Affinity Media, Newcastle upon Tyne (2025)

29/03/2025

This is Newcastle United ❤️
This is our future ⚫️⚪️

After 70 years, Newcastle United re-write their history.

Highlights from the 2025 Carabao Cup trophy parade on 29.03.25

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Video by Affinity Media
Lead producer: Benjamin Michael Smith

29/01/2025

We managed to take the drone for a spin whilst out on a shoot in Oldham last year.

We had the perfect combo of a bright sunny day that had immediately followed a downpour of snow the day before we arrived. The hills were topped with snow, and there was barely a cloud in the sky! 🌤️

20/12/2024

Our team for 2025! ❤️🙌

The past 18 months have been absolutely MENTAL. Here's how it went:

📆 August 2023 (last year)

I took a leap of faith in the business and hired my first employee. Ben joined me as a video editor and within about 3 hours of starting, was immediately an integral part of the business.

I think my brain would have exploded if Ben hadn't joined when he did. I was overworking an insane amount just to juggle and meet deadlines (and failing) and working 18hr days like they were the norm.

📆 September 2023

While helping clients build out their content and YouTube channels, I decided to put as much focus into my own channels as possible. People tend not to listen to your advice when everything you're saying is in theory.

📆 December 2023

My incredible girlfriend Layla joined part-time to help with content management. We were producing so much content that managing it all became impossible. She's been a huge part of our Affinity Racing channel hitting 2K subs within 18 months.

📆 July 2024

I decided I was going to go 'all in' on this thing called business. This year has been a game-changer and saw a complete mindset shift. No more worrying about how ridiculous my business plans and ideas sound, just full focus on actually executing them. Alongside that came the decision to start a 'personal brand' so that I can fully document my journey.

📆 December 2024

I properly met Johno and somehow managed to convince him to join us (albeit part-time for now!) focusing on our marketing and personal branding content. Johno has huge experience with his own YouTube channels, and he's already been a huge help in shaping our strategies and ideas for the future 💡

Johno will still be freelancing alongside Affinity Media, with his focus and passion in combat sports photography (working with some UFC fighters no less!)

We've worked on some of our biggest projects to date this year, can't wait to see what we can put together in 2025 🙌

I'll still be putting a few posts out across social media, but as a business, we wrap things up this afternoon, and return in January.

Hope everyone has a great Christmas. See you all the other side 👋

02/12/2024

Some stills from our Christmas short-film that we launched yesterday!

Over the moon with how this project turned out. We spent £2k of our own money to put this one together, but couldn’t be happier with the final video.

You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/qdOzN870mDg?si=2DlmBFH0bJNd2LZE

Connor Graham sent me this incredible song a couple months back, and we just knew it needed this video to go with it. 3 weeks of planning, 2 x 12hr days filming, 14 scenes and over 200 clips of footage.

01/12/2024

🙏 Please share this Christmas 🙏

Introducing our brand new Christmas short film.
Music written and performed by Connor Graham

Whilst this may be the season of joy, it can be the season of sorrow for so many. Be generous, be kind, give love.

Just one minute could make a difference.

All proceeds from this song will be donated to Mind. Helping to "make sure everyone can be there for Christmas, this year, next year and for many Christmases to come."

Please show your support and donate wherever possible.
Be sure to stream the song on your chosen platforms and help raise as much money and awareness as possible for such an incredible cause.

DONATE HERE: https://www.justgiving.com/page/oneminutesong?newPage=true

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Credits:

Music: Connor Graham
Video: Affinity Media
Audio: Kyle Martin
Filmed by: David Winter & Benjamin Michael Smith
Edited by: David Winter & Benjamin Michael Smith
Set design: Layla Patrickson
Wife/Mother: Lucy Walton
Daughter: Evie Armstrong
Husband/Dad: Benjamin Michael Smith
Photography: Johno Ramsay

01/12/2024

🚨 UPDATE 🚨

We are VERY EXCITED to share our new rebrand! 🤩

This has been on the cards for a while. I started Winter Media unofficially more than 10 years ago, making the odd promo videos for local bands and musicians, as well as myself.

6 years ago, I took the dive into freelancing full-time with no real idea on how to run a business. 6 years later, I've worked with brands and businesses I'd never have imagined was even possible, including the BBC and even our very own NHS, and created videos that have been seen across most parts of the world.

As we build ourselves a great little team, it made sense to have a brand that wasn't just 'me'.

We want to take our productions to a new level, and ensure we have premium content and amazing storytelling at the forefront of everything we do.

Introducing... Affinity Media!

28/03/2024

We did it! 💪

Another YouTube channel monetised 🎉🥳

(Affinity Racing is one of our brands within the Affinity Media Group.)

A lot of people aim to reach this point with their YouTube channel, because they think the money starts rolling in immediately

❌ I've never launched a YouTube channel with the pure hope and goal being monetisation.

💰 In fact, my main goal is the channel earns enough revenue to cover its own costs

Why? Because I want to build real-world businesses and brands. YouTube channels and social media content are what build the brand itself, and build an audience connection. They generate awareness, leads, and sales. If you have a marketing machine that essentially runs for free, that is waaaaay more beneficial than pocketing a few hundred quid a month from ad revenue.

There are so many businesses that will tie into Affinity Racing over the next 5-10 years and more. I'd love to open go-karting tracks, sim-racing competitions, car and motorsport events, and who knows, we may even have our own motorsport team down the line.

Onwards and upwards for a channel that was essentially born out of boredom during lockdown! 😅

04/01/2024

Here's how I plan to make more than 1,500 videos in 2024! ⤵

1️⃣ My drum channel 🥁

1 x weekly 'Albums in 60 seconds' drum covers: 52 videos
3 x weekly social media clips and gig highlights: 156 videos
1 x bi-weekly livestreams: 26 videos
3 x weekly review/reactions: 156 videos

📊 Total for drum channel: 390 videos this year

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2️⃣ Affinity Racing 🏎️🎮

1 x weekly livestreams: 52 videos
3 x weekly episodes (reviews, reactions, races): 156 videos
1 x daily YouTube shorts: 365 videos
3 x reaction or review videos for each Formula one race (23 races): 69 videos

📊 Total for Affinity Racing: 642 videos this year

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3️⃣ My personal brand (slight ick saying that phrase)

1 x weekly videos documenting my business journey: 52 videos
1 x weekly podcast episodes, advising business owners on their own content marketing: 52 videos
3 x weekly social media clips and highlights: 156 videos

📊 Total for my personal brand: 260 videos this year

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4️⃣ And lastly, Winter Media:

For client projects alone, we'll probably complete around 60 projects this year. Most projects average around 3 final videos: 180 videos

1 x weekly video for our own marketing: 52 videos

📊 Total for Winter Media: 232 videos this year

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Of course, there'll be some weeks that don't go entirely to plan, but overall, this is definitely what we're aiming for!

Creating consistent content is incredibly difficult. It's easy to 'fall off' and see months disappear. Over the years, I've had this happen so often (often known as the freelancer's curse, or 'feast and famine') but as we start to build the foundations of an awesome team at Affinity Media Group, I fully expect to see our content capabilities and capacity grow... and this is just the beginning! 💪

Affinity Media

29/03/2025

29/01/2025

20/12/2024

02/12/2024

01/12/2024

01/12/2024

28/03/2024

04/01/2024

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