Project Description
Newbridge independent school lets its pupils tell the story in new Prep School promotional video to attract students
Newbridge Preparatory School is an independent school on the outskirts of Wolverhampton.
Their headteacher Nicky Burrows-Berry believes that children learn best and thrive when they're having fun – and that ethos runs throughout the school.
It's this atmosphere at the school that sets them apart from the local competitors – so when we were working with them to develop concepts for their new student recruitment promotional film, we knew we had to convey that.
The pre-production process
I visited Newbridge during the Easter holidays, and sat down with Headteacher Nicky for a half-day planning session.
After a tour of the school to get an idea of filming locations, we did a deep dive into what they wanted from the video.
We looked at:
- The current journey for prospective pupils, from enquiry to accepting a place
- What marketing they were doing currently
- Their competitors' offer and marketing
- What messaging they really wanted to get across in the video
- What kind of video style they liked, looking at different examples of videos
One of the things to come out of that meeting was that Nicky wanted something compelling, and something really different.
Loads of prep school promotional videos open the same way; drone shot, then pupils walking in greeted by headteacher.
It was very clear they absolutely didn't want that, they wanted to stand out from the crowd.
They're also really proud of their pupils, and of the friendly atmosphere they've created.
So we came up with a video concept which put their pupils at the heart of the video.
We asked students in their creative writing classes to share what they love most about the school.
Nicky then posted these to me, and we used their actual responses to formulate the script of the video – we wanted it to be really authentic.
Once the script was finalised, we used it to formulate the filming plan of the day, as you want the words and images to match up.
There's no point talking about how great the PE lessons are if you don't show any of them!
The filming process
With the filming schedule we'd got a list of where we were due to be and when; and also what shots we needed to get in each lesson.
Planning ahead like this helps to get the class teachers on board with the project, and means they can plan lessons which will look great on camera.
The vibe of the video was showing kids loving their learning, so our job was to get them to have as much fun as possible – very easy at a school like Newbridge!
I also brought a second videographer to the shoot, whose job was to capture drone footage and fun behind-the-scenes blooper content to enhance the video.
After we'd recorded all of the main visuals, it was time to get the voiceover recorded with the pupils.
We'd already assigned the script lines to different pupils, so they'd had time to practice their sections.
We used a soundproofed music room as our base, and set up a high quality boom microphone above a chair.
Both Nicky and myself sat with each pupil while they read their line. I helped to coach them on breath work, emphasis and tone – I used to work at BBC radio stations, so know a little about how to make your voice sound great!
And then Nicky was on hand to reassure the pupils, and approve the recording of each line so I knew she'd be happy with how it sounded in the video.
We slightly changed the set up for the nursery pupils who did voiceover lines. I sat cross legged with them in their reading corner, and held a microphone directly in front of them. They all did absolutely amazing, and were unbelievably adorable.
The editing process
For the main prep school promotional video, I sorted the voiceover out so it was the best take from each pupil, and this formed the narrative of the video.
After that it was a case of finding the right footage to match the words being said.
We also produced a behind the scenes / blooper video for this project. I suggested this because they wanted to get across how much fun their pupils have – and showing how involved they'd been in producing the video seemed a great way to do that.
Once the video was approved, I worked with Nicky and their website designed to make sure they'd got the formats of the video they needed – including some slightly more compressed ones to help with site loading speeds.
I also shared an in-depth document and screen recording explaining how to upload your videos in the most effective way for each platform.
What the client says:
We recently had the absolute pleasure of working with Hannah Quinn on our school video — and the entire experience from start to finish was exceptional.
From the very first pre-production meeting on site, Hannah was completely engaged. She really took the time to listen to my vision, and worked collaboratively to shape it into something even better. I especially appreciated how she involved the children in the script through their own creative writing — it meant the final film truly had their voice and spirit woven throughout.
Filming day was a dream. Hannah's warm, friendly and professional manner put everyone at ease — staff and pupils alike. The whole day ran so smoothly, and it was honestly great fun. Her ability to adapt, guide, and make every shot count made it feel effortless.
The final videos are simply wonderful. They capture the heart and soul of our school perfectly — the warmth, the individuality, the joy. We've had so much positive feedback already — parents, staff, and even prospective families have commented on how beautifully it reflects who we are.
Working with Hannah was brilliant. She's personable, flexible, creative, and clearly cares deeply about getting it right for her clients. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her — she made the process not just easy, but genuinely enjoyable.
- Nicky Burrows-Berry, Headmistress at Newbridge Prep School
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