A Brilliant Day

Intro

Worthing Homes' A Brilliant Day project sought a Camera Operator, drone Pilot, Editor, early-riser, and also a Creative Director... all different hats that, when required, I wear at once. Worthing Homes approached me to create something that captured the spirit of their work and their people: not just another corporate overview, but something with pulse and purpose. Something authentic and real.

Worthing Homes were absolutely clear that they are a Community builder and a hub of resources. Their process is not linear; instead there is a circular nature to the teams that worked there. And what was I there to capture? A single day in the life of Worthing Homes, told through subtle micro-stories that looped back on themselves. A film that doesn't just stop when the credits roll, but quietly suggests that this work - this care - is happening every day. And the beating heart of Worthing Homes thrives on it.

Creative Direction

From the outset, I knew this couldn't feel staged. It needed to breathe. I started by mapping out a visual rhythm of what A Day In The Life would look like: quiet beginnings, a growing hum of activity, then the inevitable calm as the day winds down. This gave me a loose structure I could build on with visual callbacks, actions mirrored in different departments, visual motifs that circled back, people walking in and out of frame that triggered synconicity between their teams. I loved the idea of connecting shots this way and therefore connecting people and departments, nodding to that 'circular' rhythm at the business's core.

The big thing here was trust. Many of the staff were hesitant about being on camera. They weren’t actors or spokespeople, they were Housing Officers, Caretakers, Community Support workers. So instead of forcing interviews or posed scenes that would only feel staged at best and self-conscious at worst, I went light on kit and heavy on patience. I filmed from a distance. I listened more than I directed. And bit by bit, they let me in. We had short poignant lines of script that we were aiming for, but the confidence had to come first.

The Shoot

The opening shot meant getting up at 4am to catch the right light. Just the nature of the job! There’s something honest about that time of day and Worthing Homes were really pleased with the dedication we (We or I? It's been I all the way through but now this seems really humble and avoiding the spotlight) bought to the project straight off the bat. Then the people were arriving to start shifts, to sort vans, to open the blinds, to make tea and to connect with each other. Those are the moments that tell you everything about a workplace. It's why I get up so early on shoots like these. Because it's all too easy to turn up once everything has been placed and polished. But that doesn't show you who people really are.

I followed Housing Officers on their routes, dipped into community gardens, popped in on repairs teams. Sometimes I was just a shadow with a gimbal. Other times I was suggesting how someone might hold a document, or which side of the corridor to walk down so we didn’t get the fire exit in shot.

The real challenge? Making sure the 'human stuff' stayed human. As most of my shoots reflect, it was about the micro-stories, and small gestures make big differences. A phrase we used a lot in pre-production: "which were the '1% things' that people do". (I'd explain what this means!) I think we probably can think of someone who puts in that extra bit and makes the team shine.

Outcome: what the Client Got

The final piece was a short film that felt... warm. Circular. Familiar... I loved the reaction I got when revealing how the post-it note story (is this like Spec? Maybe say 'spec' instead of 'story'?)played out. It gave Worthing Homes something to show new starters, funders, partners and a kind of time-capsule of their day-to-day which says: "this is who we are, and this is what we care about." Most importantly, perhaps, it held up a mirror to them and their work ethic and left them with a reflection captured on film to hopefully make them feel proud of everything they strive to do and achieve.

It wasn't too flashy. But it worked because it didn’t pretend. And that’s something I’ll always stand behind.