About Light & Star Media – filmmaking for charities and non-profits
Light & Star Media CIC provides filmmaking exclusively for mission-driven organisations: charity film, non-profit Founder, Martin John, has worked and volunteered in the third sector for over 20 years, launched the business to help charities, social enterprises and non-profits to maximise their goals through audio-visual media.
We deliver high impact and compelling media, such as documentary films, fundraising videos, brand videos, animations, podcasts, event videography and much more.
Why the name Light & Star Media?
Light – charities, social enterprises and non-profit organisations shine a light. We genuinely believe that the third sector is the best vehicle for shining a light on a wide range of issues that would otherwise remain hidden. The people leading mission-driven organisations are often driven by their own lived experience and are passionate about raising awareness and educating for the benefit of communities and society as a whole.
Star – like stars, charities, social enterprises and non-profit organisations lead the way. We’re passionate about social change, and change doesn’t happen without action. Mission-driven organisations are often the heart and driving force behind positive and progressive change. They are the ones offering frontline services, meeting need and campaigning for change long before policymakers, statutory bodies and the social zeitgeist finally catch up.
We are on an exciting journey. At present we consist of a small team of creative professionals and our hope is to grow and expand over the coming months and years.
We firmly believe that charities, social enterprises and non-profit organisations are the trailblazers and changemakers, and are passionate about the impact the third sector has on society. With our experience in the third sector (check out our useful links for charities page), we believe we’re the right people to help your organisation achieve it’s goals.
Martin John, Director of Light & Star Media
Founding up Light & Star Media has been, in many ways, a lifetime’s endeavour, with many paths coming together at the same time.
I have worked in a wide variety of sectors and jobs – public sector, private sector, charity sector and self employment. With a varied career, two recurring themes keep emerging 1) a desire to work with people who face difficulty and disadvantage 2) a desire to be creative.
My charity work has taken me to several African countries: Kenya, Eswatini, South Africa and Ghana. Closer to home, I have volunteered in a homeless charity that provides accommodation, food and mental health support to people who would otherwise be on the street. In recent years I have been a fundraising lead for UK-wide charities.
As a creative, my first love was music and audio. Music has taken me down entirely different paths: as a live musician and wedding DJ, and as a music producer, audio editor and sound engineer.
Light and Star Media – filmmaking for charities and non-profits – brings together my joint passions for creative media and working with mission-driven organisations.
I live in Cambridgeshire, UK, with my wife and two children.
Meet our team
Lee
Lee is a media producer and videographer with a background in audio-visual production and a passion for storytelling. After a career change in 2021, he completed a BA (Hons) in Media Production, specialising in videography and audio engineering. His work spans the full production process — from filming through to post-production — and he’s skilled in tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Audition, Photoshop and DaVinci Resolve.
Lee freelances for the BBC and brings both technical expertise and a creative eye to his work with Light & Star Media. He’s been based in Cambridgeshire since 2001 and lives with his wife and two sons.
Anne-Marie
Anne-Marie is a business owner, ultra runner and long-time digital marketer with more than 20 years’ experience. She has published monthly articles for over two decades, written for several MagBooks, and since 2016 has run Social Media Startup for Businesses.
She is now director of Your Marketing Network – a monthly meet-up helping small business owners ask questions, share insights and connect with others to overcome marketing challenges in a fast-moving digital and AI landscape.
Anne-Marie brings seasoned digital marketing expertise and clear strategic insight to help mission-driven organisations maximise the impact of audio-visual media.
Tessa
Tessa is a Bristol-based documentary filmmaker, editor and storytelling strategist with more than 15 years’ experience across journalism, factual television and purpose-led communications. Her work includes projects for the BBC, Sky TV, CNN, The Girls’ Network, Woodland Trust, Reboot the Future/Eden Project and the University of Strathclyde.
Trained in trauma-informed reporting and safeguarding, Tessa holds an Enhanced DBS certificate and has extensive experience working with young people and vulnerable adults. She is also a licensed drone pilot.
She collaborates with Light & Star Media on selected projects across the South West.
David
David is a music and audio editor living in Cambridgeshire, originally from Portugal. In recent years he has been an audio editor for an international technology company and a major investment firm.
David is also a passionate musician and brings a creative musical flare to Light & Star Media which will assist the creation of bespoke music production and support with incorporating licensed music into film.