What gives video and film content lasting impact? Is it the message behind the method, the production equipment used, or the unique approaches of its creators? For the talented duo behind SW Productions, it’s all three – they bring years of passion and artistry to the fore, creating stories that emotionally resonate through out-of-the box production.
Like with all new clients of Lease Loop, we took the time to get to know who they are, where they’ve been, and where they’re going – and SW have travelled far, both physically and figuratively.
Introducing SW Productions
Based in Devon and serving clients across the south west and London, SW Productions specialise in impactful visual storytelling through cinematography and filmmaking. Led by old friends turned business partners Tom Waller and Mark Sumner, they produce a range of video styles, including…
- Documentaries
- Brand content
- Events and music content
- Social media
Whether they’re bringing their original production style to a client’s brief or pursuing their own personal interests, Tom and Mark always prioritise projects that match their values, and have an environmental, social, or cultural resonance. We sat down with Tom to go behind the lens of their story…
What’s the origin story behind SW Productions?
Tom: Mark and I actually went to the same primary school but didn’t really become friends until our late teens. I’m originally from Plymouth but spent a large part of my childhood in Hawaii. I must’ve been about 16 when I first found love for the camera, capturing the waves and surfers, of which there were plenty in Hawaii. I took this passion back to the UK and studied Film and Television at Falmouth University.
Mark’s background is in photography and he has been the co-owner of his family run business, Sumner Studios, since 2018. During the 2020 lockdown, Mark’s business and photography brain collided with my videography in an unexpected way after getting on the streets and capturing the Black Lives Matter protests.
People resonated with what we documented, it got shared around, and next thing you know we were in the local paper. This led to a flurry of business enquiries and SW Productions was born! To have a passion project flourish into a business venture was amazing, and while there have been struggles along the way, we’ve stuck with it and are proud of where we are today.
What sets your approach apart?
When we’re not working on self-made projects, we always try to partner with brands that align with our ethics. Our main focus is to make productions that leave a lasting impression and make an impact, whether that’s around sustainability, social action, or music.
Client relationships are an important part of our approach. It’s more than providing a service – we need to collaborate with the brand rather than work to a black and white brief. That’s good for them, because they can be involved in the output along the way, and good for us to be learning from the brand to produce the most authentic and emotionally resonant video content in line with their mission.
When we’re shooting on site, we take the time to really absorb that environment to get a true feel of where we are and what that represents. It’s one of the best and most important parts of the job.
Tell us about some past projects you’re proud of
“The Floater” – Surfers Against Sewage
We collaborated with a marketing agency to deliver a campaign video that brought together my love for surfing and passion for sustainability. Essentially, we produced a video centred around a surf board made out of faeces, which formed part of a wider narrative about pollution in seas and rivers – essentially, we told water companies to sort their sh*t out, pun intended.
Hospitality on the Beach
We were invited back to the flagship music festival of one of my favourite record labels, Hospital Records. We had a lot of fun creating video content in Tisno, Croatia, experimenting with different ideas for social, using 360° cameras and getting the DJs and fans involved with the content.
Resonance Beyond Borders: The Sounds of Ukraine
This is an ongoing project about music, strength, and unity – centering around four Ukrainian DJs who came to the UK to raise money for their friends fighting on the frontline. The documentary tells their story and how they’ve used music to navigate what they’ve gone through – and are still going through. We took the documentary to Lviv recently for a special screening as part of the Hospitality x SOU event alongside associated artists. Mark went to connect with the real people behind Ukraine’s DnB scene, from ravers to frontline fighters, and partied alongside 600 people at the biggest drum and bass event in Lviv since the war began.
Tell us about the tech you use
Mark is a qualified drone pilot and is fascinated by the tech. He grabbed this by the wings when we started SW Productions and we now have three drones as part of our kit. I personally love the Sony FX 3 camera we’re using at the moment. It’s so powerful for its size, it’s a proper workhorse, and its pitch quality is unmatched to other entry-level cameras.
In terms of Macs, we’ve recently taken on the newest Macbook Pro from Lease Loop. Before this we just had an iMac and another of our own Macbooks. In the last few months we’ve gone Limited with SW so it’s helped open doors to leasing equipment. Our old iMac couldn’t keep up with high quality footage which slowed our workflow down and projects were getting backed up – that’s what drove our need for Lease Loop.
Tell us about your relationship with Lease Loop
I think we asked ChatGPT for leasing options and found Lease Loop that way! When our iMac stopped performing, Apple said they’d only take £200. We tried selling it elsewhere and ended up getting £600 for it. After this, we really didn’t like the idea of something becoming unfit for purpose and almost worthless compared to its RRP after 2 years – this is what happens with intense workflows like video editing.
When we connected with James at Lease Loop we really liked the option of being able to trade in the Mac for a new plan or buy it back at the end. We entered into the lease in April 2025 and so far we’ve found James super easy to communicate with and really helpful when it comes to any questions about leasing.
Any projects in the making you’d like to highlight?
We’re currently working on a documentary called The Truth Behind Inquests. This is completely self-funded and we’re coming to the end of filming at the moment. The theme is around unexplained deaths and the inquiries that follow. When the press gets hold of details from the coroner, deeply personal information and damaging headlines are spread like wildfire, which can and does have devastating effects on the families. Find out more about this and stay tuned via the Instagram page and website.
Video production with passion and purpose
We’re really pleased to be helping SW Productions power their vision forward. The best art is created when it comes from the heart – Tom and Mark have combined business with passion and social purpose in a way that others in the industry will surely be enviable of. Huge thanks to Tom for giving us your time!
Meanwhile, if you’d like to know more about how our flexible leasing solutions help power the operations behind your business, get in touch here and let’s have a chat about your needs.