Short films made by a Hull-based production partnership as part of a series of health and social campaigns have been watched more than four million times in the first year of release.
The collaboration between Eskimosoup and NDE Films, saw a rebranding of the latter to Storyboard Media, co-locating into shared city offices with studio - and the figures have put the work into context.
The two firms produced the films on behalf of the Home Office, Humberside Police, NHS and all four local authorities in the area in a multi-agency venture.
Local cast and crew helped explore themes including mental health, domestic abuse, physical activity, aspiration, and surviving cancer.
The collective watch time of the films exceeds 260,000 hours, which equates to more than 30 years of solid viewing time.
All cinematography and editing has been carried out by Iain Thompson, director of Storyboard Media.
Iain, who has been making films for the past 17 years, initially under the NDE Films brand, said: “We set out with lofty ambitions, and I’m delighted to say, in many ways, these have been surpassed.
“It’s taken a lot of hard work from a dedicated and talented crew along with investment in new equipment to help us up our production values. This paired with high calibre clients who’ve had the vision to give us creative freedom on productions has pathed the way for such high reach and impact.”
One of the most viewed collaborations between the companies is a series of short films called ‘Alfie’s Story’, part of the Not in our Community campaign.
It is a four-part drama telling the story of a boy who is groomed and criminally exploited by an organised criminal gang as part of a County Lines drug dealing operation.
The film has been viewed in more than 90 countries and has been distributed throughout the UK as a resource for schools, police forces and youth services.
It attracted £17,000 of funding from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Home Office and Humberside Police.
The series of films have been written and produced by John Gilbert, director of social marketing agency Eskimosoup. He said: “Being able to turn real life experiences into film is a great honour for us. When a survivor of a harrowing experience choses to come forward to share their story, their motivation is always to help prevent what they have been through happening to someone else. It is that important, and we take seriously the need to tell a story with authenticity and purpose.
“We’re delighted at the way audiences have responded in the past year, and that we continue to get opportunities to tell the stories that matter.”
Eskimosoup and Storyboard are now in post-production with a documentary about organised crime and have been producing a short film made with mobile phones in actors’ homes that highlights the increased risks created during the Covid-19 lockdown.
All films produced are broadcast via YouTube.
