Season 2 · Episode 08
Heavy Pencil Episode 3 - Reinventing the tradeshow with HairCon
July 21, 2026 · New episode
Heavy Pencil Episode 3 - Reinventing the tradeshow with HairCon What does it take to transform a traditional hair tradeshow into something genuinely immersive? In this episode of Heavy Pencil, UNDERFOUND joins forces with HairCon and The Assembly Events to help build a new kind of industry experience inside Manchester’s iconic Victoria Warehouse. HairCon was created to move beyond the outdated trade show format. Instead, the event brings together hair, fashion, music, entertainment and education, creating an environment that feels culturally relevant while still delivering real commercial and professional value. For UNDERFOUND, the challenge is to create a microcosm of our Altrincham store within the venue, representing the three pillars at the heart of everything we do: hair, fashion and music. Alongside exhibiting at the event, the team is also responsible for producing the video coverage for HairCon’s main stage and helping deliver the 'HairCon After Dark' entertainment platform. The episode follows the creative preparation behind the event, introduces some of the artists performing across the weekend and explores the vision behind building a modern platform for the hair industry. HairCon co-founder Michael Dynan discusses the experience of producing events around the world, the importance of creating something different and some of the unexpected moments that come from working across cultures. We also meet DJ Shay K and musician El Rey, who share their excitement about performing inside Victoria Warehouse, their creative processes and what it means to bring music into an event built around hair and fashion. The episode also includes practical industry education, with a technical demonstration covering ceramic clipper blades, maintenance and safe zero-gapping techniques. And, as always, the episode ends with the kind of serious and highly professional conversation you would expect from the UNDERFOUND team. Featuring Michael Dynan, Co-Founder of HairCon DJ Shay K El Rey Music “All Night” by Surgey Volkov “You’re My” by Sticks & Stonez and Live East “Our Vibe” by @offical_superlative “Sunshine Honey Blow” by @elreyhq Subscribe to follow the Heavy Pencil series as we document the people, ideas and creative processes shaping UNDERFOUND. #HeavyPencil #UNDERFOUND #HairCon #HairIndustry #Manchester #VictoriaWarehouse #Barbering #Hairdressing #HairEducation #BehindTheScenes
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Heavy Pencil | The Reality of Building an Independent Business (Official Trailer)
Mar 2026
Most people only see the finished brand. Heavy Pencil shows everything that happens behind it. Heavy Pencil is a documentary-style reality series following the real journey of building independent businesses. Originally released several years ago and previously available on Amazon Prime, Heavy Pencil now returns with a new chapter on YouTube — this time centred around UNDERFOUND, a creative retail space and studio based in Altrincham, Greater Manchester. The series documents the reality of modern entrepreneurship, from launching brands and running a shop to collaborating with creatives and supporting independent businesses. At the heart of the story are Andy and Rhiannah, whose work inside UNDERFOUND connects fashion, barbering, creative production and community. Through their journey the series captures the real moments behind building something from the ground up — the risks, the pressure, the wins and the people involved along the way. Heavy Pencil isn’t just about one business. It explores the wider world of independent brands, creative entrepreneurs and local businesses, shining a light on the makers, designers and founders shaping the independent scene. From product launches and creative collaborations to the everyday challenges of running a small business, Heavy Pencil shows what it really takes to build something meaningful. If you're interested in entrepreneurship, small business, independent brands, creative culture, fashion, retail, barbering or behind-the-scenes documentaries, this series is for you. Subscribe to follow the journey. New episodes document the real day-to-day reality of running UNDERFOUND, collaborating with local brands and building independent businesses from the ground up. #HeavyPencil #Underfound #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #CreativeBusiness #IndependentBrands #BehindTheScenes
Heavy Pencil: Episode 1 (From the Archive)
Mar 2026
Heavy Pencil – Episode 1 The Beginning | Building Something From Nothing Before the awards, before UNDERFOUND, and before the chaos of running an independent creative business… there was just an idea. Heavy Pencil is a raw documentary-style reality series created by Andy Conway and Rhiannah Balcombe that follows a group of friends navigating the highs and lows of working in the creative industries. The series captures the real stories behind independent fashion, music, photography, modelling and filmmaking, showing what it truly takes to turn creative ambition into reality. Episode 1 introduces the cast and the creative network that connects them. Each person brings their own voice, talent and story to the table as the team begins documenting their journey together. At the centre of it all are Andy and Rhiannah, who are attempting to pull together a major photoshoot for the independent fashion brand Incarnate®. With almost no budget and barely enough time to organise the shoot, the pressure quickly begins to mount. Locations need securing. Concepts need developing. Models, photographers and stylists must all come together. And everything needs to happen fast. What begins as a simple creative project quickly becomes a test of whether a small team of passionate creatives can turn limited resources into something extraordinary. This first episode sets the stage for the entire series — revealing the relationships, personalities and creative ambitions that drive the story forward. Because in the world of independent creativity, nothing is guaranteed… and sometimes the only way forward is to figure it out as you go. About Heavy Pencil Heavy Pencil is a reality-documentary series following a collective of creatives from the North West of England as they attempt to build careers in fashion, music, film and the wider creative industries. The show explores the challenges, setbacks and victories that come with pursuing creative work outside the traditional system. Filmed with a completely independent production approach, the series offers a behind-the-scenes look at the realities of creative life: from photoshoots and music videos to business ideas and collaborations. Subscribe to follow the journey If you enjoy stories about independent creators, entrepreneurship, filmmaking and grassroots culture, make sure you subscribe and follow the series as new episodes are released. The story is just getting started. Watch more Heavy Pencil Full series playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8sSLmFH8s-gVVRqsia32DKB17HNz3Scn Follow the journey Instagram: https://instagram.com/theunderfound Website: https://theunderfound.com Tags Heavy Pencil, creative documentary, independent filmmakers, UK creative industry, fashion photoshoot behind the scenes, independent fashion brands, documentary series, creative entrepreneurs, filmmaking reality series
Heavy Pencil: Episode 2 (From The Achive)
Mar 2026
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