'Bustop' Here and Now Campaign, West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner
Channel: Slate and Mortar
Date: 2024-01-08

End Client: West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner
Agency Client: LH Comms
Project: Violence Against Women and Girls

We were commissioned via LH Comms to produce a series of videos for the West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner, to raise awareness and engagement with their ‘Here and Now’ campaign, which encouraged males to talk to their offspring about prioritising conversations on putting a stop to unacceptable male behaviours. The commissioners were keen to show what these conversations might look like, and it was decided early in development to dramatise them through the production of three individual short films that would appeal to their varied demographic range.

Scriptwriting was developed through collaboration with a freelance communications consultant and copywriter, who worked closely with the commissioner’s team to create a suitable draft, with Slate and Mortar then offering guidance to make the script more appropriate for the next stage of video production. Casting was completed using a local Birmingham agency so that regional accents remained authentic. Filming took place over two days, with the production utilising locations within the centre of Birmingham. This meant that video production permits had to be secured in advance, and production assistants had to be on hand to assist with directing members of the public. For this production, there was a crew of six, consisting of Director, Production Coordinator, Director of Photography, Sound Recordist, Camera Assistant and Runner. The film was shot on a single camera with prime lenses, and an easy rig steady-cam assist. Multiple takes were recorded from a range of angles, giving the editor plenty of options in post-production.

As the films had been carefully scripted, rehearsed and blocked in advance, editing was a fairly simple process with the Director working closely with the editor to pick the best angles and performances. Colour corrections, sound mix and branded graphics were then applied before final delivery, which was supplied in multiple formats for online distribution.