Introduction
Valleystream Cultural Media Nant y Dyffryn was established from an artistic concept of aspiring to explore and produce a wide variety of creative material, both for project and commercial design. Working with various formats and mediums within the audio-visual world, a much wider spring board for opportunity exists, enabling us to develop into more diverse areas of producing and publishing for both Cymru and around the UK.

With over 30 years business and artistic experience behind us - working in the medium of motion film, digital video, audio recording, photo-imaging, written text, research, collective heritage archive, marketing and promotions - ValleyStream provides a highly flexible environment, establishing projects and created objectives in house, developing and delivering ideas commercially or for important heritage projects and special interest documentaries.

ValleyStream's workbench also provides ground-level opportunities as a training platform for nurturing imaginative individuals, mainly from Cymru but occasionally from further afield such as the Basque region of Spain: people wishing to gain work experience and obtain proven evidence in the field of media, such as good friends Dyfed and Ebai, two individuals dedicated to their role, who appreciated and understood the Producer and ValleyStream - excellent guys to work alongside. Dyfed set the bench mark for others to follow.




A Brief Background
In 1988 an amateur audio-recording suite was initially developed at Glyntwrog House, Betws y Coed, and it was from there ValleyStream Media would established itself as a workbench for production and publications. In 1992 a company was formed on a professional basis by artisan producer Stef. A year later, a broadcast digital video edit-suite was commissioned and a visual studios was under development.

ValleyStream soon became recommended by companies like FAST Electronics Germany for training DT Video editors from organizations such as Amethyst TV, and public sector like Devon Fire Brigade and Bolton General Hospital.  They post-produced the first History of London video for DVH Productions Birmingham, supplying WH Smith's London, which became a best seller in the mid 1990s. Providing a wide range of media services and production facilities, offering the latest technology, the company soon began taking in clients from both the business and private sectors from around the UK.





Distribution
As a distributor ValleyStream was supplying titles to a network of over 400 retail outlets, including WH Smith's, Sainsbury's, Tesco's, Safeway's, Waterstone's, Bookland's, Ottakar's, etc, to schools, and offering titles in over 40 magazines/newspapers (such as Yachting World and Farmers Weekly) and to 2000 repeat customers throughout the UK, Japan, Australia and USA. Several local productions became best sellers, outselling Matrix and Harry Potter in regional WH Smith's.

Studio Re-Location & National Heritage Work
In 1998 ValleyStream Studios relocated several miles away further up the Conwy Valley to concentrate on important heritage preservation projects for Cymru and throughout the UK.

 

 

 

 

Company Productions, Projects & Activities
Whether producing TV documentaries, children's educational DVDs or working with RAF fast jets, the company is extremely diverse and today recognised for its important heritage work and archival collections. One example - in 2002 ValleyStream launched The Alexander Film Archive, instantly becoming a nationally recognised film discovery of great social importance, reaching tabloids newspapers like The Times and covered by TV shows like C4 Richard and Judy. Several TV documentaries were produced with the BBC: a 3-part mini-series plus a landmark one-off TV documentary. The Alexanders was nominated for a Royal TV Society Award for best regional programme, coming runner-up to Granada.

Others examples include: 16mm film telecine transfer/archiving for the Tibetan Foundation, London; and after several years development The Gwilym Davies Aerial Photographic Collection was released. Also VS published best sellers such as "Shades from the Sky" and DVD 'The Mabinogion', the first time visually printed in motion picture and released to the public, according to the National Library of Wales, who requested the first deposit.

Sgrincrefft /Screencraft, the companies cultural a/v media presentations unit, was launched in 2004, promoting Welsh culture across Cymru.  2006 saw two new important heritage projects which are now generating world wide attention:
The Romani Cymru Project - Wales's first Romany research-archival and language initiative, assisting the preservation of Cymru's Kale and Romani Culture. Also The UK Vardo Project - the only research-archival initiative of its kind, which has the world's largest Romani Vardo internet site: www.gypsywaggons.co.uk . The website commands over 10 million visits yearly. Both are unique-landmark projects solely sponsored by Valleystream, helping to save a slice of our fast disappearing Romani heritage.

Also of interest - in 2006 a limited edition rare recording of BBC's "Romany" George Bramwell Evens was released on CD. In 2007 ValleyStream released Eldra on DVD - S4C's award-winning (BAFTA) film to promote Welsh Romani Heritage. 2008 saw 3 new web cast video channels on YouTube - UKWebcast being the main channel. Also the companies home website still seems popular too, exceeding 1 million visits a year.

Philosophy
For the past decade ValleyStream has been dedicated to important heritage work, especially for Cymru. including electronic archiving via digital filming and audio recording for future generations, whilst mainstream publishing and producing still remains a key studio element. These activities are often assisted by experts, historians in their field and keen volunteers.

The Cynic - Unfortunately our world is a resentful place and naturally any success attracts personal and professional resentment, every company has its green-eyed cynics and were no exception. Unavoidably over the years Valleystream has come across the occasional character - predictable to all. What matters most is Valleystream Media is allowed the freedom to carry on its important preservation work - unhindered. Working alongside genuine people and friends, who sincerely appreciate the company and production teams efforts. Greatly supported locally and nationally by many organisations and individuals from around the UK. Any cynic quietly ruffled by ValleyStream's genuine activities obviously has possessive or failing career issues. People we wish to give a wide berth.

The Future -The Media industry today has a dire reputation, however the reality is, far more media people carry out good work. If any image Valleystream portrays is simply - commercial media? this imprint is far from the truth. From the outset, the sole intention of  Producer Stef and his companies work is that eventually Valleystream library collections, archives and many other copyright works will be donated to the National Library of  Wales for the benefit of our future generations. Few can say they will be donating a lifetimes work to a good cause.

Stay focused but not on us.
Metta brava - keep peaceful.

 

For my two fathers Gordon "Bomber"  Bate & Thomas "Bos" Challoner who sadly we lost the same days 12 months apart
January 2005 & 2006.  Also our good cameraman friend Gwilym Davies February 2007 - Om mani hum.

Stef Mira Jamie Kevin and VS Team

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