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Children’s Hospice South West are one of the largest children’s hospice charities in the UK, providing Children’s palliative, respite, end-of-life and bereavement care for children with life limiting and life threatening illnesses and their families from the South West England region. Before the challenges of the 2020 pandemic, CHSW had already identified a need to boost fundraising income and grow their well established support base. Working with AgencyUK, the team have developed a strategy to raise brand awareness and start building a younger base of donors.

The first integrated campaign launches CHSW onto TV this Christmas, targeting the brand to potential new donors in the South West (Cornwall, Devon, Bristol). The strategy looks to connect CHSW with this new audience whereby a lasting relationship might be established.

“We wanted to create a campaign for CHSW which raises awareness of the brand, and the vital work they do. The sensitive nature of the subject matter meant the creative had to be researched and tested prior to final production and release. The advertising tells the story of families of children with life-limiting conditions, emphasizing their journey with the charity. Children’s Hospice South West is so much more than just end-of-life care associated with the term hospice – the charity supports their families to create times that matter; time to laugh, time to share, time to rest, remember, and most importantly, time to just be a family – something that any parent can relate to. Our creative approach therefore was to create a relatable campaign with an authentic narrative that was far more positive than a traditional charity TV campaign, that our audience feels good about supporting rather than guilt tripping people into giving,” says Nix Boulton, art director, AgencyUK

“As the creative work developed and more time was spent telling the stories of the families, the AUK team became emotionally attached to the work CHSW do. I don’t think one person involved in this production left the set without their life having been touched in some way,” says Amy Mansourpour, director, AgencyUK.

“We are delighted with the work we have created with AgencyUK, and the support the families have given us throughout this process. We’re looking forward to seeing the campaign go live, and the opportunity for us to build on it throughout 2022,” says Jess Patel, director of marketing and communications, CHSW.

“At AgencyUK we pursue opportunities to work with brands and organisations that we truly believe in and want to get behind as a team. We’re incredibly proud to call Children’s Hospice South West a client, as the work they do is truly remarkable. This isn’t just about a project or the next advertising campaign, this is about turning our skills as marketers and using them to make a difference each and every day. It’s about solidarity and human empathy,” says Sammy Mansourpour, managing director, AgencyUK.

The new CHSW campaign will be live over Christmas 2021, and will be launched on TV and YouTube, before amplification through broader social media channels and digital advertising formats.

*Aardman Director to support The Grand Appeal this year with exciting content exclusively for Jingle Jam gamers*

The world’s biggest games charity event, Jingle Jam, brainchild of Bristol-based gaming company, The Yogscast, is back today for its 10th anniversary, and better than ever, raising vital funds for Bristol Children’s Hospital dedicated charity, The Grand Appeal.

Each year, Jingle Jam raises millions for charities around the globe through its Games Collection, which is available for fans to get their hands on in return for a donation to their chosen cause.

This year, Jingle Jammers will have the opportunity to jump into the world of Aardman with Director & Designer, Gavin Strange. Creative power-house Gav will be doing a dedicated stream allowing fans to have a sneak peek into life at Aardman and provide the opportunity to ask him any burning fan questions. Audiences will also be able to receive the Games Collection in return for donating to The Grand Appeal.

Fans can get hold of the stream on Sunday 12th December as part of this years much anticipated Jingle Jam charity event which goes live today on 1st December at 5pm on the Yogscast Twitch channel.  It finishes at midnight on 14th December.

Jingle Jam has raised a massive £15m for numerous different charities in the last 10 years. Previous Jingle Jam Games Collections have featured dozens of games worth hundreds of pounds, with this year’s bundle worth over £600. Organisers are aiming for the Jingle Jam Games Collection to be the number one gifting purchase for Christmas this year, with the aim to raise thousands of pounds for each of its 14 chosen charities.

The partnership with The Yogscast has raised over £1.1 million for The Grand Appeal since 2017 to fund a ground-breaking new development for Bristol Children’s Hospital. The pioneering new patient development will be one of the first of its kind in the UK for sick children and their families.

Nicola Masters, director of The Grand Appeal, commented: “The Jingle Jam is a fantastic and much-loved event across the globe that raises an incredible amount of money for worthy causes each year. The Games Collection is exceptional value for money, and we’re always blown away by the incredibly generous support we get for The Grand Appeal from the gaming community.

“This year, we are very excited to have the opportunity for Grand Appeal supporters to get involved with Jingle Jam by streaming their own content and where fans can purchase the Games Collection directly from. We are honoured to have Gav’s involvement and no doubt it will be hugely popular, and that Jingle Jam 2021 is going to be a roaring success for everyone.”

Gav Strange, Director and Designer at Aardman added: “Jingle Jam has become one of the key calendar dates for gamers in the UK and globally.  Creating fantastic gaming content all in the name of raising money for charities like The Grand Appeal is a brilliant initiative and I’m really stoked to be able to do my bit to help this year.’

During the first two weeks in December, more than fifty Jingle Jam streamers are involved in special events – such as cooking, painting, poker, karaoke and more. For the first time this year, any creator keen to join in with the Jingle Jam can set up their own fundraising streams, with their audiences also able to receive the games collection in return for donating to charity.

Jingle Jam was the brainchild of Lewis and Simon of Yogscast in 2011, when they asked fans to donate to Oxfam via a Just Giving page, rather than send them Christmas presents. As the largest YouTube gaming channel at the time, Jingle Jam rapidly grew to include, live streaming, unique content and the introduction of specially curated bundles known as the Jingle Jam Games Collection.

boomsatsuma launches a new BA (Hons) Visual Effects Degree, with the appointment of John Rowe as Head of Animation and Visual Effects, Nov 21.

Extending boomsatsuma’s Higher Education skills training into the expanding Creative Industries sector, the new BA (Hons) Visual Effects, and newly announced BSc (Hons) Web Design and Development Degrees, are in-line with the national strategy for digital skills training, with transferrable skill sets that cross over into many industry sectors.

John Rowe has written the Visual Effects focussed course content, with industry support and approval, and he will lead its delivery to students from September 2022. He brings extensive experience and expertise in 3D visual effects, including his previous role creating digital courses at the National Film and Television School. John states:

“This course will give students the skills they need to gain employment in the expanding creative industries. It is driven by the needs identified by employers, both now and in the future, so we are listening closely to our commercial partners when constructing course content. It is particularly focused on training and empowering the storytellers of the future, using state-of-the-art technologies and software.

“boomsatsuma has a proven history of connecting the diverse communities across the West Country with creative companies, through education pathways that empower students to find their own voices, which I am delighted, and proud, to be a part of.”

The new Visual Effects degree supports boomsatsuma’s ambitious plans to develop socially diverse talent for the creative and tech sectors. It complements boomsatsuma’s existing degrees in Filmmaking (Production and Post Production) and Game Art and will be designed to encourage people to think about visual effects and game engines not just for the creative industries, but also for other sectors – from health to architecture.

For more course information and details on how to apply follow the link to https://www.boomsatsuma.com/visualeffects.

Vegan charity Viva! has launched its first-ever TV ad, with a brave concept by Bristol video production agency, Skylark Media.

The renowned vegan charity hopes to raise £40,000 to screen the advert to more than 16 million people on Channel 4.

The ad follows a meat-eating couple ordering a takeaway online from ‘Just Meat’, a fictional delivery app. They order ‘pulled pork’ and are shocked to discover a small piglet, with the delivery driver holding a butcher knife. Voiced by actor Peter Egan, the ad centres around the lost connection between animals and our plates – and leaves the viewer with a dilemma: would you kill the pig?

Skylark worked collaboratively with Viva! founder Juliet Gellatley and Canpaigns Manager Laura Hellwig. Skylark’s concept took its inspiration from the popularity of food delivery apps, and the disconnect between the nation’s love of pets and farm animals. Juliet says, ‘We worked with Skylark on some smaller projects and we were so impressed that I felt really comfortable going forward with this bigger project. Ultimately Viva! is about saving animals and Skylark completely get Viva! and what we’re about, and that’s been really important to us too.’

‘We wanted to reflect the passion behind the Viva! brand with an impactful creative,’ said Skylark’s MD, Jo Haywood. ‘Once we had talked to our advisors at Clearcast and got the script cleared for broadcast we could get into production, the hardest part of which was definitely casting the pig!’

The project was awarded to Skylark following the creative production of Viva!’s Vegan Recipe Club and This Is Fine campaigns this year.

For more details of Viva!’s crowdfunder: https://viva.org.uk/tv-ad/

Bristol Institute of Performing Arts  

Our team is made up of industry professionals from all corners of the creative industries. Performers will be put through their paces by our academic team of performers, directors and choreographers which is supported by our Student Experience and academic support teams. 

Our Purpose Built Campus 

The Bristol Institute of Performing Arts is based at the SGS WISE Campus a £17.5 million pound campus designed for sporting, performing and visual arts excellence.  

Olympus Theatre 

The Olympus Theatre based at the Bristol Institute of Performing Arts/SGS WISE Campus has been producing and receiving theatre on a local and regional scale for almost 15 years. Since opening in 2005, the cultural and creative significance has exceeded expectations, making The Olympus a premier destination for theatre performance and education in the South West region. 

Our Students perform in our 250 seat auditorium which holds over 35 productions a year through our in house production team. 

Studio 22 Theatre 

The Studio 22 Theatre is our most diverse performance space, kitted out with fully flexible seating which allows a variety of production design styles. Students will be immersed into a space designed for intimate productions, showcases and cabaret performances. The Studio 22 theatre can accommodate an audience of up to 80. 

10 Studios & Workrooms 

All our dance studios are equipped with sprung flooring, mirrors, barres and a speaker system. Our rehearsal rooms also feature a range of equipment and speakers 

Studio 1 – Dance StudioStudio 2 – Rehearsal StudioStudio 3 – Dance StudioStudio 4 – Dance StudioStudio 5 – Dance StudioStudio 6 – Rehearsal StudioStudio 7 – Rehearsal StudioStudio 8 – Rehearsal StudioStudio 9 – Rehearsal StudioStudio 10 – Practice RoomWorkroom 1 – Scenic Design WorkshopWorkroom 2 – Technical TheatreWorkroom 3 – Costume & Scenic Store 

 

JonesMillbank, Bristol-based video production company, have been appointed by VisitBritain/VisitEngland to their marketing production services framework.

The multi-supplier framework is made of 190 creatives across 8 lots spanning  disciplines such as research, photography, editing, casting, styling, illustration and copywriting.

JonesMillbank are one of 15 suppliers appointed as video production professionals, requiring a proven experience of managing small to large scale video briefs that require a detailed level of planning, casting, producing and production.

The framework will be an enabler of VisitBritain/VisitEngland’s strategy to “make tourism one of the most successful and productive sectors for the UK economy.”

“Like many video production companies we’re passionate about travel and tourism, not just because it’s a privilege to travel with our work, but because of the real impact and influence our films can have on destinations and their audiences” said Russell Jones, Co-Founder at JonesMillbank.

“We already travel across the UK with our work – we’ve literally filmed in all four corners – and so to be appointed by VisitBritain/VisitEngland as one of a select few video production companies is a fantastic opportunity to show off what the UK has to offer to a global audience, particularly as a rebound following COVID-19.”

Running for an initial period of 1-4 years, the framework will be accessed by VisitBritain/VisitEngland staff and partners, and follows JonesMillbank’s work with VisitBristol and other independent travel brands.

 

***

 

JonesMillbank are a passionate full-service video production company

They work exclusively in-house with a talented team of multi-disciplined creatives, all the while telling authentic stories long before it was cool for a range of clients such as University of Bristol, Battersea, The Royal Mint and IDLES.

jonesmillbank.com
01173706372
[email protected]

Partnerships with TVPlayer and NetGem build momentum for Go See TV innovative interactive tech for content creators, streaming platforms and ad networks

LOS ANGELES – SEPTEMBER 1 – Go See TV’s mission to revolutionise the way consumers engage with and view content on television and mobile devices has taken leaps forward through recent partnerships with global platform providers including major connected TV platforms such as TVPlayer and NetGem, the company announced today. 

Content creators, streaming platforms and advertising networks are using GSTV’s interactive technology to increase viewer engagement and accelerate revenue over streaming devices. In an increasingly mobile-first world, GSTV makes it easy for partners to have multi-screen e-commerce interactivity across platforms including Free Ad Supported Television, IPTV, OTT, streaming networks and social content platforms. 

“We are lifelong content creators, so we’re sensitive to the challenges of maintaining creative integrity while leveraging modern monetisation and content consumption opportunities,” said CEO David Greener. “GSTV and our proprietary iCON technology transforms how brand, platform and syndication partners distribute and monetise content.” 

Greener noted that GSTV has closed recent deals with major platforms including TVPlayer and NetGem reaching more than 20 million active devices. GSTV has also inked agreements with a growing list of content creators and brands such as The Film Detective, Lonestar and Sportsgrid.

Go See TV is in discussions with dozens of content creators and additional global platforms and anticipates launching 10-plus channels by Q3 2021 and expects to surpass 50 million active devices by the end of 2021.

Greener says the company’s growth and momentum comes from the growing market interest in the iCON platform, which provides a one-stop-shop to manage, distribute and monetise your content. 

 

ENDS

 

About Go See TV

Go See TV (GSTV) is revolutionising the ways in which audiences engage with and consume content. Harnessing the power of storytelling in more ways than one, Go See TV offers creators, brands, platforms and agencies new revenue and monetisation opportunities while delivering a seamless and highly interactive experience for viewers across multiple devices. Our interactive platform is built for today and tomorrow’s streaming universe and multiscreen consumers. We transform traditional TV advertising into engaging content and mobile-ready e-commerce activity across Free Ad Supported Television, IPTV, OTT, streaming networks and social content platforms.

Develop your narrative skills and write rich, engaging games.

A strong story is key to engaging and retaining players in video games. Held over 7 weeks, this online course teaches the story-structure essentials that will help you craft richer and more compelling games.

This is a professional development course for anyone who works – or aspires to work – in the gaming industry as well as writers and designers seeking to develop their interactive storytelling skills.

The course has been created by the UK’s foremost expert on narrative structure John Yorke and Caroline Marchal, founder of British studio INTERIOR/NIGHT and Lead Designer for Heavy Rain.

In this training course, you’ll investigate the relationship between player and protagonist, discover how to merge story and gameplay, and find ways to use those skills in a real-world development team. Working in a small group, you’ll receive weekly one-to-one feedback from the tutor team.

By the end of the course you’ll have written an industry-standard story treatment for an original game.

On successful completion of the course, you will receive a certificate of completion evidencing your learning and study hours. You will need to set aside 4-5 hours per week to complete the assignments.

Read a review of the course on Polygon.

Exclusive 25% discount on the £1,200 published course price. Just £900 to Bristol Creative Industries members for 35 hours of intensive learning.

MORE INFORMATION HERE or email [email protected]

The leading homeopathy group in the UK, 4Homeopathy, is celebrating a successful campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of homeopathic practice. The engaging video campaign was created by independent brand consultancy Mr B & Friends and has seen over 13,500 people view the films within the first month of launch.

Founded in 2011, 4Homeopathy brings together ten of the UK’s largest homeopathic organisations to promote the positive impact of homeopathy. Through the website findahomeopath.org people can find a wealth of information about how homeopathy works, registered practitioners and training courses.

For Homeopathy Awareness Week (10-16th April), 4Homeopathy appointed Mr B & Friends to create a campaign to increase their profile and to encourage people to visit their website to find out more.

The agency designed a video-based campaign comprising a main film with testimonials from several people who have successfully used homeopathy, plus three shorts that focus on individual experiences. The video was designed to be a teaser – recounting personal experiences but only revealing the subject matter right at the end, in a bid to provoke interest and encourage further exploration of homeopathy. Built around the proposition that you can ‘Turn your life around in a moment’, the campaign shares the stories of people with a range of conditions who have had life-changing results from homeopathic treatment.

Kate Gorringe, Creative Director at Mr B & Friends, says, “We wanted to share the stories of some of the individuals who have quite literally had their lives turned around because of a homeopathic approach. As homeopathy is based on working with the body’s natural healing abilities, we created a hand drawn animated illustration that reflected the thoughts and feelings of the contributors.”

Due to ongoing Covid restrictions the interviews were all recorded remotely, with equipment sent out to the homes of those featured. Combined with the bespoke graphics, the end result is an emotive and authentic campaign that takes the viewer on a journey from problem to resolution.

In addition to featuring on the website, the campaign has been distributed by the various member organisation and is being supported by advertising on Facebook and Instagram plus Google ads.

Mani Norland, Principal of The School of Homeopathy, says, “Homeopathy provides so many benefits to both people and animals through its patient-centred approach of individualised medicine. The remedies come from nature and work in line with nature. We’re on a mission to raise awareness of the profound difference homeopathy can make to a person’s health and wellbeing, we want to help people see the choices they have in healthcare, and this video campaign will help us take another huge step forward in achieving that.”

Bower Films today re-launches as Octopus Films: https://octopus-films.co.uk. Founded eight years ago as a full-service video production company by Giles Edwards and Ellie Edwards, the re-brand reflects the company’s ethos and problem-solving abilities.

With clients such as BBC’s Countryfile Live, the British Council and Dyson, Octopus Films helps businesses connect emotionally with their audience through explainer videos, event documentation, TV adverts, testimonial videos and corporate films. Experienced in working across a range of industries, its clients span financial, IT, medical, charity and education sectors, both locally and nationally.

Octopus Films also prides itself on delivering real value to much smaller organisations whose goals are to communicate their offering effectively. These include the BCRM in Bristol, Nelson Hall and Medical Detection Dogs. Leading every project, creative producer Ellie Edwards has 14 years’ of broadcast and corporate experience, while [technical director] Giles has worked across both the corporate and TV industries for more than 30 years.

“We set out to refresh our name and logo to accurately reflect our company’s values – creativity, adaptability, agility and also, great problem-solving skills. The octopus was the perfect emblem – they are nimble, flexible creatures and famed for their smart approach,” comments Ellie Edwards.

“We love producing vibrant, engaging and unique video content for businesses that are keen to show their best side. We can always promise a personal service and our senior team leads the entire production process.”

Giles Edwards adds: “We believe in real stories well told. We draw on our years of documentary experience to get beneath the surface every time. By combining crafted, truthful films with refined editorial values, we tell stories that accurately reflect our clients’ lives and businesses.”

As its new name suggests, Octopus Films is highly adaptable and flexes the size of its team depending on the scale and budget of the task in hand. For larger projects it assembles a team of trusted, former BBC production staff and crew.

Pictured: Octopus Films on location in Bath filming with presenter Jamie Lowe.