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 super nice people
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.
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
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.
LUKORAN - ZADAR - CROATIA
Development of leisure and residential resort located at a beachfront location outside Zadar (Croatia). 100+ units mixed to individual villas and apartment buildings with pedestrian relaxation zone directly at the shore.
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.
CAMPAIGN 2 BUYERS
Campaign 2 will be generated from original filmed content at the newly built show home properties. We plan to spend 4 days on location filming with 2 couples within the apartments, villas and grounds but also in the surrounding local area to give a sense of place and lifestyle. We will showcase the emotional draw of owning one of these luxurious properties and establish how purchasing a leisure home will also be a sound investment for the future.
CAMPAIGN 2 BUYERS
Some entry thoughts to start creative development.
Possible approach: 1. Dynamic moves using motion control seamlessly take the audience through the space while multiple actions and scenes unfold within the shame shot. This approach helps to showcase the environment and also how potential buyers will use it.
Possible approach: 2. Key moments using our high speed cameras will capture a high octane moment in each environment with speed ramps to magnify that emotion and enhance the experience. We focus the on human interaction with the property / development and really showcase the fun and feeling you get.
Possible approach: 3. An emotive story showing the passage of time, could be seasons for example and establish the properties as amazing homes.
Possible approach: 4. Our characters travel past Croatian landmarks and arrive at the complex where they reveal to the audience the luxury and style of this incredible development, very character driven with a strong lifestyle feel and quirky interactions.
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.
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.
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.
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.
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
“Ember Films are a complete delight to work with, reliable, flexible, completely professional with fresh ideas and a pro-active, can-do attitude to everything. Working with them felt like an extension of my own team and we have built complete trust in their abilities as a production partner. Also very worth mentioning that they are really lovely people and are a joy to deal with, even under pressure and tight deadlines.”
Zoe Russel-Turner - Creative Producer, Airbnb
“Filming natural history can be tricky and unpredictable but Ember Films are the perfect partner. They combine flexibility, world-class facilities, equipment and technical know-how … all from a fun and friendly team. We’ll cross the country to work with them!”
CHADDEN HUNTER - Producer BBC Frozen Planet, Wild Arabia, Planet Earth 2.
”I have had the absolute pleasure of working with Ember Films over the past 3 years on our marketing campaigns, and can honestly say without question they are the best film company I have worked with over the past 20 years. Their ability to completely immerse themselves within your brand and anticipate the look and feel you want before you’ve even thought it, is quite remarkable.
Jonathan and his team are incredibly talented both individually and collectively making them a super creative and driving force with any project you throw at them, in fact I would go as far to say, the bigger and more elaborate the project, the more creatively hungry they are to deliver not just the parameters of the brief, but smash it out of the park altogether.
They are an inspiring bunch of people and I look forward to working them over and over again for years to come.”
GRAHAM GORDON - Founder / Creative Director, Block & Last
“We teamed up with Ember Films with the aim of creating visually stunning content to support the launch of our new CP.3 cinematography lenses, and they did not disappoint. We were well aware of the quality of the work that they produce, we provided them with a short brief and an even shorter time-frame. They were able to quickly understand the message we were trying to get across and created an amazing series of films that ticked all the right boxes. Highly recommended!”
ADAM KIDMAN - Partnership Marketing Executive, Zeiss
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