From mechanic to movie maker, Tom tells his tale at PDF Local Legends

Plymouth Design Forum’s (PDF) ‘Local Legends’ event on March 30th, was another successful night for the city’s burgeoning creative community.

Sponsored by the UK’s premier paper company, G.F Smith, and held at The Roundabout, the event had over 70 people in attendance, listening to the stories of two amazing speakers, Tom Carder from Tom Carder Media, part of the city’s emerging creative talent, and Owen Jones founder of Upshot, one of the more established design agencies in Plymouth.

Like many kids at school, Tom wasn’t sure about his career direction and found himself working as an apprentice mechanic. Whilst this avenue gave Tom a certain sense of purpose, he couldn’t get away from a feeling of being unfulfilled. But it wasn’t until Tom took some time out to go travelling abroad that his eyes were opened to the world of photography and videography and, with the purchase of some half-decent kit and the mentorship of an experienced hand, Tom’s journey to producing amazing still and moving images began.

But just as Tom’s new-found skills and momentum were starting to build, cue the Covid pandemic and an uncertain time for everyone. Tom found himself having to motivate himself with self-initiated projects in order to keep himself busy and keep his dream of being part of the creative industry alive. Fast forward three years and Tom Carder Media is now an established part of PDF’s vibrant and growing creative community, working on incredible projects for the likes of Jabulani Coffee, Plymouth Charity Trust and Drift Energy Sail GP. Tom’s presentation showed that hard work, a determination to follow a passion, and a willingness to learn are the true trademarks of success (a glowing, unprompted testimonial from one of Tom’s clients in the Q&A confirmed this!) and this was an all-round inspiring story for everyone in the room.

Photography Luke Frost | Calum Campbell-Coles

“A massive part of my business is to capture stories. However, as part of the latest Plymouth Design Forum – PDF Local Legends event, I took to the stage to tell my own. This was an incredible milestone for the business and I feel inspired to keep working and supporting the wider creative community here in Plymouth and beyond.”

— Tom Carder

Watch Tom’s latest showreel here

We always champion creativity and innovation as much as we do resilience and determination. These are the traits of many solopreneurs and small businesses because we are the underbelly of local communities and the heart that keeps all our businesses flourishing with ideas and storytelling. We feel it’s so important to champion local talent and show the world what our thriving city has to offer.

All are welcome to join us and our creativity community at Plymouth Design Forum (PDF). Hope to see you at the next one!