Polymat

As college lecturers in our previous lives it’s always fun to be back amongst educators and students. 

PolyMat is a Multi Academy Trust based in Woolwich, who are committed to providing an outstanding education to children of all ages. 

We were asked to produce five films for all areas of the trust including The Boys and Girls School, Sixth form, a Teachers film and an overarching Trust film. 

This content would be used as marketing material aimed at parents of potential students and to draw attention to the magnificent work of PolyMat.

The style chosen for 4 of the 5 films was one of a documentary style, depicting a day in the life of a student and employee of PolyMa. The fifth film was to be a more interview-led piece focussing on the Trust and day to day running of the organisation. 

The casting of the roles proved to be an enjoyable experience, and all who applied did so with high energy levels and enthusiasm which continued into the filming process. Long days and multiple locations didn’t dampen any spirits and it was a pleasure working with some great young people. 

Before starting a project like this it’s important for us to storyboard the entire piece to make sure everything scripted is going to work. This is an invaluable process that pays dividends when shooting starts and it helps save so much time on the day knowing what shot size, movement and lines of dialogue are to be filmed. 

Once shooting began on location at Polymat we opted for a hand held visual style to give the piece the documentary, fly on the wall feel we were looking for. We wanted to make it look and feel like the viewer was spending the day with the students and teachers. 

During the  post production stage Dean had to work his magic on assembling the films and deciding on a colour grade for the pieces which suited the context and tone. 

We had such a good time working at Polymat and we can’t thank all involved enough for their commitment to the project. 

P.S We filmed a scene in a maths lesson and it became apparent Creative Pie Films should have spent more time concentrating in class…. YIKES!