A key part of the brief was making sure the content felt people focused rather than overly polished or corporate, so we approached the film with a deliberately hand held, observational style. Filmed across 11 days and involving 20 contributors, the challenge was not only capturing each individual story, but bringing them together into one clear and engaging campaign narrative. We wanted the footage to feel natural, immediate and relatable, so that audiences felt drawn into the conversations, environments and shared moments that sit at the heart of the work. This helped create a film that felt organic and accessible, allowing viewers to feel part of the project rather than removed from it.

Our photography followed the same thinking, taking a candid approach but with a real sense of personality, helping to keep the imagery human centred and full of warmth. It was also important that the final content sat comfortably within the University of Manchester’s 2035 branding and ambitions, reflecting both the university’s long term vision and its collaborative approach to research impact.