasm. From founding the company at 24 while raising a young son to going full-time in 2022, Luke's decisions have been shaped by wanting a fulfilling working life, and the studio has become an important part of that. It is designed to welcome businesses, creative professionals and anyone with an idea they want to bring to life.
Creating that space has helped Luke and Kasia strengthen the community around the business, and the couple value their relationships with crew, clients and local businesses enormously. The company stays connected to wider community work, including through the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and organisations supporting local causes. For Luke, the three values apply to how the company runs as much as to the films it makes. The couple hope the studio will keep giving businesses and creative professionals chances to work together, and keeping its welcoming atmosphere matters to them as the company develops. Success, for them, is not only about the number of projects completed or awards won. It is also about a business people enjoy being part of, and one that lets Luke and Kasia keep doing work they love.
A shared achievement
The award is also a chance to recognise the many people who have helped YouNeek Productions get here. For Luke, Kasia's support has been especially important, from handling the pressures of growth to deciding to go ahead with the studio after the grant application was rejected. Their shared determination turned a long-held idea into a creative space, and being able to share the achievement with his wife makes it mean more to him. The business also relies on a wider network of creative professionals whose skills and dedication go into its projects. The crew event attended by 25 people is still one of Luke's proudest memories, because people travelling from different parts of the country to be together showed that the company had built a community that reached beyond individual shoots.
There is gratitude, too, for the customers and partners who have trusted YouNeek Productions with their stories, products and brands. Every project is a chance to understand a new organisation, explore different ideas and make something with impact, and for Luke, being trusted with that is central to how much he enjoys the work. Mentors and people with complementary business skills have also helped, especially through the difficult financial periods. The award recognises the relationships, determination and teamwork that took the business from its start in 2013 to the studio it runs today.
From Luke's early experience in television scriptwriting to starting the business at 24, going full-time and opening a studio with Kasia in October 2025, YouNeek Productions has grown around the belief that good stories deserve to be told well. It now has a creative community, a professional studio, recognition for its work and a clear aim of making video production easier to reach in the West Midlands. For Luke and Kasia, the purpose behind the business has not changed: putting people first, showing kindness and using creativity to tell stories that connect.