Bringing the Banks Homes Brand to Life
Two days. More than 30 scenes. Unpredictable weather. Two child models straight from school. What could possibly go wrong?
Recently, we headed to The Cornfields in Yarm to shoot the new Banks Homes brand film.
Using two of their beautifully designed show homes – The Sheraton and The Hawthorne – our brief was to create a film that did much more than showcase beautiful design and top specification. It needed to capture the feeling of living in a Banks Home. A place where life unfolds, memories are made and every detail has been designed with people in mind. Unique homes that are miles ahead of the competition.
Every great film starts with a story
Before anyone picked up a camera, we started with the narrative. This was the opportunity to really introduce, in motion, the Banks Homes’ proposition, ‘Homes designed by life’, that we’d all worked so hard on a couple of years back. It became the foundation of the film, alongside their brand pillars: Placed for Perfection, Style as Standard and Evolved for Tomorrow.
Rather than relying on a voiceover, we decided to let the visuals do the talking. The story would unfold through carefully crafted captions, allowing the audience to read the words at their own pace while becoming immersed in the scenes. It also meant the film could work just as effectively across social media, website, Experience Centres and investor or employer engagement.
The aim wasn’t simply to show houses.
It was to show life happening inside them.
Alongside our emotive story, we wanted to showcase the thoughtful details that set Banks Homes apart – the considered layouts, premium finishes and quality specification that’s included as standard. Those touches are often what turn a house into a unique, quality home, way ahead of the competitors, and they deserved their own moments on screen.
Turning ideas into a shoot
Once the narrative was in place, every scene was meticulously planned.
We built a detailed storyboard using recce photography and reference imagery, carefully mapping each shot against the story we wanted to tell. Every location, camera angle and transition had a purpose, ensuring we represented each of Banks Homes’ audiences and included all the unique features, while bringing their brand values to life naturally throughout the film.
One thing we’ve learnt over the years is that the best creative ideas come from collaboration, so our Videographer, Marcos Avlonitis, was involved from the very beginning. Having the production team contribute during the creative stage meant everyone was working towards the same vision long before shoot day arrived.
Then came the shot schedule.
If the storyboard is the creative vision, the schedule is the engine that keeps everything moving.
Every location, every prop, every lighting setup, every model, every piece of kit, every movement of the sun… it all had to be carefully coordinated. Pulling it together is no small task, but it’s what allows everyone on set to focus on creating great work rather than wondering what happens next.
Making showhomes feel like home
Ironically, one of our biggest jobs was making immaculate showhomes look a little less… immaculate.
Showhomes are designed to inspire. Everything is perfectly placed, beautifully styled and showroom-ready.
Real homes are a little different.
Marketing brochures disappeared. Showhome signs were quietly removed. Cushions were moved. Shoes appeared by the front door. Toys found their way into living rooms. Gardens suddenly felt lived in. We even introduced a carefully curated amount of everyday mess.
Because this wasn’t about creating picture-perfect interiors.
It was about capturing real life.
We wanted every scene to feel familiar, authentic and relatable, showing how thoughtfully Banks Homes has considered the way people actually live.
Living by the weather apps
Like on every outdoor shoot, the weeks before were spent frantically checking the weather.
After an especially rainy May, we found ourselves refreshing the forecast, hoping for a more settled June. The Experience Centre was only closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, giving us just two days to capture more than 30 scenes. There was no backup plan if the weather decided not to cooperate.
On the day, we experienced just about everything.
One minute we had glorious sunshine. The next, heavy showers. Then back to sunshine again.
It meant making quick decisions, reshuffling the running order and grabbing outdoor scenes whenever the weather gave us a window. Thankfully, the rain passed quickly, and we managed to capture every exterior shot we needed.
Sometimes flexibility and quick thinking are just as important as planning.
Chasing daylight
We were shooting in mid-June during the longest days of the year, which created another challenge.
The film called for both bright daytime scenes and warm evening moments, but asking an entire crew to wait around until 10pm wasn’t exactly practical.
Instead, careful lighting, considered composition and a little filmmaking magic helped us create the atmosphere we were after without keeping everyone on set late into the evening.
Tiny professionals
Our youngest models only became available after school had finished, which meant their scenes had to be scheduled right at the end of the day.
They arrived a little tired, understandably hungry and understandably shy, having walked into a house full of cameras, lights and unfamiliar faces.
Our job wasn’t just to direct them. It was to make them feel comfortable enough to simply be themselves.
Within minutes, they relaxed, their personalities came through, and some of our favourite moments from the entire film were captured almost effortlessly. Those natural smiles and interactions are exactly what help the finished film feel genuine.
Safe to say, they were absolute professionals.
When everything comes together
We’re incredibly proud of the finished film, and even happier that Banks Homes felt it captured exactly what their brand stands for: beautifully designed homes created for real life.
The shoot went brilliantly, even with the time restraints and weather challenges, we kept to schedule and even managed to capture a few bonus extra scenes too. A true team effort with a fantastic group of creatives, crew and clients to bring it all to life.
We’re all pretty proud of the final product, and most importantly, our clients were delighted.
Creative Team
Creative Director
Rich Bassett
Design
Jon Banks
Max Gregory
Ben Wright
Planning & Production
Liz Mason
DoP
Marcos Avlonitis
1st Assistant Camera
Rob Moore
2nd Assistant Camera
Esther Crow
Gaffer
Tom Spruce
