Introducing our Creative Director
Paul Banks
My love of filmmaking started early. When I was four, Star Wars captivated me, and I was hooked. My dad had an 8mm cine camera and projector, and I was obsessed. Whenever the camera came out on holidays or social occasions, I wanted to be the one behind the lens. By my teenage years, I was already making my own short films.
At the same time, music became a huge part of my life. I started learning guitar and writing songs at 11, when I met my longtime bandmate and writing partner, Rick Witter. By 19, we had signed a major record deal with Polydor (Universal Music) with our band, Shed Seven. The band went on to have 14 Top 40 singles, four Top 20 albums, and became a key part of the Britpop movement.
Even while touring the world, my passion for film never faded. Whenever we played TV shows like Top of the Pops, while the rest of the band were in the bar, I’d be in the studio, fascinated by the production process. I was hands-on with our music videos and always had a camera in my hand, documenting life on the road.
In 2000, I briefly stepped away from Shed Seven and took my love for film to the next level. I began working in educational filmmaking, producing my first feature-length documentary in 2001 about the charitable work of Future Prospects, an adult education centre in York. That led me to working with excluded young people, using filmmaking as a tool for self-expression, and later with a leading homelessness charity, work that won me an award.
The birth of a creative production company
In 2007, Digifish was founded when I realised that to take things to the next level, I needed to build a team of like-minded creatives. The company grew rapidly, originally working with universities, colleges, and heritage organisations. In those early years, I filmed numerous projects all over the UK, including inside a prison, produced a 60-minute feature on the Cold War (which had a limited cinema run), and shot at sea with an offshore training company.
Things were getting exciting, it was right at the start of a major shift in the industry, as filmmaking became more affordable for companies, education, and beyond. We were right there at the heart of the digital filmmaking explosion.
One of the most important projects I’ve worked on came in 2008 when I filmed over 30 in-depth survivor testimonies for The Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association. These interviews are now permanently housed at the Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre in Huddersfield.
I found this project deeply moving and inspirational. Meeting these survivors taught me a lot, and their stories left a lasting impact on me. It’s an experience I will always carry with me.
Meanwhile, in 2007, Shed Seven reunited for a sold-out UK tour. Social media and YouTube were just emerging, so I created a teaser trailer for the tour announcement. It racked up over 60,000 views in the first few hours, something bands just didn’t do back then. That success led to commissions from SJM Concerts, the UK’s biggest music promoter, to produce similar content for artists like Madness, JLS, Gary Barlow, and Fatboy Slim.
It also introduced me to The Script in 2010. They loved my work so much that they invited me on tour. What started as a three-day project turned into three years. I travelled the world with them multiple times, producing a full-length documentary that went to No. 1 in the DVD charts, two music videos (one of which has over 128 million views on YouTube), and directing a Sony TV commercial in New York and London.
As part of my work with The Script, I directed a Sony TV commercial featuring the band. Shot in both New York and London with a crew of over 25 people, the advert was designed to showcase Sony’s latest headphones while capturing the energy and personality of the band. It was a high-profile project that further solidified my experience in commercial filmmaking, blending music, storytelling, and brand messaging in a visually compelling way.
Following my TV commercial for Sony, we began working with major brands like Coca-Cola, COSTA, Dolby, Schweppes, The North Face, and Ryvita. Our work has been broadcast on Sky TV and the BBC, including content for The Voice UK.
By 2013, Digifish was firmly established as one of the UK’s leading film and animation companies, working across education, heritage, corporate, music, and charity sectors. We had also expanded into healthcare and the NHS, producing powerful films for vital causes.
At the core of Digifish is education. I’m proud to have worked with Russell Group universities, schools, and colleges across the UK, directing hundreds of promotional films, animations, and digital content. I’ve probably filmed over 1,000 talking-head interviews in my career.
In 2015, Digifish moved into its own dedicated creative space, our three-story Georgian building in York, which we restored and renovated. Around this time, the influencer and reality TV boom took off, and we collaborated with Mark Hill Hair for several years, working with major reality TV names like Gemma Collins and Charlotte Crosby, even producing two TV commercials for them.
While all this was happening, Shed Seven never stopped. In 2017, we released Instant Pleasures, our first album in nearly 20 years, reaching No. 8 in the UK charts.
In 2024, we celebrated Shed Seven’s 30th anniversary, and by this point, I had taken on the band’s management, overseeing marketing, social media, and creative strategy. That same year, we achieved something only 20 other artists have ever done—two No. 1 albums within the same calendar year. A Matter of Time went straight to No. 1 in the UK album charts in January, followed by Liquid Gold topping the charts later that year.
We played a sold-out UK tour, performed in the legendary BBC Radio 2 Piano Room with the full BBC Orchestra, and headlined major festivals. Our live shows have only grown bigger, and we’re now performing to more people than ever before. 2025 and beyond will see us playing some of the biggest gigs of our career, including headline slots at huge venues and festivals.
If you’ve got a story to tell, let’s bring it to life together.
Through all of this, I still love working at Digifish. No matter how big the gigs get, I thrive on getting out on shoots, meeting clients, and creating films. Whether it’s directing a high-end commercial, producing animations, or working on meaningful documentary projects, storytelling remains at the heart of everything I do. Balancing the two worlds of music and film keeps things exciting, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Over the last five years, Digifish has worked with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, producing over 40 films per year. We’ve also created major online content for brands such as Costa, The North Face, Schweppes, and Lacoste. I’ve directed commercials featuring casts of over 60 people, ensuring large-scale productions run smoothly while delivering high-end results.
I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built with Digifish. It’s a company driven by creativity, passion, and a commitment to telling great stories, whether for global brands, independent businesses, or charities. No project is too big or too small.
I’ve been fortunate to work alongside incredibly talented people; academics, curators, business leaders, and creative agencies, helping them turn their visions into powerful, visually striking films. Whether it’s crafting a beautifully shot documentary, producing high-impact animations, or working with global brands, the goal is always the same: to create something that moves people.