Some Creative Works members arrive with a business idea and build it up over time. Others come here with decades of experience and use the space as a springboard for their next chapter. Elliott Cranmer sits firmly in the latter camp. As Founder and Managing Director of ShootMedia, Elliott has been part of the Creative Works community since December 2018, making him one of our longest-standing members. An award-winning filmmaker with a background in broadcast journalism, Elliott runs a hybrid, remote-first business that still relies on a strong physical base. Creative Works provides that base. For Elliott, the value lies in how the space supports the practical realities of running a modern production company, from robust technical infrastructure to day-to-day interaction with other business owners. His experience shows how the right working environment can consistently support high-quality creative output over many years.
Authentic Storytelling as a Business Philosophy
ShootMedia is a video production and content marketing company delivering everything from ongoing brand content to TV commercials, PR films, documentaries, and live events. What sets this business apart, however, is its approach. Elliott describes ShootMedia as a pioneer of authentic content, guided by the principle that “authentic content is a strategy, not a style”.
Elliott’s approach is rooted in his earlier career in journalism, where he worked with ITV and Channel 5. Instead of chasing visual trends or surface-level polish, he brings a journalistic mindset to brand storytelling. The focus has always been on substance, clarity, and truth. This philosophy has shaped ShootMedia for over 20 years and continues to resonate with clients, who value credibility as much as creativity. In an increasingly AI-driven world, this approach is proving far from obsolete—in fact, it is one of the reasons clients come to ShootMedia, reaffirming the enduring value at the core of why they started.
The quality of Shoot Media’s work is reflected in the official recognition it has received. Shoot Media has won Cannes Lions and LIA awards, yet the achievement Elliott values most is having their content archived by the British Film Institute. Their films now sit in the BFI’s National Film Archive, preserved as culturally relevant material. Having visited the archive and seen the work stored there, Elliott describes it as genuine peer recognition and a career-defining moment.
A Working Model Built on Flexibility
ShootMedia has long been structured to respond to change, but the pandemic put that model to the test. Client demand changed, the core team became smaller, and remote and hybrid working became the norm. Throughout this period, Creative Works remained the operational base, with freelancers collaborating both on-site and remotely.
Elliott works from a Flexible Bay (with movable partitions), a setup that suits a business with evolving needs. Servers run directly from Creative Works, allowing the team to dial in remotely while maintaining studio-level capability. This level of technical support was one of the aspects of Creative Works that set it apart for Elliott: “We’d specifically checked out other shared office spaces, with regards to infrastructure, and Creative Works actually turned out to be the only one that could handle our requirements.”
What Elliott values most is that Creative Works does not simply claim to be flexible—it demonstrates it. Few workspaces genuinely support businesses operating across home, studio, and client sites with the same ease. At Creative Works, flexibility is woven into the very fabric of the space—from the physical layout to the way the community operates. The open-plan design encourages interaction without feeling imposed, the infrastructure accommodates complex technical needs, and the culture supports members working across home, studio, and client locations with equal ease. This seamless adaptability has allowed Shoot Media to grow steadily, confident that its base can evolve with it, without the disruption of relocating every few years.
When Conversations Spark Collaboration
Elliott sees real value in the informal exchanges encouraged by the open-plan layout at Creative Works. Conversations between small business owners often lead to a sharing of knowledge, ideas, or simply reassurance that others are facing similar challenges.
Collaboration for Elliott has also developed organically. A standout example is his work with fellow member James Gilmore on an 8K film project for Tottenham Hotspur—an opportunity that arose simply because they shared the same environment. James manages Polka, a colour grading and finishing post-production studio (that also runs out of Creative Works).
The infrastructure at Creative Works is equally important. Meeting rooms provide ShootMedia with the space to expand production capacity, host client calls, and run conferences whenever needed. Reception support adds a sense of professionalism, which clients notice and appreciate when visiting Creative Works. Even social initiatives, such as the Thursday Breakfast Club, are valued by Elliott as touchpoints that strengthen the wider community (even when his work patterns prevent him from attending).
After more than six years at Creative Works, it is clear that the space has become more than just a workplace for Elliott and ShootMedia. It provides the flexibility to work in a hybrid model, the infrastructure to manage complex productions, and the human connections to generate ideas. In combination, these elements create an environment where creativity can thrive, and work can make a real, lasting impact.
