At Flux we have experience collaborating on a broad range of films in both corporate and artistic sectors, this year we relished the opportunity to work on a big project that combines the two. Live Skills is an initiative launched by The British Council to promote vocational training in live performance and audio-visual industries. Funded by the EU, the programme seeks to up-skill industry expertise, equipping participants with the skills they need to forge meaningful careers within the cultural sector.

The brief was to create two promotional videos, one targeting aspiring young professionals, the other schools and vocational training centres looking to expand their curriculum. The challenge was creating a concept that would both inform and engage whilst adhering to a tight script and timeframe.

We decided to capture the chronology of a music video production, an enticing visual narrative that we could embed within behind-the-scenes footage that would demonstrate the skills detailed in the voiceover. Understanding the importance of refining copy to engage, we knew our first task was to finalise the voiceover script in order to deliver the information accurately and concisely, liaising with our client throughout.

We booked Scottish singer-songwriter Chris Yendell to film part one of a music video, part two of which will be filmed in a similar set up with his partner. With assistance building the set, featuring lighting, clapperboards and a sumptuous velvet background, we positioned Chris on a stool with his acoustic guitar to emulate a studio music video scene. We commissioned a designer to produce a faux video production company, with branded documentation props such as release forms, intellectual property docs and budget spreadsheets to correspond with those referenced in the voiceover. We incorporated close up shots of the documents in use, facilitating a cohesion between the script and the visuals throughout.

In order to engage the viewer, the narrative follows an individual’s participation in the production; overseeing the shoot itself, editing the footage on a computer, right through to the satisfaction of watching the finished project on his phone. We implemented a contemporary edit, with pacey but unobtrusive music and with the addition of animated text to reinforce key messaging.

It was great to be involved in an initiative that assists an industry that is widely underfunded in terms of vocational training and we were delighted with positive feedback from our client. Check out the video here: