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Manchester-based video producer, visual storyteller, and creative problem-solver for businesses, brands and creators in Manchester and across the UK.
Most videographers come straight from film school or college. I came from two decades of experience as a senior business leader, commercial director, and recruiter. Boardrooms, P&Ls, sales targets, difficult clients. The lot.
Which means when you talk to me about what you need, I'm not just thinking about the shot list. I’m thinking about what this needs to do for your business.
"If the content isn't delivering measurable results aligned with your business objectives, it's failed. I learned that the hard way, so my clients don't have to."
I'm Ian Bentley Ridgeway, a Manchester-based video producer and creative director with seven years of experience making content that actually does something. Not just looks nice - actually achieves something. Moves people. Sells products. Generates enquiries. Builds trust. Changes minds.
I started Bentley Studios Manchester because I was tired of seeing brands settle for safe, forgettable video. The brief-to-screen process shouldn't feel like a bureaucratic grind - it should feel collaborative, exciting, and precise.Manchester is more than a postcode. It's a creative ecosystem with genuine edge - and it shapes everything from the way I shoot to the clients I choose to work with.
Senior leadership, commercial direction, recruitment and training. Real deadlines, real budgets, real consequences. I understand what it means to invest in something and need it to work. That perspective doesn't leave you.
Or I found it. Either way, I've spent the last several years producing corporate films, social content, livestreams, podcasts and shoppable video for businesses across the North West — and I've never stopped thinking like a commercial director while doing it.
You get someone who can hold a camera and read a balance sheet. Who cares about the brief as much as the grade. Who won't disappear after delivery and call it done. The work only counts if it does something.
Based in Manchester, working across the North West. Small enough to be genuinely responsive. Experienced enough to not need hand-holding. One person, fully accountable, on every job.
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Certified in video design. Not just experienced — formally qualified in the tools of the trade.
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Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. The business head behind the creative work isn't accidental.
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Formally qualified to teach. Which means I'm good at explaining things clearly and making sure you actually understand what you're getting.
Corporate films, social content, events, podcasts, livestreams and shoppable video. End-to-end production, not just shooting.
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Senior leadership, commercial direction and recruitment across two decades. The ROI conversation is never awkward.
AR content and shoppable video experiences for brands that want to do something the competition hasn't thought of yet.
I drink far too much coffee than is good for me and do most of my best thinking in the shower. I even have a pen that writes on the glass for the epiphanies. Yes, really.
I'm a massive gadget geek — ZX81 era, if that tells you anything about the vintage — and a committed Apple fanboy. I can spot a spelling mistake at 100 metres. Clients tend to find this either reassuring or slightly unnerving. Usually both.
I'm easy to work with and fiercely loyal. I value honesty and creativity in equal measure. I take the work seriously without taking myself too seriously.
My business card says Digital Media Producer. Whatever that actually means.
Every frame is considered. Every cut is intentional. I'm not just pointing a camera — I'm making decisions that affect how a brand is perceived, in line with the brief and business objectives.
No jargon, no bloated proposals, no disappearing after the brief. Clear and direct communication from first call to final delivery. One person, accountable, present.
My name is on the work, but the best results come from genuine partnership with my clients. It's not about executing instructions — it's understanding both the commercial and creative processes, and bringing them together.
Projects Delivered
Clients Across 6 Industries
Based in Manchester
I work across video production, photography, augmented reality, livestreaming, social commerce, podcast production, BTS, YouTube content and drones. Every service is offered as a standalone or as part of a joined-up creative package.
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"I love my work. It's hard work, but there's no better feeling than when a project is completed, and the piece delivers — and keeps on delivering — for the client. That is a true thrill. That's what I get out of bed for in the morning."
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