Alumnus of the Month: How Andy Gundelach created his dream career

De Montfort University Leicester’s (DMU) latest Alumnus of the Month is Andy Gundelach, co-founder and creative director of specialist film and video production agency Created By TEN.

The Media Production graduate founded the company in 2015 with his business partner Alex Buja. Based on Millstone Lane in Leicester, their impressive portfolio of clients includes BrewDog, EE, DeWalt and the Leicester Tigers.

The agency also produced a video for the Birmingham City Football Club kit reveal, which received more than five million views online.

Andy came to study at DMU back in 2006. He described how his degree gave him the knowledge and confidence to become a successful entrepreneur.  

“The skills I learned at DMU were invaluable as it meant we could focus on learning the ropes of business management while handling the creative projects,” he said.

“I think it can be a steep learning curve setting up an independent agency, ensuring you have sufficient cash flow to pay the bills and keep growing.”

He advised new graduates that perseverance and flexibility are key to a creative career.

“Although you're well prepared for the technical aspects of work after graduation, it's still daunting to move into the professional world,” Andy said.

“I don't think there's a right path to take. Sometimes there is an expectation to leave university and go into your dream career, but in the creative industry you often need to try jobs you might not have expected in order to broaden your skills and knowledge.”

He believes that to be successful in the media industry you need to be dedicated, flexible and able to work on your feet, citing projects where he has had to pull 24-hour shifts to get the job done. 

“It was pretty gruelling, but the end result was fantastic and the clients loved it. It’s those kinds of moments that make the job worth it,” he said.

“The feeling you get when you see the final product and get positive feedback from your client is indescribable.”

On the set of the BCFC kit reveal shoot.

Andy maintains a love for the city of Leicester and for DMU. He hopes to keep his business based locally in order to give back to the city and make use of the talented graduates in the area. 

He said: “What I enjoyed most about DMU was making lifelong friendships. There are so many people I met at university who I'm still in contact with today. I’ve had the chance to work on some really creative projects and meet such a wide range of people over the years.”

Andy emphasised the importance of encouraging alumni to stay in touch. He hopes to be able to offer guidance, support and opportunities to students to achieve their own ambitions.

“Having gone out and done projects like this, I feel like we're in a position to share our knowledge and experience with a new generation of students and graduates,” he said.

“DMU for Life is a great initiative because it bridges the gap between university and the professional environment – something I wish I'd had the chance to make use of when I graduated!”

DMU graduates can discover more about the lifelong careers support and networking opportunities offered through DMU for Life.