Season 2 · Episode 06
Heavy Pencil Episode 1: Welcome to UNDERFOUND
March 14, 2026 · 6 min
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 people behind UNDERFOUND, an independent creative store in Altrincham, and the network of local businesses, creators and collaborators surrounding it. Originally released several years ago and previously available on Amazon Prime, Heavy Pencil now returns with a new chapter on YouTube. This new series centres around UNDERFOUND, a creative retail space and studio based in Altrincham, Greater Manchester. The show documents the reality of building independent businesses, launching brands, collaborating with local creatives and navigating the challenges of modern entrepreneurship. At the centre 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 behind-the-scenes moments of building something from the ground up - the wins, the setbacks, the risks and the people involved. Heavy Pencil isn’t just about one business. It explores the wider independent scene, meeting the entrepreneurs, makers and brands who are shaping the local creative community. From product launches and creative projects to the everyday realities of running a small business, Heavy Pencil documents what it really takes to build something meaningful. If you’re interested in independent businesses, entrepreneurship, creative brands, fashion, retail, barbering, small business growth or behind-the-scenes documentaries, this series is for you. Subscribe to follow the journey. New episodes document the day-to-day reality of running UNDERFOUND and collaborating with independent brands, creatives and local businesses. Follow UNDERFOUND Instagram → https://instagram.com/underfound Website → https://underfound.co.uk Watch the Heavy Pencil series ► Full Episode Playlist → https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8sSLmFH8s-gVVRqsia32DKB17HNz3Scn #HeavyPencil #Underfound #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #CreativeBusiness #IndependentBrands #BehindTheScenes
More episodes
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
Heavy Pencil – Episode 2 Gunslinger | Filming the King Kartel Music Video Sometimes the biggest creative opportunities start with a simple promise. In this episode of Heavy Pencil, Andy makes a bold decision that throws the entire team into uncharted territory — offering to produce a music video for local band King Kartel without consulting Rhiannah or the rest of the crew. What seemed like a good idea at the time quickly becomes a logistical nightmare. With no budget, limited equipment, and very little time to prepare, the group must figure out how to pull off a full music video production while also continuing to film the documentary itself. Locations need organising, lighting setups need building, and everyone must step into roles they’ve never attempted before. To make things even more challenging, the team only has a small window to shoot at The Old Courts in Wigan, meaning every minute counts. As the pressure builds and the scale of the project becomes clear, the crew must rely on creativity, improvisation and sheer determination to bring the vision to life. What follows is one of the most ambitious moments of the series — capturing both the chaos and the excitement of creating something from nothing. Because when you’re working independently, sometimes you just have to say yes first… and figure the rest out later. About Heavy Pencil Heavy Pencil is a documentary-style reality 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. Shot with a completely independent production approach, the series explores the real challenges of creative life, from passion projects and collaborations to the risks that come with chasing ambitious ideas. Subscribe to follow the journey If you enjoy documentaries about creative entrepreneurship, filmmaking, music production and independent culture, make sure you subscribe and follow the journey. Watch the full series playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8sSLmFH8s-gVVRqsia32DKB17HNz3Scn Website: https://www.theunderfound.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/theunderfound