Olympus Academy Trust

The Brief

Olympus Academy Trust wanted a series of school promotional videos that could be used across its websites, social media channels and parent-facing communications. Each video needed to introduce one school clearly, giving viewers a sense of the people, spaces and atmosphere behind the name.

For prospective parents, choosing a school is not only about facilities or information. It is also about trust, warmth and whether a place feels right. The films needed to reflect that. They had to show real school life in a way that felt genuine, welcoming and easy to understand.

The brief was to create six short films that worked both individually and as part of a wider trust-wide series. Each school had its own personality, but the finished videos also needed to feel connected through a consistent visual style, tone and level of polish.

The Challenge

The main challenge was balancing individuality with consistency.

Olympus Academy Trust is made up of different schools, each with its own setting, staff, pupils and rhythm. The films needed to celebrate those differences without making the series feel disconnected. One school might have a stronger focus on outdoor learning, another might be more defined by classroom energy, community, facilities or pupil interaction. Our job was to find what felt distinctive in each location and shape that into a clear, engaging film.

There was also a practical challenge. Filming across six schools within a five-day production window required careful planning, clear scheduling and the ability to work quickly without disrupting the school day. We needed to capture enough variety at each location while remaining flexible around timetables, weather, staff availability and the natural pace of a working school environment.

Because the films involved children, staff and active school spaces, the production also needed to feel calm, respectful and well organised. The aim was not to stage a version of school life, but to create the right conditions for real moments to happen on camera.

Our Approach

We began by shaping a clear plan for the full series. Before filming, we worked with the trust to understand the purpose of the videos, where they would be used and what each school needed to communicate.

The production was built around three priorities: clarity, consistency and authenticity.

Clarity meant making sure each film had a simple purpose. Viewers needed to understand the school, the environment and the feeling of being there without the video becoming overloaded or unfocused.

Consistency meant approaching the full series with a shared visual language. The films needed to feel like they belonged together, even though each school had its own identity. This influenced how we approached composition, pacing, editing, music and the overall tone of the final videos.

Authenticity meant capturing real school life with care. Rather than creating overly staged promotional content, we focused on natural interaction, everyday details and moments that helped each school feel human and believable.

Filming Across Six Schools

The filming took place across six schools in Bristol over five days. Each day required a balance of structure and flexibility. We had a clear plan going into each location, but we also needed to respond to what was happening naturally within the school.

We filmed a mixture of classroom activity, outdoor learning, pupil interaction, staff moments, facilities, movement through the school and wider environmental details. This gave each film a strong visual foundation and allowed the edit to move between informative, atmospheric and emotionally engaging moments.

The production approach was intentionally calm and observational. Working in schools means being sensitive to the environment. Pupils and staff need to feel comfortable, and the filming process should never take over the day. By keeping the crew focused and adaptable, we were able to capture genuine material without making the process feel intrusive.

The result was a broad range of footage that reflected both the individuality of each school and the shared values of the wider trust.

Creating a Consistent Series

One of the most important parts of the project was making sure the videos felt connected.

Although each film focused on a different school, the trust needed a set of assets that looked and felt like part of the same family. This meant making careful choices in the edit, from pacing and music to colour, structure and the balance of different shot types.

Each video followed a similar rhythm, giving the series a clear and professional identity. At the same time, we made sure the individual character of each school still came through. The goal was not to make the schools feel identical, but to present them with the same level of care, quality and consistency.

This was especially important for a multi-school trust. A consistent video series helps create confidence. It shows that each school is part of something wider, while still giving families a reason to connect with a specific place.