2020 is sooooo last year! - EatSleep Media looks to the future with new signings

Having quickly come to the conclusion we’re all well shot of 2020, EatSleep Media, the production company behind online offerings including FC Cymru and Welsh Sports Insider, is heading full-tilt at the new year with two new signings and ambitious new projects.

Cardiff-born Rachel Jones, a graduate of Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Sport Broadcast masters course, joins us as our second full-time videographer and brings with her passion, enthusiasm, experience of producing live sports coverage and a mild addiction to strong coffee.

“I’m really excited to be joining EatSleep Media. I didn’t hesitate when they offered me the opportunity and I’m looking forward to working on some of their great projects next year,” said Rachel, who took up her post at the start of January.

Megan Feringa sounds like, and unfortunately is, an American! But she left her home in New Orleans to study International Journalism at Cardiff University and fell in love with Wales after involuntarily bursting into tears at the sound of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau at the Wales versus Hungary Euro 2020 qualifier at the Cardiff City Stadium. She also has the kind of sports knowledge to challenge any pub quiz team and a thirst for more!

“I spent some time with EatSleep Media on work experience before the first lockdown and thought ‘these guys are a bit weird!’ But I love their passion for what they do and how they do it. I’ve already learned so much, including some new English and Welsh words, and can’t wait to get started,” said Megan.

Both Rachel and Megan were tasked with shooting and editing their own ‘new signing’ videos to mark their start with ESM!

Laurence Mora is the Creative Director at EatSleep Media:

“We’re absolutely delighted Rachel and Megan have agreed to join us at EatSleep Media. Both of them demonstrate the sort of passion, enthusiasm and ideas we want from our team, as well as bringing new skills and perspectives we’re always looking for.

“We’ve got some great plans for 2021 with, hopefully, the delayed Euro 2020 Championships and the Olympics to come. But we’ll also be expanding our focus outside of sport as we believe the human interest values which make up the very fabric of our sports content can work in any sector.”

Rachel becomes ESM’s second full-time videographer thanks in part to a business development grant from Business Wales secured last year.

She’ll be working across established productions including online magazine-style programme FC Cymru, produced in partnership with the Football Association of Wales, and Welsh Sport Insider, a Sport Wales brand which promotes the benefits of lottery funding for sport across the country.

She’ll also work on ESM’s newest major project, Ballers, which showcases the very best of women’s football across the UK, from the elite level Barclays FA Women’s Super League right down to grassroots level.

Ballers has been developed in partnership with Cardiff University’s Data Innovation Accelerator which helps companies in Wales to better use their data.

ESM work with DIA’s data experts to research the Ballers target audience of girls aged 16-24, developing a better understanding of  the content they were interested in and where it was coming from.

Megan will be working across the company’s social media channels and providing content for ESM’s Welsh Football Fans website.

She’ll also be working on Ballers as well as developing her on-screen and behind the camera skills.

“2020 was, let’s be honest, pretty bloody awful for so many people and in so many ways, and we’re well shot of it,” said Daniel Harris, Commercial Director of EatSleep Media.

“This year we wanted to be in the position to capitalise on the growth in business and new opportunities we’ve been seeing over the past six months, and to continue to invest in the in-house projects, like Ballers, which are key aspects of what we want to achieve as a company.

During the pandemic ESM adapted to deliver more live-streamed and self-shot content for our partners; interviewing and even directing shoots via Zoom. 

We produced the #BeActiveWales home workout series for Sport Wales featuring, among others, Winter Olympian and Commonwealth Games athlete Mica Moore.