St. James' Promo

‍Key Points

• Client: St James' Secondary School, Bolton
• Job Title: School Promo Campaign
• Job Type: Multi-Purpose Video Production
• Location: Bolton, UK
• Time Frame: Shoot completed within a single school day
• Deliverables: Hero video, staff recruitment video, and short-form social content

The Challenge

St James' Secondary School approached us with a clear vision: to capture the essence of their school in a way that would inspire prospective students, parents, and staff. The challenge? Time was against us. With just one school day for filming, we needed to showcase the school’s rich academic and extracurricular offerings—ranging from engaging PE lessons to dynamic science experiments—while also weaving in heartfelt interviews with staff and students. Every second counted, and the final product needed to reflect the school’s ethos without missing a beat.

The Plan

Preparation was everything. We collaborated closely with the school to create a detailed filming schedule, identifying key classes and activities that best represented St James’ vibrancy and values. Our pre-production efforts included:

• Class Selection: Pinpointing lessons that showcased the energy, diversity, and academic strength of the school.
• Interview Design: Pre-planning questions to help staff and students share their perspectives authentically, in their own words.
• Logistics: Mapping out the most efficient shooting sequence to maximise our time and minimise disruptions to the school day.

This preparation meant we could hit the ground running on shoot day, capturing moments of connection and curiosity—from a hands-on science experiment that left students wide-eyed to an inspiring PE session that radiated energy and teamwork.

The Results

From a single, fast-paced school day, we delivered a suite of high-impact content:

1. A 2-minute hero video – A centrepiece film celebrating the spirit, culture, and unique strengths of St James’, designed to inspire students and families alike.
2. A 2-minute staff recruitment video – Highlighting the school’s welcoming community and professional opportunities, this piece was aimed at attracting passionate educators.
3. A series of 15-second cutdowns – Dynamic, engaging snippets optimised for social media, offering versatile, reusable promotional material.

Each video was crafted to reflect the school’s ethos—vibrant, inclusive, and dedicated to excellence. The visuals and messaging aligned seamlessly with their identity, amplifying their appeal to prospective students, parents, and staff.

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Client Feedback

Andy Leigh, Assistant Headteacher, shared his thoughts on the project:
"Eight Engines were a fantastic company to work with for our marketing campaign. Professional, efficient, and a superb end product. The thing that struck a chord with us was the way they picked up and projected our ethos perfectly without being constantly reminded and prompted about who we are and what we wanted our clients to get out of the film. The initial product was of such a high standard that we invited them back to produce another 4 short films. We will be using them again and we will recommend them to sister companies (but not competitors!)."

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