Housing Instability

Independent Age are a leading nationwide charity supporting older people facing financial hardship. We were briefed to create a film that shines a light on the reality of housing instability and its impact on older people. An observational documentary style allowed the contributors’ stories to speak for themselves.

Working alongside the charity a contributor was identified who could convey their lived experience of the struggle with housing. Michael is a 69-year-old retired roofer who lost his home when recession crippled his business and livelihood.

The crew travelled to Laughton, Essex where Michael was staying on a friend’s sofa. Our expertise in making contributors feel comfortable in front of the camera helped with the capture of an emotional and deeply real account of his struggle to find housing.

We filmed several sequences of Michael in his day-to-day life to elevate the narrative. Using a multi-camera setup coupled with aerial drone shots, we provided a strong establishing sequence for Michael’s narrative. Our in-house post-production team drew out the most important moments of the interview and paired them with powerful b-roll sequences creating a striking and emotional film.