Charities & Sustainability Storytelling

So many organisations do wonderful work, only to be let down by their content. Whether it’s case studies that fail to move people, or ambitious documentary projects that ends up languishing on a hard drive with just a series of drawn out interviews. Yet it doesn’t need to be this way. Even a small amount of work before you start the project or filming, can result in great case studies that show the impact of your work on the ground, or deliver powerful footage to share with a filmmaker.

As well as offering a bespoke service in planning and filming meaningful stories, I have also designed a workshop on the topic. The aim is to help teams feel empowered in capturing authentic stories, while building lasting capacity in the communities you work with.

The key principle? Keep it simple. Because complicated doesn’t mean sophisticated.

By identifying the story you want to follow before you or someone else picks up a camera, you’ll end up with footage that has a purpose and save time, money and heartache wrestling with aimless footage.

The workshop and through the simple practical exercises , you’ll learn how to:

• identify the story you want to tell

• capture those moments that will engage your audience

• find the right contributors to tell your story

• make any recording purposeful, saving time, energy, money and your sanity when editing your stories.

We’ll then move on to practical guidance on how best to capture your story, making filming simple and purposeful. You’ll learn:

• the essential equipment that won’t break the budget

• Key shots you need to tell your story effectively

• Good practice procedures on consent and filming

This workshop is designed to help you get clear on the story you want to capture, and the filming basics of how to do that.

Knowing how to tell your story also enables you - where appropriate - to work with local filming talent cost effectively, by being able to clearly communicate what footage you want and the story you want to tell.

Who is the workshop for?

Knowing what needs to be done and how to tell your story also enables you - where appropriate - to work with local filming talent cost effectively, by being able to clearly communicate what footage you want and the story you want to tell.

• NGO and charity staff working on the ground

• Communications teams wanting to tell their stories more effectively

• Organisations looking to build their stories effectively

• Teams wanting to maximise their storytelling potential

• Companies with ESG projects wanting to show genuine impact

Even organisations who intend to have a promotional film professionally will benefit from this workshop. By providing the production company with a focused brief and - setting them up for success in delivering a film that shows how valuable your work is.

Learn from my mistakes!

I’ve spent years filming in various locations around the world, both for TV and NGOs. From high-end documentaries to shoestring budgets. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. What I wish I realised earlier was that a major barrier to getting good content wasn’t about technical abilities but about lack of confidence in the story you want to tell and why. In this workshop I want to help you get clarity and confidence on the story you want to tell. Only then should you press record.

Once you have this essential knowledge you are free to delve into the millions of camera tips that are freely available online.

I would love to see more charities be able to make factual films that go beyond a retrospective interview and some slow-mo footage! Through this course I want you to be able to share impactful case studies and capture those moments that give meaning to your work.