Bermuda's film and television industry looks to be in safe hands if exciting young entrepreneur Alex Dill is anything to go by.

For the 20-year-old creative director and president of New-Atlantic Films is planning to take the Island's videography sector by storm, starting with his very own TV channel, Onion TV, a community-focused production on CableVision channel 75.

And he is looking to get more youngsters involved in the industry in a bid to improve the overall presentation and content of the film and television sector.

Mr. Dill first started out in the film industry five years ago at the age of 15 when he was taking a communications course at Berkeley Institute and decided to produce a home video.

"I had taken up a general communications course and one of the course attendants was doing a small documentary for which we were just supposed to go out and get raw photography, but I ended up taking it home and fooled around with it on my PC and made a home video basically," he said.

"I have just had a passion for the industry ever since - at first I was involved in photography a bit and then I moved into video and from leaving Berkeley, because that was what I had a real passion for and what I wanted to do with my life and career, for the last three or four years that is all I have been doing really.

"I discovered it was just a personal talent I had and from there my business just grew and I made it my personal company eventually.

"I have not had any major formal training. After meeting a couple of people in the industry and networking a bit it helped me to improve on a personal and professional level."

The company, which is based in Somerset, changed names from Alex Dill Video Production Services to New-Atlantic Films this year. Even during his short time in business, Mr. Dill has already managed to amass an impressive portfolio which includes motion graphics for this year's Cup Match, commercials for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, the testimonials of the Premier Dr. Ewart Brown and a documentary for Atlantic Publishing House.

Last year he also made DVD videos of the Elbow Beach: Celebrity Tennis Classic and for ACE Foundation for the Careers Fair and Bermuda College's Student & Community Recruitment programme, as well as carrying out a motion logo and corporate video for Freisenbruch-Meyer Insurance Services Ltd, while 2005 saw the youngster produce the motion graphics for Cup Match & Bermuda Teen Idol, and Showoff Magazine's First Year Anniversary Celebration DVD video.

But his biggest claim so far is setting up Onion TV with Travis Caines, which is currently taking up most of his time and attention.

"Now I have just established and partnered up with Travis to produce Onion TV to actually create proper TV shows," he said.

"I am working as a programme director and I am currently getting content, going all over the Island getting people in shoots in the process of doing these shows.

"It is community-based and it is going to be more of an entertainment TV station also dealing with the real issues in Bermuda at large and gives the community a chance to express itself on every single topic, whether it be negative or positive.

"We are going to start posting stuff on the channel slowly but steadily and I think by December we will have a proper TV schedule on there."

Asides from his video work, Mr. Dill is also involved in marketing, but, above all he just enjoys getting out and about meeting people.

"My favourite part of the job is just going out there and interacting and having fun with the community," he said.

"I am also going international to get whatever has some connection with Bermuda and just trying to bring an international base here to Bermuda."

Meanwhile, he reckons the biggest challenge facing the industry today is to get youngsters involved in the sector.

"I would say that the video industry in Bermuda is not that good if I am being totally honest," he said.

"Compared with what I see on international TV, the quality and level of story telling in Bermuda is lacking, and what I wish to do is to up the level of the videography industry in Bermuda.

"This industry definitely needs some help from the youngsters and it is all about them getting into and learning about the sector.

"And, as far as starting a new or small business is concerned, my advice would to always stick in there and hang on no matter how bad it gets - there will be a lot of good and bad experiences, but that is what it is all about."

Any youngsters interested in getting into the film and television industry can contact Alex Dill by emailing alexd[AT]newatlanticfilms.net or visiting his website at www.atlanticfilms.net