EMBER FILMS
An ELITE and highly SPECIALISED team capable of achieving ANY PROJECT of ANY SCALE virtually ANYWHERE
Thank you for inviting us to pitch on this brief. We would be pleased to have the opportunity to work with you on this project. We have vast experience delivering large scale projects for similar businesses across the world within the property and real estate sector and understand the importance of connecting with potential investors and buyers during the early stages of development.
Having travelled the world as part of the principal crew and production team for the likes of the BBC, Netflix and Disney, to name a few, as well as some of the world’s leading brands, we are accustomed to planning, producing and filming overseas and have the knowledge required to shoot in different countries, whilst managing the logistics and safety of the crew and talent seamlessly throughout. Ember own all the specialist camera equipment you will need to shoot these commercials as well as our founder being a multi-Emmy award-winning Director, who will bring the project to life. You can rest assured you will have a commercial of the highest quality.
We appreciate the premium aesthetic that is required to engage your target market and have the collective skills to realise the ambition of the project to ensure you can appeal to your key demographic who are looking to invest in luxury overseas leisure property in a beautiful and stylish part of the world.
As a UK based production company working on global projects, we have the perfect team, skills and experience to execute this production and deliver this campaign to the highest standard by creating two commercials that will excite and entice your UK audience.
We are proud to be part of the Advertising Producers Association.
OUR MANTRA
THIS IS THE FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING WE DO
We are CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVERS, Visual Storytellers and above all supernice People
WHY EMBER
Ember is an independent production company based in the UK with a proud history of delivering unique work for some of the world’s leading brands, broadcasters and streaming platforms. Founded in 2009 Ember’s ethos has never changed, we always put craft and technology at the heart of everything we do.
As a studio we seamlessly navigate between Natural History, Advertising and Entertainment covering both long and short form. We are thinkers and creative problem solvers and believe that ideas need flexibility and the space to grow. We believe in bringing the very best people to every project allowing for the unique challenges and demands to not only be met but exceeded. Our heads of department boast industry awards including multiple Emmy wins and BAFTA nominations and more importantly have a deep-rooted technical understanding and the experience to realise projects of all sizes.
OUR BACKGROUND
Ember began as a post production facility with a unique grounding in cinematography growing at a time when the two disciplines collided. When everything went digital our vast experience of analog allowed us to be recognised as a major player within this new landscape.
Today, our reputation extends across all genres from feature films, commercials and landmark TV series.
We have had the privilege to form the principal cinematography team for the global series Planet Earth 2 and have just completed a Disney movie and our own eight-part Netflix Original Series, written, produced and directed all in house. We have continued to make commercials for some of the world’s largest brands, including a global marketing campaigns for Jaguar Land Rover which aired on TV this month.
OUR AIM & ETHOS
We always try to push the boundaries of production to create content that is engaging, considered and thought provoking. We achieve this by having a highly skilled team with a wealth of experience. We build relationships with our clients and establish trust, which we believe this is key to a successful project. We do this by ensuring that every production is managed diligently with a dedicated producer to be your point of contact from start to finish. In short, we champion our no-ego approach in everything we do and work alongside our clients to ensure they have the best experience we can offer.
CLIENT NAME
We are committed to adding value to this project in the form of equipment, resources and time that are outside of the budget. As we own all our equipment in-house, we can utilise our extensive resource at a fraction of the cost over other production companies. The ultimate benefit is an end-to-end production company, where we ensure the workflow is streamlined and the communication is clear and effective between HOD’s during every phase of production, ultimately building a relationship with [CLIENT NAME] based on honesty and trust.
It’s all about giving you confidence and peace of find.
HOW WE ACHIEVE THIS
WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE
EMBER IS YOUR PERFECT PRODUCTION PARTNER
We care about your audience.
OUR RESPONSE TO THE BRIEF
When the Ember creative team discussed this brief the first word we all agreed was at the top of the list was ‘premium’.
We want to showcase this word by generating stunning content to tell the story of the Lukoran development and the surrounding area of Zadar whilst showcasing the properties through beautiful imagery and cinematography that feels elite and aspirational.
The aim is for the audience to feel as though they are sharing in the intimate moments that we all want to experience with our loved ones when away on holiday whilst in the comfort of beautiful and restful surroundings. We will shoot with a shallow depth of field to defocus the background and will keep movement in the camera to help give honesty and relaxed fun and enjoyment to the piece.
We want the lifestyle scenes to resonate with the audience and sell the dream to potential investors and buyers who will ultimately want to own one of these outstanding luxury properties to share with their family and friends as a place to recharge their batteries.
CAMPAIGN 1 INVESTORS
Campaign 1 will require us to combine the 3D models and visualisations of the development with high-end stock footage to generate a showcase of what investors can expect from this beautiful resort. We will maximise the two elements in a seamless yet fast based and energetic style. We want to capture the attention of investors by promoting what will be achieved during the first and second phase of the development along with the potential future financial gain from the property sales. Key stats and expected growth with be shared through the use of dynamic but sleek infographics and 2D animation to enhance the key messaging and provide a punchy and informative insight into the benefits of purchasing bonds at an early stage.
Examples of work showing the pace and direction of the style and energy we’d suggest for this campaign that we have produced.
Why we think our approach will work best for your brand/product
DATA DOESN'T LIE
In this section we will present data about their target audience, their market and potential outreach. We will also present them with similar ad campaigns that had great success.
“When creating an ad pitch, remember that the thing that holds the decision-maker back is uncertainty about whether it will work. Your best bet is to collect examples of previous ad campaigns that are similar and to present the results. Another option is to find data about your target market and why they would respond positively to your ad. This will make your pitch convincing and inform you if your ad will work.”
We want you to have maximum success.
CASE STUDIES
Land rover - New Discovery - Global Campaign
30 years of Discovery
In 1989, Land Rover launched the first Discovery, in a bid to create a fusion of a vehicle that would provide rugged capability, with a luxury interior.
The interior offered comfort with features suitable for everyday life and ultimately receiving critical acclaim at the time, including a British Design Award in 1989.
As Discovery progressed over the years, towing remained a pillar of its capabilities, which would eventually become an award-winning feature in later editions.
Discovery - 2021
The New Discovery is a vehicle worth celebrating, and required a global campaign to launch the newest model in 2021. The team at Spark44 approached Ember to bring the brand New Discovery & her capabilities to screens in our very own homes.
The vision was to explore the 7-seat family capacity of the vehicle, whilst keeping the versatility of on and off road driving and the vehicles luxury comforts at the forefront of the campaign.
With eight Features & Benefit films, two PR films, and three 20 second commercials for TV, due to be shot in the height of a global pandemic, Ember was ready for the challenge.
NEVER stop discovering
Tasked with creating 13 different films, Ember formulated the most efficient way of capturing the Discovery, without compromising creative.
From the vehicle’s capability and technology, to versatility and accessories, the series of features and benefit films showcase the vehicle’s performance and abilities across many types of terrain challenges. This family-orientated vehicle navigated the country roads & beaches with ease, looking right at home on the Norfolk Coast.
Using Ember’s extensive range of highly technical kit, we were able to shoot the campaigns content, whilst cross-shooting with renowned stills photographer, Richard Prescott.
Discovery in Post
There’s nothing like being one-step ahead. Ember prides itself on being creative and technically minded. We have refined a system in which footage was offloaded straight out of the camera, directly into the edit timeline, only metres away from the set.
Ultimately by the time we had wrapped 2 weeks of filming, Ember & Land Rover walked away with 1st version edits of three 20 second commercials, multiple on-set assemblies of the features and benefit films, and daily reels in which rushes were dropped into for review purposes.
This propelled the edit process to be weeks ahead of schedule, leaving more time for review & finessing, avoiding that crunch time rush.
The next chapter...
Given the campaign’s success, our films are currently being versioned for use across multiple other territories, including the US.
After working on a previous project with Land Rover & Spark44 (Warning Signs), we have built a great relationship with both companies, who continue to bring exciting new projects, of any size and scale to Ember’s door.
This requires us to be highly responsive, but nonetheless always ensure that our work is produced to an exceptionally high standard.
This is a premium & luxury brand, which demands no less.
Immunocore - Think ink
unseen
Uveal Melanoma is a rare tumor of the eye. 90% of patients do not show symptoms of a systematic disease. It’s a disease that quickly metastasises to the liver and other parts of the body. The Think Ink campaign was developed to raise awareness for medical professionals and patients alike.
The approach
Aimed at optometrists, ophthalmologists and oncologists to raise awareness of Uveal Melanoma – a rare and often overlooked cancer which starts in the eye and can be fatal within 12 months. Something specific and memorable was needed to ensure recognition of a case and the need to take immediate action. Think Ink is an external visualisation of a disease that starts in the eye and spreads through the circulatory system to the liver. Survival is only 12 months once Uveal Melanoma is in the liver, so it needs to be spotted early. An initial ink drop spreads down the face and across the body – paced to create a tense, dramatic film without it falling into mock horror. As the film develops, the volume of ink and the speed of runs ramps up across the body, finally revealing a man consumed by disease and emotional resignation etched on his face.
Generating ink
Syneos came to Ember because of our vast experience in filming live action plates for Visual Effects and the ability to seamlessly implement the visual effects with our in-house team and facilities. We were tasked with creating a 30” ad and series of high-resolution stills for print. With our specialist team of artists, we could advise on the best approach and execute to the highest standard.
Efficiency
What would usually require a small army of VFX artist we were able to all facilitate in-house. From 3D Camera Tracking, Body Tracking to complex Fluid simulations, we didn’t leave any stone unturned to achieve the best possible result. We invested in an additional step ‘drawing’ the way the fluid would spread across the body to ensure clients and agency are able to precisely direct our approach and to maximise efficiency later down the pipeline.
Recognition
The work was incredibly well received across the globe, achieving honorable mentioning in the Lürzer’s Archive and winning a Bronze Clio award.
Canon - Refugium
Breaking through
Canon has always been at the forefront of digital image capture and been very successful with their medium range film cameras like the c300 and the c500. With the Canon C700FF, the idea was to break through the barrier that would enable to engage with the high-end filmmaking market.
The newly developed Full Frame CMOS Sensor offers low noise, wide colour gamut and a wide dynamic range of 15-stops for greater freedom and a more natural look when grading. It can shoot 5.9k at 60 frames per seconds in RAW. This really is a step to the big leagues for Canon.
Not like any other demo
Canon approached us to put the camera through its paces, but we didn’t want to just shoot another meaningless series of images that showcase the cameras capabilities. Instead we made Refugium. A high-production value, cinematic trailer set in a world where bees have become extinct, the food chain has broken down and the world has fallen into chaos. Men are conscripted to protect the country’s borders while vigilantes fight for survival.
3 days
But it wasn’t just the Camera who would have to perform to the highest standard. The whole shoot was meticulously planned, storyboarded and then executed over only 3 days featuring [50] Actos and Extras, [10] locations and a wider variety of equipment. We really wanted to prove that this camera deal with everything. Low light situations, being mounted on a crane, using both anamorphic and spherical lenses and shoot with special and for visual effects. The key to make this work was the team behind the camera with the wider Ember family having worked together for more than 10 years.
Post-Apocalypse & Post-Production
But filming it is only half of what needs to be done to achieve cinematic quality. Our in-house post-production team and facilities enabled us to execute a highly precise edit where every shot, beat and sound has to perfectly harmonise. Shooting in RAW gave us the ability to really push the footage and gave it the unique look it deserved – in HDR.
Conclusion
This project really enabled us to flex our artistic muscles and really push ourselves and the product to achieve a really unique film that has never been done like that before. With our experience, our highly specialized team and that Ember mindset everything came together to transport the audience into this other world.
For us Style and substance belong together
OUR VISUAL STYLE
We will find the right balance between authentic and elevated throughout these films. It’s that magic blend of charming and real. Where we keep within the ‘real world’ in clothing, locations, and natural performance, but we will enhance with camerawork and lighting, to make this feel truly cinematic. We want to utilize natural light where possible whilst using cinematic framings and transitions to amplify the desire for people to want to own one of these properties and ultimately the lifestyle that goes hand in hand. The lighting will be warm and rich to give a filmic quality to the footage. We will also shoot at different times of day to create cinematic textures in our lighting.
THE EDITING STYLE
To compliment our shooting approach we will be looking for sincere performances where nothing is overplayed. This will be intercut with aside moments that help capture a sense of place. It’s all in the detail and our pace of edit will help not only excite the audience but give them an emotional response.
SOUND & MUSIC
Our audio intention will focus on composition where the action and music drive each other to create excitement and pace. Sound design will be used to bring environments to life while a voice over will reinforce key messages.
Cast is key and we make sure that you get the right talent for the right job.
All you have to do is make a choice.
THE CASTING
We’d suggest using 2 couples from different age demographics to cover the audience you need to appeal to. Additionally, we’d suggest we look for ‘real’ couples/families. Not only does it help with Covid safety when working in close proximity, but often the chemistry you get between everyone will be even more believable and authentic. We want to create a safe space for our cast to express themselves and often working with an already familiar pairing brings a clever angle to pull out the best performances. We want them to be natural and at ease, nothing forced or fake. We’ll be looking for charismatic and charming faces, that become recognisable to the viewer on repeat watch. We have a lot of experience in similar situations having cast and made multiple films now for Jaguar Land Rover. We would aim to meet as many couple’s as we could (over zoom workshops) to determine who’s got the best chemistry and relaxed vibe to deliver the lifestyle elements we want your audience to automatically feel drawn to. When casting these couples, we will specifically be looking for mixed ethnicity couples to give the campaign a grounding and greater appeal so that it is representative of the wide community and ethnicities from across the UK and further afield.
All liaising with the talent agencies will be carried out by our in house producers and coordinators to ensure that we have the correct licensing in place and get the best possible talent for the project. Models can often come across a little forced on camera so we will be aiming to find couples that have acting experience in order to reduce the commercial ‘cheese actor’ that can so often come across when the talent are not required to speak.
Safety is incredibly important to us
COVID SAFETY
Covid safety is also now of paramount importance. Ember adhere to strict Covid shoot guidelines and manage all potential risks with diligence. Risk assessments are generated ahead of any filming for both production safety and Covid 19 regardless of the size of the production. Testing systems are in place and provision for social distancing and PPE will remain a key consideration throughout all stages of the production and post production process.
We have a proven track record trusted by broadcasters and international agencies.
“One day of pre-production is worth two days of production”
KEY SCHEDULES
Ember will work closely with you to help develop a timeline of key dates. We will set micro deadlines for you so that you know exactly when versions of content will be available for review and feedback, this will include a critique process leading to sign off. We operate a three round amend process giving you ample opportunity to collate feedback ensuring your films are both on brand and aligned with any wider campaigns. We will keep your production on track, on time and on budget.
THE PRODUCTION
We would love to work with you to develop these ideas further and to ensure we execute and deliver the message of your brand and development. We will work closely with you to find out more about your existing and previous campaigns and combine our ideas and suggested creative direction to mould and formulate an aspirational and enticing commercial for your real estate needs. We ultimately want to ensure that your call to action is clear and that your audience engage with the brand and feel compelled to want to find out more.
Our fantastic team of producers will plan any filmed sequences seamlessly following strict APA shoot guidelines to ensure full Covid compliance and safety throughout. All logistics, flights and travel arrangements will be planned seamlessly keeping update with all Covid related changes in each country to ensure the health and safety of all involved throughout the production.
We want to feature a range of age groups, genders and ethnicities so would suggest focusing on 2 couples from different age brackets talent to reflect the diverse nature of the clientele you want to attract to the resort.
Lastly, our in-house post team will allow us to edit, colour and sound design the footage to the highest standard ahead of any delivery to Clearcast and finally on to Sky Adsmart. Music and VO options will be shared and discussed with you throughout the production phase to ensure it compliments the tone and feel of the brand and resort fully.
THE BUDGET
There are lots of ways in which we can approach the production, but the creative direction and approach you choose will of course dictate the size and scale of the production requirements and ultimately the overall quality of the outcome.
We have tried to breakdown the cost of achieving what is required into 3 different brackets (Gold, Silver and Bronze). Each one would be dependent on what is needed to deliver the various creatives. The size of crew, scale of equipment and calibre of talent would be scaled up or down to achieve the results.
Please see the basic budget breakdowns on the following page that would apply to some of the approaches suggested in the earlier slides (detailed budget breakdowns are also available on request).
The budgets do not currently include any Covid 19 related costs. We would need to discuss the gov regulations in each country and the requirements at the time of travel and shooting but we should assume that at a minimum, all crew, talent and any attendees will need to have a private PCR test ahead of travel which is approx £100 per head and then again on return. There may be quarantine costs to consider but this can be discussed in isolation when we know more about the direction of the production creative so this can be planned and costed appropriately.
If budgets need reducing further we could look at reducing the number of shoot days on location to help bring the estimates down further. We are very open to discussing the budget you may have in mind and trying our best to suggest the best possible approach in relation to that figure.
BUDGET BREAKDOWNS
GOLD APPROX £115K (APPROACH 1/2 OR SIMILAR)
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
STORYBOARDS/ANIMATICS
FULL PRE PRODUCTION
PLANNING/LOGISTICS
LOCAL FIXER
10 X UK CREW (INCLUDING DIRECTOR, DOP, ART DIRECTOR)
4 X FILMING DAYS
2 X TRAVEL DAYS
FULL PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT AND LIGHTING INCLUDING MOCO RIG
4 X UK TALENT AND LICENSING
INCLUDES ALL FLIGHTS, TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION
POST PRODUCTION FOR BOTH CAMPAIGNS AND DELIVERY
SILVER APPROX £85K (APPROACH 3 OR SIMILAR)
PRE PRODUCTION (reduced days)
PLANNING/LOGISTICS
LOCAL FIXER
7 X UK CREW (INCLUDING DIRECTOR, DOP,)
4 X FILMING DAYS
2 X TRAVEL DAYS
PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT AND LIGHTING
LOCAL H&MU ARTIST/STYLIST
4 X LOCAL CROATIAN TALENT AND LICENSING
INCLUDES ALL FLIGHTS, TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION FOR CREW ONLY
POST PRODUCTION FOR BOTH CAMPAIGNS AND DELIVERY
BRONZE APPROX £65-70K (APPROACH 4 OR REPORTAGE)
PRE PRODUCTION (reduced days)
PLANNING/LOGISTICS
LOCAL FIXER (reduced days)
5 X UK CREW (Director/DOP combined)
4 X FILMING DAYS
2 X TRAVEL DAYS
PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT AND LIGHTING
LOCAL H&MU ARTIST/STYLIST
4 X LOCAL CROATIAN TALENT AND LICENSING
INCLUDES ALL FLIGHTS, TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION FOR CREW ONLY
POST PRODUCTION FOR BOTH CAMPAIGNS AND DELIVERY
A BIT MORE ABOUT US
STORY BOARDS
BRINGING IDEAS TO LIFE
POST PRODUCTION & COLOUR GRADING
We operate full, in-house post-production services including 8K resolution edit suites and colour grading facilities. Adding unique sound design twinned with individually composed music. Having everything in-house allows us to make any necessary changes quickly and at a minimum cost to you. The final films can then be delivered to you in multiple formats for any output. We archive to LTO7 which guarantees your footage for thirty years, giving you the opportunity to re-visit, re-cut, and add extra footage, to keep your content current and up to date.
PRODUCTION PHOTOGRAPHY
Along with our motion team, we also offer compelling production photography, which includes product, lifestyle, action, landscape and whatever else you might require. These images are retouched and delivered to you in multiple formats and resolutions to repurpose for your needs. Our full service film studio also supports both the stills and video teams.
Producing photography and film at the same time ensures consistency across the brand and is a service we champion.
DRONE AERIALS
Ember is pushing the boundaries of aerial image capture and making it accessible. Our fully CAA licensed drone pilots can capture stunning 6K footage, taking production values literally to new heights. Our systems are dual operated by a pilot and camera/gimbal operator with a live video stream to the ground ensuring we capture the perfect shot.
*Please note that weather conditions may apply.
HIGH SPEED
Ember is one of the few companies in the UK to own a Phantom Flex 4K which allows 1000 frames per second at the best quality 4K DCI on the market. Our lights are spec’d for this image capture and our post production pipeline has been tailored to handle this unique footage with ease. We have just placed an order for a robotic arm that will move seven meters a second to allow for complex motion control moves to really experience things never seen before.
FILM STUDIOS
Ember operates a full service studio at one of it’s facilities. The main studio space including an infinity cove with a 30ft ceiling height. Our lighting truss supports over a tonne, there are 3x 63amp power feeds and electric shutters for drive in access.
The space also includes: a unique first floor viewing room, 2 green rooms, dressing/makeup room, free on site parking, full painting, set building and carpentry services and full catering to suit all needs.
GRAPHICS & VFX
Embers in house vfx team can handle a vast array of work including clean up, rotoscoping, 3D, 2D, compositing and virtual production. Our work has taken us all over the world and we are currently in production on some very exciting projects.
SUMMARY
Ember is one of the most technically advanced production and post-production houses in the UK. We have established relationships with all terrestrial broadcasters and some of the world’s largest brands and streaming platform. We have extensive experience in commercial delivery platforms to broadcast, cinema, and the web. We are an end-to-end production company with 100% resources in house including everything from 8K cameras, drones, tracking vehicles, post production facilities, film studios, motion graphics and much more. All the above is complimented by our multi-award-winning team. This level of resource allows us to be extremely effective in producing content on time and on budget.
Our ultimate goal is to work closely with you and build a relationship centered on producing exclusive and engaging content that is on brand. We feel that our knowledge of the industry and love for creating beautiful films combined with our experience, makes Ember the perfect choice for your project.
THANK YOU
