An explosion in international trade has helped a film production company cement its own identity – and with it a place in the global market.

After eight years in business the founders of Lambda Films feel their company's creative watermark is becoming more defined, helping to bring in a wealth of heavyweight clients and boost turnover.

The 10-strong team, based in St Giles House in Norwich, is working with a group of UK universities including Durham and Bristol to document the lives of communities living in volcanic environments, with filming in Ecuador and Montserrat in the Caribbean already completed this year.

They produced consumer 'stories' for eBay's Christmas advertising campaign last year, have secured a contract with an Indian pharmaceuticals company, and a new commission – currently under wraps – has just come in from California.

Ryan Stone, creative director of the Future50 company, said: 'We spent the first few years producing safe work to build up our reputation, but in the last 18 months everyone has been a bit more proactive. We have started to produce work for clients that we want to produce.

'Everyone here and the clients are happier with the work, and it is leading to bigger clients and more interesting projects.'

With turnover approaching the £500,000 milestone, Mr Stone and commercial director Alex Morris have decided to put the brakes on the company's expansion and focus on its profitability.

Mr Morris said: 'We hired a few people last year so the focus now is on making the agency more profitable and a better place to work.'

For the first time this year the directors have set financial targets for Lambda, which they will share with staff in the hope of getting them 'more invested' in the company's financial performance.

International markets continue to provide a steady work stream. Mr Morris said: 'British creative trade is still held in very high esteem so internationally you can get quite good work.

'Ours is the kind of service that crosses boundaries and the catchment can be as big as your ambition.'

Since starting Lambda in 2009, UEA graduates Mr Morris, 28, and Mr Stone, 31, have overseen a swift rise, with their average projects now warranting five-figure invoices.

In the last round of Future50 funding in January, Lambda was awarded £50,000 which it used to purchase a state-of-the-art camera – similar machines were used to film Game of Thrones and the Oscar-winning Moonlight.

Mr Morris said: 'It will enable us to produce the quality of work that can compete with high-budget productions.'

They also want to increase the ratio of animated work they do, from 15-20% currently to around 40%, after employing a second animator from Norwich University of the Arts this year.