Some of the most powerful films we make at Nutmeg are also the most delicate. Filming someone’s story of bereavement, serious illness, homelessness or disability is a profound responsibility, and getting it wrong doesn’t just make a bad film, it can cause real harm to the person who trusted you with their story.

Over twenty years we’ve filmed beneficiary stories for Age UK, Independent Age, Sue Ryder, Shelter, Citizens Advice, Dravet Syndrome UK, NHS trusts and and many others. Here’s how we approach it.

The most effective charity and healthcare films are almost always built around a single person’s authentic story. Not statistics. Not spokesperson interviews. Not animations explaining a programme. A real person, telling their story in their own words, in a way that makes the viewer feel what it is to be in their position.

Our films for Age UK, Loneliness, followed a series of older people living alone. Their vulnerability was the films greatest strength. But it was also what made the production the most serious responsibility we carry in our work. When we finish these type of films what we are most proud of is not just the production, and that the films do their intended job, its that the participants, the families,  felt heard, respected and safe throughout.

The most important thing we bring to a beneficiary filming day is time. Rushing vulnerable contributors, particularly older people, people with serious illness or people with traumatic histories, almost always produces worse footage and, more importantly, a worse experience for the contributor.

We typically structure a beneficiary filming day around a long unhurried conversation before any camera is turned on. Our directors are experienced at putting people at ease, listening carefully, finding the threads of a story, helping contributors feel that what they have to say is genuinely interesting and important. Because it is. And it’s what we love doing.

Our films for Age UK, including the Loneliness DRTV films, exploring the reality of what a phone friend means for those living alone in later life, involved working with older people on subjects that were both personal and painful. The warmth and patience our team brings to those conversations is one of the things our clients consistently mention in feedback.

For some subjects, animation is not just an alternative to beneficiary filming, it’s a more ethical and more effective choice. When contributors need to remain anonymous. When the subject is so sensitive that live action footage would feel exploitative. When the audience themselves are experiencing the subject matter and need reassurance rather than confrontation.

Our Age UK End of Life animation is a good example. An animated film about preparing for death communicates with warmth and gentleness in a way that live action footage of bereaved families simply couldn’t, and it reaches the audience without putting anyone through a difficult filming experience.

Deciding whether live action or animation is the right choice for a sensitive subject is one of the first conversations we have with charity clients. We never assume one format is right just because it’s what was done before.