Explore practical insights from the Cass Productions team on planning and producing effective video, animation, aerial filming and digital content. We share production advice, behind-the-scenes thinking and lessons from projects across healthcare, research, education, public-sector communications, business and sport
Drawing on more than 25 years of production experience, we explore the practical and creative decisions behind successful projects. From preparing contributors and choosing the right format to improving accessibility and creating content for multiple platforms, our insights are designed to help organisations plan more effective communications.
Latest insights
Beyond the Screen: How Frame-by-Frame Animation is Saving Lives for WHO’s PPH Toolkit
The Critical Challenge: A Universal, Life-Saving Message
Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH) remains the single leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. While effective emergency toolkits exist, the greatest challenge is global accessibility. The World Health Organisation (WHO), in partnership with EMOTIVE, needed a video that could transcend language, cultural and literacy barriers.
They approached us needing a film that was both strategic and sensitive. Our creative team proposed the concept “Walk of Life”, a fully inclusive silent film that is universally accessible, eliminating the need for voiceovers, subtitles or translation. This approach ensured the film was agnostic of any single institution and could cover the wider, collective story of research into life-saving measures in a beautiful and impactful way.
The Creative Blueprint: Designing with Compassion and Precision
Inspired by Elizabeth Stanton’s stark observation, “Alone she goes to the gates of death to give life to every man that is born into the world,” we created the ‘walk of life’ narrative where the central figure walks a continuous road. As the road progresses, the woman walking changes, showing multiple ethnicities and cultures. This visually represents the danger of childbirth faced by “one woman, all women”; they tread the same precarious path.
When creating the animation, we prioritised making every moment feel deeply human and emotionally charged. This required combining detailed research with technical efficiency:
Technical Planning & Cultural Nuance
To achieve this ambitious vision under a tight deadline, the walk cycle design was crucial:
- We started by perfecting a single main walk cycle, ensuring the weight and balance were suitable for all women, even with changes in clothing or when carrying objects.
- To facilitate a fast turnaround, the legs and arms cycles are the same across all three women, only changing in colour.
- The crucial elements that convey culture and background, the dresses, faces, and other details, were drawn individually for each woman. This allowed us to balance production efficiency with genuine cultural representation.
Hand-Drawn Detail & Emotional Context
We ensured the animation spoke directly to the communities affected by PPH:
- We spent a great deal of time researching and gathering references from the countries most affected by PPH. This guided our visual choices: warm yellows and soft pinks for Tanzania, rich greens for Sri Lanka and sandy browns for Afghanistan.
- The textures on the dresses were drawn by hand and stamped across each frame to provide more depth and detail to the shots.
- The last step was to add subtle shading to bring depth to the shots and make it fit in with the rest of the film. We also ensured the side aspect throughout avoided showing graphic angles.
Finding Meaning in the Movement
One of the most emotional shots in the piece is the moment where the father stands over his partner’s grave, holding the baby she gave birth to before she passed away. It’s a quiet, intimate scene that carries immense emotional weight.
As he holds the newborn close to his chest, he also clutches a single flower. A petal loosens and drifts downwards, eventually settling on the grave. We animated this moment by hand, drawing each frame to give the petal a sense of delicate fluidity and life. The soft, organic movement of the falling petal became a powerful symbol of loss, love and the fragile beauty of memory, a depth of feeling only possible with a dedicated frame-by-frame approach.
Conclusion
The EMOTIVE PPH animation demonstrates the power of animation to transcend language and cultural barriers while still handling a sensitive subject with deep respect and impact. By combining careful, sensitive research with meticulous frame-by-frame execution, we helped the WHO produce a vital training resource that will support healthcare workers and ultimately save lives.
Ready to Discuss Your Complex Project?
Do you have a sensitive or highly technical subject that needs to be simplified and communicated globally?
Contact Cass Productions today to discuss how our bespoke animation and production services can transform your complex message into a clear, emotionally resonant, and life-changing visual story.
Gary
Behind the scenes on our FPV drone shoot with the DJI Avata
FPV Drone Filming Behind the Scenes at Cass Productions
FPV Drone filming has transformed the world of video production, giving filmmakers the ability to create ultra-dynamic, immersive shots that simply can’t be achieved with traditional drones. At Cass Productions, we saw the potential early and in 2022, we jumped in and added FPV capability to our production toolkit. Since then, FPV Drone Filming has become one of our most exciting and versatile creative techniques.
Here at Cass Productions, we have used drones for years to enhance our visual storytelling. But when one of our drone operators became certified to fly FPV drones, we knew it was time to level up our aerial work. That’s when we introduced the DJI Avata, our first dedicated FPV drone and opened the door to a whole new style of high-energy, cinematic movement.
Whether you’re new to FPV Drone Filming or looking to polish your flying skills, this in-depth breakdown shares what we learned while prepping for our first FPV shoot, along with practical tips to help you get more out of your flights.
(If you’re interested in our other filming techniques, check out our University Video Production page here.)
PRE-PRODUCTION FOR FPV DRONE FILMING
Our first major project using FPV Drone Filming came from a sixth-form college in Hampshire. They approached us to create a promotional video that shifted perceptions of the college being “sports-focused” and instead showcased the full student experience. After researching what prospective students wanted to see, one insight stood out clearly: they were far more interested in the look and feel of the college environment than in lengthy interviews. They wanted energy, atmosphere, movement, less talking, more visuals.
This was the perfect opportunity for FPV Drone Filming to shine.
We proposed a cinematic fly-through of the college, using highly coordinated transitions to move the FPV drone from classrooms to sports halls to breakout spaces. FPV drones, especially the DJI Avata, allow for quick accelerations, tight manoeuvres and smooth glides, ideal for showcasing large spaces in one continuous flow.
Using Tools to Plan Drone Filming Safely
With the brief locked in, our first task was flight planning. We always begin by checking the area using Drone Safety Map, a crucial tool for identifying no-fly zones, obstacles, FRZs (Flight Restriction Zones) and general airspace conditions.
This kind of preparation matters even more with FPV Drone Filming because pilots often navigate tighter indoor routes or complex exterior spaces. Drone Safety Map gives us a clear overview of:
- airports or airfields nearby
- environmentally sensitive areas
- temporary restrictions (like event airspace)
- terrain and infrastructure hazards
This tool helps us stay compliant and safe and avoids any surprises during shooting.
FLIGHT SAFETY IN FPV DRONE FILMING
During our checks, we noted that our intended route was located close to Southampton Airport, but still outside the red Flight Restriction Zone. Even though we were in a legal flying zone, we remained vigilant for NOTAMs (Notices to Air Missions) that could temporarily restrict airspace.
Before any FPV Drone Filming session, we complete:
- A full risk assessment
- A detailed flight plan
- An emergency procedure plan
- A safety briefing with the on-site team
FPV drones move fast and respond quickly, so having a structured plan ensures both safety and creative control.
With the flight cleared and the paperwork completed, we turned to equipment checks, battery levels, propellers, goggles, SD cards and calibration. With FPV Drone Filming, you want zero surprises once the goggles go on.
ON-SET FPV DRONE FILMING
Once on location, we worked closely with the college staff to map our route through corridors, classrooms and open spaces. The versatility of FPV Drone Filming meant we could craft long seamless sequences that showcased the college from a student’s perspective, immersive, fast-paced and full of life.
We executed:
- fast forwards pushes into classrooms
- sweeping arcs above desks
- tight turns through doorways
- reveal shots into larger halls
- dynamic passes through communal areas
Gary
How using 2D animation can benefit your organisation
2D Animation for UKRI: Technology Missions Fund Explainer
The use of 2D animation in a business or organisation can be extremely beneficial. Animated visuals are particularly effective at capturing attention, enhancing engagement and compellingly reinforcing your message. Put simply, animated videos simplify complex ideas in a way that is easy for your audience to understand. Whether the goal is education, storytelling or brand communication, 2D animation offers a level of clarity and creativity that other formats often struggle to achieve.
If you’re interested in how we apply motion design across other projects, you can also explore our University Video Production case study.
THE PROJECT: 2D ANIMATION FOR UKRI
Our client for this project was UKRI (UK Research and Innovation).
This 2D animation aimed to explain the Technology Missions Fund, designed to accelerate technological development across four major sectors:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Engineering Biology
- Future Telecommunications
- Quantum Technologies
Through the animated video, UKRI wanted to illustrate how they support the emergence and development of technologies that have the potential to positively impact society and the economy. This made 2D animation the perfect medium, clear, engaging, informative and accessible.
CONCEPT & PLANNING FOR THE 2D ANIMATION
The primary objective was to produce an explainer 2D animation that presented the Technology Missions Fund in an engaging, creative and visually clear way. Once the script was finalised, our first step was storyboarding.
Storyboarding allowed us to break down complex technical content into digestible, well-paced visuals. Because the video represented multiple sectors, each one needed to have a distinct identity yet felt part of a unified overall narrative. During this phase, we also planned the motion transitions, ensuring the flow from one sequence to the next felt smooth and intuitive.
To create the storyboard, we used Storyboarder, a free tool by Wonder Unit that has become a core part of our animation workflow. Its seamless integration with Photoshop lets us work within a familiar environment while giving us the speed and flexibility needed for efficient iteration. With drag-and-drop scene organisation and quick annotation tools, Storyboarder helps us adapt and refine the story as ideas evolve, making it ideal for fast-moving 2D animation projects.
The conceptual phase forms the backbone of any successful animated film. It allows us to establish tone, pacing and visual hierarchy, ensuring the final 2D animation communicates complex ideas with confidence and clarity.
DESIGN & STYLE: CREATING A DISTINCT 2D ANIMATION LOOK
Building on the crisp vector style of a previous UKRI commission, we expanded and refined the visual style for this project.
We added depth by layering scenes, developing more detailed assets and using subtle shading to create visual interest without overcomplicating the design. The clean illustration style and technical colour palette gave the animation a trustworthy, modern aesthetic, perfect for a fund focused on innovation.
For asset creation, we used Adobe Illustrator, allowing us to work entirely in vector format. This ensured that every graphic element remained sharp and scalable, regardless of screen size. Once designed, these assets were brought into Adobe After Effects, where the full 2D animation took shape.
In some scenes, we converted Illustrator layers into shape layers directly in After Effects. This technique unlocked more advanced manipulation, bending paths, adjusting anchor points, adding dynamic line movement, and giving us greater creative freedom during the animation phase.
This workflow not only maintains visual fidelity but also improves efficiency, allowing us to produce polished 2D animations with smooth motion and consistent style from beginning to end.
FINAL OUTPUT
This project demonstrates the power of 2D animation as a communication tool. By combining clear visual storytelling with technical precision, we created a film that helps audiences understand the purpose and impact of UKRI’s Technology Missions Fund.
Gary
How Strategic Planning and Mixed Media Crafted DMU’s Impactful Graduation Video
UNIVERSITY VIDEO PRODUCTION FOR DMU GRADUATION 2024
Creating a memorable university video production isn’t just about capturing moments on film; it’s about strategic planning, thoughtful storytelling, and in some cases, using a blend of media to tell a powerful story. For De Montfort University’s (DMU) 2024 graduation video, our careful planning, creative transitions, and innovative mixed-media approach helped us craft a film that resonated deeply with students, faculty, and families. We brought DMU’s vision to life by merging creativity with precise execution, ensuring this university video production felt meaningful, modern, and emotionally engaging.
THE PROJECT: UNIVERSITY VIDEO PRODUCTION FOR DMU
DMU is known as “the empowering university,” a dynamic and diverse institution with 26,000 students from all backgrounds. Every year, their graduation ceremonies celebrate not only academic success but also the deeply personal journeys of their graduates.
DMU approached us with a clear vision: to create a graduation film that captured this spirit of empowerment and showcased how the university played a vital role in shaping each student’s path. This made it an ideal opportunity to demonstrate how a considered university video production can elevate a narrative and amplify the identity of an institution.
CREATIVE PROPOSAL FOR A UNIVERSITY VIDEO PRODUCTION
Our goal was to celebrate DMU students by highlighting their journeys, growth and the connections they built. We used a mixed-media approach, combining graphic highlights, rapid cuts, lively transitions, and an upbeat soundtrack to create a sleek, modern aesthetic that reflects what contemporary university video production can achieve.
The film is centred around three core themes
Journey
From students starting at DMU to graduation, we used a rewind-style creative effect to show “where it all started,” visualising the arc of student life.
Community
To highlight friendships and connections, we incorporated students’ own footage in a scrapbook-style layout, adding a personal, authentic layer to the production.
Success
We showcased achievements, passions and individuality by filming students engaging in the hobbies and interests that define who they are.
One of the strengths of this mixed-media approach is its flexibility. It allows us to convey messages quickly, set the tone effectively and transition smoothly between scenes, all vital in a strong university video production.
See another example of our mixed media work here.
PRE-PRODUCTION: BUILDING A STRONG UNIVERSITY VIDEO PRODUCTION
Pre-production was essential to the success of this project. We collaborated closely with DMU to understand their goals, gather student stories and identify key themes. After receiving detailed bios for each featured student, we developed a storyboard, script and shot list to ensure the narrative felt cohesive and intentional.
We finalised locations, clothing, props and visual guidelines to ensure everything aligned with DMU’s brand identity. This level of planning is a hallmark of professional university video production, enabling us to pre-empt challenges and craft purposeful transitions that give the final film its distinctive flow.
Our camera operators and editors regularly keep up with emerging editing trends and creative techniques. We incorporated both in-camera and digital transitions, tailored to each student’s personality, to elevate the energy and bring a contemporary feel to the video.
UNIVERSITY VIDEO PRODUCTION: FILMING ON CAMPUS
Filming took place over two days on DMU’s main campus. We followed five students, capturing their daily routines, their social interactions and their experiences across teaching spaces, studios, communal areas and outdoor venues. Each student shared what DMU meant to them, adding genuine emotional depth.
Thanks to strong pre-production planning, we executed dynamic techniques such as match cuts and action transitions to connect scenes in a visually engaging way. These choices didn’t just add style, they reinforced how students’ passions and academic paths are intertwined, showcasing the essence of a truly impactful university video production.
We used two Sony FX6 cameras to capture high-quality 4K footage, allowing us to adapt the video for multiple aspect ratios and platforms. We paired tripod setups with gimbal movement to achieve a balanced mix of stability and fluidity, ensuring both efficiency and creative flexibility on set.
Click here to see the full video.
Beyond the Screen: How Frame-by-Frame Animation is Saving Lives for WHO’s PPH Toolkit
The Critical Challenge: A Universal, Life-Saving Message
Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH) remains the single leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. While effective emergency toolkits exist, the greatest challenge is global accessibility. The World Health Organisation (WHO), in partnership with EMOTIVE, needed a video that could transcend language, cultural and literacy barriers.
They approached us needing a film that was both strategic and sensitive. Our creative team proposed the concept “Walk of Life”, a fully inclusive silent film that is universally accessible, eliminating the need for voiceovers, subtitles or translation. This approach ensured the film was agnostic of any single institution and could cover the wider, collective story of research into life-saving measures in a beautiful and impactful way.
The Creative Blueprint: Designing with Compassion and Precision
Inspired by Elizabeth Stanton’s stark observation, “Alone she goes to the gates of death to give life to every man that is born into the world,” we created the ‘walk of life’ narrative where the central figure walks a continuous road. As the road progresses, the woman walking changes, showing multiple ethnicities and cultures. This visually represents the danger of childbirth faced by “one woman, all women”; they tread the same precarious path.
When creating the animation, we prioritised making every moment feel deeply human and emotionally charged. This required combining detailed research with technical efficiency:
Technical Planning & Cultural Nuance
To achieve this ambitious vision under a tight deadline, the walk cycle design was crucial:
- We started by perfecting a single main walk cycle, ensuring the weight and balance were suitable for all women, even with changes in clothing or when carrying objects.
- To facilitate a fast turnaround, the legs and arms cycles are the same across all three women, only changing in colour.
- The crucial elements that convey culture and background, the dresses, faces, and other details, were drawn individually for each woman. This allowed us to balance production efficiency with genuine cultural representation.
Hand-Drawn Detail & Emotional Context
We ensured the animation spoke directly to the communities affected by PPH:
- We spent a great deal of time researching and gathering references from the countries most affected by PPH. This guided our visual choices: warm yellows and soft pinks for Tanzania, rich greens for Sri Lanka and sandy browns for Afghanistan.
- The textures on the dresses were drawn by hand and stamped across each frame to provide more depth and detail to the shots.
- The last step was to add subtle shading to bring depth to the shots and make it fit in with the rest of the film. We also ensured the side aspect throughout avoided showing graphic angles.
Finding Meaning in the Movement
One of the most emotional shots in the piece is the moment where the father stands over his partner’s grave, holding the baby she gave birth to before she passed away. It’s a quiet, intimate scene that carries immense emotional weight.
As he holds the newborn close to his chest, he also clutches a single flower. A petal loosens and drifts downwards, eventually settling on the grave. We animated this moment by hand, drawing each frame to give the petal a sense of delicate fluidity and life. The soft, organic movement of the falling petal became a powerful symbol of loss, love and the fragile beauty of memory, a depth of feeling only possible with a dedicated frame-by-frame approach.
Conclusion
The EMOTIVE PPH animation demonstrates the power of animation to transcend language and cultural barriers while still handling a sensitive subject with deep respect and impact. By combining careful, sensitive research with meticulous frame-by-frame execution, we helped the WHO produce a vital training resource that will support healthcare workers and ultimately save lives.
Ready to Discuss Your Complex Project?
Do you have a sensitive or highly technical subject that needs to be simplified and communicated globally?
Contact Cass Productions today to discuss how our bespoke animation and production services can transform your complex message into a clear, emotionally resonant, and life-changing visual story.
Gary
Behind the scenes on our FPV drone shoot with the DJI Avata
FPV Drone Filming Behind the Scenes at Cass Productions
FPV Drone filming has transformed the world of video production, giving filmmakers the ability to create ultra-dynamic, immersive shots that simply can’t be achieved with traditional drones. At Cass Productions, we saw the potential early and in 2022, we jumped in and added FPV capability to our production toolkit. Since then, FPV Drone Filming has become one of our most exciting and versatile creative techniques.
Here at Cass Productions, we have used drones for years to enhance our visual storytelling. But when one of our drone operators became certified to fly FPV drones, we knew it was time to level up our aerial work. That’s when we introduced the DJI Avata, our first dedicated FPV drone and opened the door to a whole new style of high-energy, cinematic movement.
Whether you’re new to FPV Drone Filming or looking to polish your flying skills, this in-depth breakdown shares what we learned while prepping for our first FPV shoot, along with practical tips to help you get more out of your flights.
(If you’re interested in our other filming techniques, check out our University Video Production page here.)
PRE-PRODUCTION FOR FPV DRONE FILMING
Our first major project using FPV Drone Filming came from a sixth-form college in Hampshire. They approached us to create a promotional video that shifted perceptions of the college being “sports-focused” and instead showcased the full student experience. After researching what prospective students wanted to see, one insight stood out clearly: they were far more interested in the look and feel of the college environment than in lengthy interviews. They wanted energy, atmosphere, movement, less talking, more visuals.
This was the perfect opportunity for FPV Drone Filming to shine.
We proposed a cinematic fly-through of the college, using highly coordinated transitions to move the FPV drone from classrooms to sports halls to breakout spaces. FPV drones, especially the DJI Avata, allow for quick accelerations, tight manoeuvres and smooth glides, ideal for showcasing large spaces in one continuous flow.
Using Tools to Plan Drone Filming Safely
With the brief locked in, our first task was flight planning. We always begin by checking the area using Drone Safety Map, a crucial tool for identifying no-fly zones, obstacles, FRZs (Flight Restriction Zones) and general airspace conditions.
This kind of preparation matters even more with FPV Drone Filming because pilots often navigate tighter indoor routes or complex exterior spaces. Drone Safety Map gives us a clear overview of:
- airports or airfields nearby
- environmentally sensitive areas
- temporary restrictions (like event airspace)
- terrain and infrastructure hazards
This tool helps us stay compliant and safe and avoids any surprises during shooting.
FLIGHT SAFETY IN FPV DRONE FILMING
During our checks, we noted that our intended route was located close to Southampton Airport, but still outside the red Flight Restriction Zone. Even though we were in a legal flying zone, we remained vigilant for NOTAMs (Notices to Air Missions) that could temporarily restrict airspace.
Before any FPV Drone Filming session, we complete:
- A full risk assessment
- A detailed flight plan
- An emergency procedure plan
- A safety briefing with the on-site team
FPV drones move fast and respond quickly, so having a structured plan ensures both safety and creative control.
With the flight cleared and the paperwork completed, we turned to equipment checks, battery levels, propellers, goggles, SD cards and calibration. With FPV Drone Filming, you want zero surprises once the goggles go on.
ON-SET FPV DRONE FILMING
Once on location, we worked closely with the college staff to map our route through corridors, classrooms and open spaces. The versatility of FPV Drone Filming meant we could craft long seamless sequences that showcased the college from a student’s perspective, immersive, fast-paced and full of life.
We executed:
- fast forwards pushes into classrooms
- sweeping arcs above desks
- tight turns through doorways
- reveal shots into larger halls
- dynamic passes through communal areas
Gary
How using 2D animation can benefit your organisation
2D Animation for UKRI: Technology Missions Fund Explainer
The use of 2D animation in a business or organisation can be extremely beneficial. Animated visuals are particularly effective at capturing attention, enhancing engagement and compellingly reinforcing your message. Put simply, animated videos simplify complex ideas in a way that is easy for your audience to understand. Whether the goal is education, storytelling or brand communication, 2D animation offers a level of clarity and creativity that other formats often struggle to achieve.
If you’re interested in how we apply motion design across other projects, you can also explore our University Video Production case study.
THE PROJECT: 2D ANIMATION FOR UKRI
Our client for this project was UKRI (UK Research and Innovation).
This 2D animation aimed to explain the Technology Missions Fund, designed to accelerate technological development across four major sectors:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Engineering Biology
- Future Telecommunications
- Quantum Technologies
Through the animated video, UKRI wanted to illustrate how they support the emergence and development of technologies that have the potential to positively impact society and the economy. This made 2D animation the perfect medium, clear, engaging, informative and accessible.
CONCEPT & PLANNING FOR THE 2D ANIMATION
The primary objective was to produce an explainer 2D animation that presented the Technology Missions Fund in an engaging, creative and visually clear way. Once the script was finalised, our first step was storyboarding.
Storyboarding allowed us to break down complex technical content into digestible, well-paced visuals. Because the video represented multiple sectors, each one needed to have a distinct identity yet felt part of a unified overall narrative. During this phase, we also planned the motion transitions, ensuring the flow from one sequence to the next felt smooth and intuitive.
To create the storyboard, we used Storyboarder, a free tool by Wonder Unit that has become a core part of our animation workflow. Its seamless integration with Photoshop lets us work within a familiar environment while giving us the speed and flexibility needed for efficient iteration. With drag-and-drop scene organisation and quick annotation tools, Storyboarder helps us adapt and refine the story as ideas evolve, making it ideal for fast-moving 2D animation projects.
The conceptual phase forms the backbone of any successful animated film. It allows us to establish tone, pacing and visual hierarchy, ensuring the final 2D animation communicates complex ideas with confidence and clarity.
DESIGN & STYLE: CREATING A DISTINCT 2D ANIMATION LOOK
Building on the crisp vector style of a previous UKRI commission, we expanded and refined the visual style for this project.
We added depth by layering scenes, developing more detailed assets and using subtle shading to create visual interest without overcomplicating the design. The clean illustration style and technical colour palette gave the animation a trustworthy, modern aesthetic, perfect for a fund focused on innovation.
For asset creation, we used Adobe Illustrator, allowing us to work entirely in vector format. This ensured that every graphic element remained sharp and scalable, regardless of screen size. Once designed, these assets were brought into Adobe After Effects, where the full 2D animation took shape.
In some scenes, we converted Illustrator layers into shape layers directly in After Effects. This technique unlocked more advanced manipulation, bending paths, adjusting anchor points, adding dynamic line movement, and giving us greater creative freedom during the animation phase.
This workflow not only maintains visual fidelity but also improves efficiency, allowing us to produce polished 2D animations with smooth motion and consistent style from beginning to end.
FINAL OUTPUT
This project demonstrates the power of 2D animation as a communication tool. By combining clear visual storytelling with technical precision, we created a film that helps audiences understand the purpose and impact of UKRI’s Technology Missions Fund.
Gary
How Strategic Planning and Mixed Media Crafted DMU’s Impactful Graduation Video
UNIVERSITY VIDEO PRODUCTION FOR DMU GRADUATION 2024
Creating a memorable university video production isn’t just about capturing moments on film; it’s about strategic planning, thoughtful storytelling, and in some cases, using a blend of media to tell a powerful story. For De Montfort University’s (DMU) 2024 graduation video, our careful planning, creative transitions, and innovative mixed-media approach helped us craft a film that resonated deeply with students, faculty, and families. We brought DMU’s vision to life by merging creativity with precise execution, ensuring this university video production felt meaningful, modern, and emotionally engaging.
THE PROJECT: UNIVERSITY VIDEO PRODUCTION FOR DMU
DMU is known as “the empowering university,” a dynamic and diverse institution with 26,000 students from all backgrounds. Every year, their graduation ceremonies celebrate not only academic success but also the deeply personal journeys of their graduates.
DMU approached us with a clear vision: to create a graduation film that captured this spirit of empowerment and showcased how the university played a vital role in shaping each student’s path. This made it an ideal opportunity to demonstrate how a considered university video production can elevate a narrative and amplify the identity of an institution.
CREATIVE PROPOSAL FOR A UNIVERSITY VIDEO PRODUCTION
Our goal was to celebrate DMU students by highlighting their journeys, growth and the connections they built. We used a mixed-media approach, combining graphic highlights, rapid cuts, lively transitions, and an upbeat soundtrack to create a sleek, modern aesthetic that reflects what contemporary university video production can achieve.
The film is centred around three core themes
Journey
From students starting at DMU to graduation, we used a rewind-style creative effect to show “where it all started,” visualising the arc of student life.
Community
To highlight friendships and connections, we incorporated students’ own footage in a scrapbook-style layout, adding a personal, authentic layer to the production.
Success
We showcased achievements, passions and individuality by filming students engaging in the hobbies and interests that define who they are.
One of the strengths of this mixed-media approach is its flexibility. It allows us to convey messages quickly, set the tone effectively and transition smoothly between scenes, all vital in a strong university video production.
See another example of our mixed media work here.
PRE-PRODUCTION: BUILDING A STRONG UNIVERSITY VIDEO PRODUCTION
Pre-production was essential to the success of this project. We collaborated closely with DMU to understand their goals, gather student stories and identify key themes. After receiving detailed bios for each featured student, we developed a storyboard, script and shot list to ensure the narrative felt cohesive and intentional.
We finalised locations, clothing, props and visual guidelines to ensure everything aligned with DMU’s brand identity. This level of planning is a hallmark of professional university video production, enabling us to pre-empt challenges and craft purposeful transitions that give the final film its distinctive flow.
Our camera operators and editors regularly keep up with emerging editing trends and creative techniques. We incorporated both in-camera and digital transitions, tailored to each student’s personality, to elevate the energy and bring a contemporary feel to the video.
UNIVERSITY VIDEO PRODUCTION: FILMING ON CAMPUS
Filming took place over two days on DMU’s main campus. We followed five students, capturing their daily routines, their social interactions and their experiences across teaching spaces, studios, communal areas and outdoor venues. Each student shared what DMU meant to them, adding genuine emotional depth.
Thanks to strong pre-production planning, we executed dynamic techniques such as match cuts and action transitions to connect scenes in a visually engaging way. These choices didn’t just add style, they reinforced how students’ passions and academic paths are intertwined, showcasing the essence of a truly impactful university video production.
We used two Sony FX6 cameras to capture high-quality 4K footage, allowing us to adapt the video for multiple aspect ratios and platforms. We paired tripod setups with gimbal movement to achieve a balanced mix of stability and fluidity, ensuring both efficiency and creative flexibility on set.
Click here to see the full video.
Beyond the Screen: How Frame-by-Frame Animation is Saving Lives for WHO’s PPH Toolkit
The Critical Challenge: A Universal, Life-Saving Message
Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH) remains the single leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. While effective emergency toolkits exist, the greatest challenge is global accessibility. The World Health Organisation (WHO), in partnership with EMOTIVE, needed a video that could transcend language, cultural and literacy barriers.
They approached us needing a film that was both strategic and sensitive. Our creative team proposed the concept “Walk of Life”, a fully inclusive silent film that is universally accessible, eliminating the need for voiceovers, subtitles or translation. This approach ensured the film was agnostic of any single institution and could cover the wider, collective story of research into life-saving measures in a beautiful and impactful way.
The Creative Blueprint: Designing with Compassion and Precision
Inspired by Elizabeth Stanton’s stark observation, “Alone she goes to the gates of death to give life to every man that is born into the world,” we created the ‘walk of life’ narrative where the central figure walks a continuous road. As the road progresses, the woman walking changes, showing multiple ethnicities and cultures. This visually represents the danger of childbirth faced by “one woman, all women”; they tread the same precarious path.
When creating the animation, we prioritised making every moment feel deeply human and emotionally charged. This required combining detailed research with technical efficiency:
Technical Planning & Cultural Nuance
To achieve this ambitious vision under a tight deadline, the walk cycle design was crucial:
- We started by perfecting a single main walk cycle, ensuring the weight and balance were suitable for all women, even with changes in clothing or when carrying objects.
- To facilitate a fast turnaround, the legs and arms cycles are the same across all three women, only changing in colour.
- The crucial elements that convey culture and background, the dresses, faces, and other details, were drawn individually for each woman. This allowed us to balance production efficiency with genuine cultural representation.
Hand-Drawn Detail & Emotional Context
We ensured the animation spoke directly to the communities affected by PPH:
- We spent a great deal of time researching and gathering references from the countries most affected by PPH. This guided our visual choices: warm yellows and soft pinks for Tanzania, rich greens for Sri Lanka and sandy browns for Afghanistan.
- The textures on the dresses were drawn by hand and stamped across each frame to provide more depth and detail to the shots.
- The last step was to add subtle shading to bring depth to the shots and make it fit in with the rest of the film. We also ensured the side aspect throughout avoided showing graphic angles.
Finding Meaning in the Movement
One of the most emotional shots in the piece is the moment where the father stands over his partner’s grave, holding the baby she gave birth to before she passed away. It’s a quiet, intimate scene that carries immense emotional weight.
As he holds the newborn close to his chest, he also clutches a single flower. A petal loosens and drifts downwards, eventually settling on the grave. We animated this moment by hand, drawing each frame to give the petal a sense of delicate fluidity and life. The soft, organic movement of the falling petal became a powerful symbol of loss, love and the fragile beauty of memory, a depth of feeling only possible with a dedicated frame-by-frame approach.
Conclusion
The EMOTIVE PPH animation demonstrates the power of animation to transcend language and cultural barriers while still handling a sensitive subject with deep respect and impact. By combining careful, sensitive research with meticulous frame-by-frame execution, we helped the WHO produce a vital training resource that will support healthcare workers and ultimately save lives.
Ready to Discuss Your Complex Project?
Do you have a sensitive or highly technical subject that needs to be simplified and communicated globally?
Contact Cass Productions today to discuss how our bespoke animation and production services can transform your complex message into a clear, emotionally resonant, and life-changing visual story.
Gary
Behind the scenes on our FPV drone shoot with the DJI Avata
FPV Drone Filming Behind the Scenes at Cass Productions
FPV Drone filming has transformed the world of video production, giving filmmakers the ability to create ultra-dynamic, immersive shots that simply can’t be achieved with traditional drones. At Cass Productions, we saw the potential early and in 2022, we jumped in and added FPV capability to our production toolkit. Since then, FPV Drone Filming has become one of our most exciting and versatile creative techniques.
Here at Cass Productions, we have used drones for years to enhance our visual storytelling. But when one of our drone operators became certified to fly FPV drones, we knew it was time to level up our aerial work. That’s when we introduced the DJI Avata, our first dedicated FPV drone and opened the door to a whole new style of high-energy, cinematic movement.
Whether you’re new to FPV Drone Filming or looking to polish your flying skills, this in-depth breakdown shares what we learned while prepping for our first FPV shoot, along with practical tips to help you get more out of your flights.
(If you’re interested in our other filming techniques, check out our University Video Production page here.)
PRE-PRODUCTION FOR FPV DRONE FILMING
Our first major project using FPV Drone Filming came from a sixth-form college in Hampshire. They approached us to create a promotional video that shifted perceptions of the college being “sports-focused” and instead showcased the full student experience. After researching what prospective students wanted to see, one insight stood out clearly: they were far more interested in the look and feel of the college environment than in lengthy interviews. They wanted energy, atmosphere, movement, less talking, more visuals.
This was the perfect opportunity for FPV Drone Filming to shine.
We proposed a cinematic fly-through of the college, using highly coordinated transitions to move the FPV drone from classrooms to sports halls to breakout spaces. FPV drones, especially the DJI Avata, allow for quick accelerations, tight manoeuvres and smooth glides, ideal for showcasing large spaces in one continuous flow.
Using Tools to Plan Drone Filming Safely
With the brief locked in, our first task was flight planning. We always begin by checking the area using Drone Safety Map, a crucial tool for identifying no-fly zones, obstacles, FRZs (Flight Restriction Zones) and general airspace conditions.
This kind of preparation matters even more with FPV Drone Filming because pilots often navigate tighter indoor routes or complex exterior spaces. Drone Safety Map gives us a clear overview of:
- airports or airfields nearby
- environmentally sensitive areas
- temporary restrictions (like event airspace)
- terrain and infrastructure hazards
This tool helps us stay compliant and safe and avoids any surprises during shooting.
FLIGHT SAFETY IN FPV DRONE FILMING
During our checks, we noted that our intended route was located close to Southampton Airport, but still outside the red Flight Restriction Zone. Even though we were in a legal flying zone, we remained vigilant for NOTAMs (Notices to Air Missions) that could temporarily restrict airspace.
Before any FPV Drone Filming session, we complete:
- A full risk assessment
- A detailed flight plan
- An emergency procedure plan
- A safety briefing with the on-site team
FPV drones move fast and respond quickly, so having a structured plan ensures both safety and creative control.
With the flight cleared and the paperwork completed, we turned to equipment checks, battery levels, propellers, goggles, SD cards and calibration. With FPV Drone Filming, you want zero surprises once the goggles go on.
ON-SET FPV DRONE FILMING
Once on location, we worked closely with the college staff to map our route through corridors, classrooms and open spaces. The versatility of FPV Drone Filming meant we could craft long seamless sequences that showcased the college from a student’s perspective, immersive, fast-paced and full of life.
We executed:
- fast forwards pushes into classrooms
- sweeping arcs above desks
- tight turns through doorways
- reveal shots into larger halls
- dynamic passes through communal areas
Gary
How using 2D animation can benefit your organisation
2D Animation for UKRI: Technology Missions Fund Explainer
The use of 2D animation in a business or organisation can be extremely beneficial. Animated visuals are particularly effective at capturing attention, enhancing engagement and compellingly reinforcing your message. Put simply, animated videos simplify complex ideas in a way that is easy for your audience to understand. Whether the goal is education, storytelling or brand communication, 2D animation offers a level of clarity and creativity that other formats often struggle to achieve.
If you’re interested in how we apply motion design across other projects, you can also explore our University Video Production case study.
THE PROJECT: 2D ANIMATION FOR UKRI
Our client for this project was UKRI (UK Research and Innovation).
This 2D animation aimed to explain the Technology Missions Fund, designed to accelerate technological development across four major sectors:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Engineering Biology
- Future Telecommunications
- Quantum Technologies
Through the animated video, UKRI wanted to illustrate how they support the emergence and development of technologies that have the potential to positively impact society and the economy. This made 2D animation the perfect medium, clear, engaging, informative and accessible.
CONCEPT & PLANNING FOR THE 2D ANIMATION
The primary objective was to produce an explainer 2D animation that presented the Technology Missions Fund in an engaging, creative and visually clear way. Once the script was finalised, our first step was storyboarding.
Storyboarding allowed us to break down complex technical content into digestible, well-paced visuals. Because the video represented multiple sectors, each one needed to have a distinct identity yet felt part of a unified overall narrative. During this phase, we also planned the motion transitions, ensuring the flow from one sequence to the next felt smooth and intuitive.
To create the storyboard, we used Storyboarder, a free tool by Wonder Unit that has become a core part of our animation workflow. Its seamless integration with Photoshop lets us work within a familiar environment while giving us the speed and flexibility needed for efficient iteration. With drag-and-drop scene organisation and quick annotation tools, Storyboarder helps us adapt and refine the story as ideas evolve, making it ideal for fast-moving 2D animation projects.
The conceptual phase forms the backbone of any successful animated film. It allows us to establish tone, pacing and visual hierarchy, ensuring the final 2D animation communicates complex ideas with confidence and clarity.
DESIGN & STYLE: CREATING A DISTINCT 2D ANIMATION LOOK
Building on the crisp vector style of a previous UKRI commission, we expanded and refined the visual style for this project.
We added depth by layering scenes, developing more detailed assets and using subtle shading to create visual interest without overcomplicating the design. The clean illustration style and technical colour palette gave the animation a trustworthy, modern aesthetic, perfect for a fund focused on innovation.
For asset creation, we used Adobe Illustrator, allowing us to work entirely in vector format. This ensured that every graphic element remained sharp and scalable, regardless of screen size. Once designed, these assets were brought into Adobe After Effects, where the full 2D animation took shape.
In some scenes, we converted Illustrator layers into shape layers directly in After Effects. This technique unlocked more advanced manipulation, bending paths, adjusting anchor points, adding dynamic line movement, and giving us greater creative freedom during the animation phase.
This workflow not only maintains visual fidelity but also improves efficiency, allowing us to produce polished 2D animations with smooth motion and consistent style from beginning to end.
FINAL OUTPUT
This project demonstrates the power of 2D animation as a communication tool. By combining clear visual storytelling with technical precision, we created a film that helps audiences understand the purpose and impact of UKRI’s Technology Missions Fund.
Gary
How Strategic Planning and Mixed Media Crafted DMU’s Impactful Graduation Video
UNIVERSITY VIDEO PRODUCTION FOR DMU GRADUATION 2024
Creating a memorable university video production isn’t just about capturing moments on film; it’s about strategic planning, thoughtful storytelling, and in some cases, using a blend of media to tell a powerful story. For De Montfort University’s (DMU) 2024 graduation video, our careful planning, creative transitions, and innovative mixed-media approach helped us craft a film that resonated deeply with students, faculty, and families. We brought DMU’s vision to life by merging creativity with precise execution, ensuring this university video production felt meaningful, modern, and emotionally engaging.
THE PROJECT: UNIVERSITY VIDEO PRODUCTION FOR DMU
DMU is known as “the empowering university,” a dynamic and diverse institution with 26,000 students from all backgrounds. Every year, their graduation ceremonies celebrate not only academic success but also the deeply personal journeys of their graduates.
DMU approached us with a clear vision: to create a graduation film that captured this spirit of empowerment and showcased how the university played a vital role in shaping each student’s path. This made it an ideal opportunity to demonstrate how a considered university video production can elevate a narrative and amplify the identity of an institution.
CREATIVE PROPOSAL FOR A UNIVERSITY VIDEO PRODUCTION
Our goal was to celebrate DMU students by highlighting their journeys, growth and the connections they built. We used a mixed-media approach, combining graphic highlights, rapid cuts, lively transitions, and an upbeat soundtrack to create a sleek, modern aesthetic that reflects what contemporary university video production can achieve.
The film is centred around three core themes
Journey
From students starting at DMU to graduation, we used a rewind-style creative effect to show “where it all started,” visualising the arc of student life.
Community
To highlight friendships and connections, we incorporated students’ own footage in a scrapbook-style layout, adding a personal, authentic layer to the production.
Success
We showcased achievements, passions and individuality by filming students engaging in the hobbies and interests that define who they are.
One of the strengths of this mixed-media approach is its flexibility. It allows us to convey messages quickly, set the tone effectively and transition smoothly between scenes, all vital in a strong university video production.
See another example of our mixed media work here.
PRE-PRODUCTION: BUILDING A STRONG UNIVERSITY VIDEO PRODUCTION
Pre-production was essential to the success of this project. We collaborated closely with DMU to understand their goals, gather student stories and identify key themes. After receiving detailed bios for each featured student, we developed a storyboard, script and shot list to ensure the narrative felt cohesive and intentional.
We finalised locations, clothing, props and visual guidelines to ensure everything aligned with DMU’s brand identity. This level of planning is a hallmark of professional university video production, enabling us to pre-empt challenges and craft purposeful transitions that give the final film its distinctive flow.
Our camera operators and editors regularly keep up with emerging editing trends and creative techniques. We incorporated both in-camera and digital transitions, tailored to each student’s personality, to elevate the energy and bring a contemporary feel to the video.
UNIVERSITY VIDEO PRODUCTION: FILMING ON CAMPUS
Filming took place over two days on DMU’s main campus. We followed five students, capturing their daily routines, their social interactions and their experiences across teaching spaces, studios, communal areas and outdoor venues. Each student shared what DMU meant to them, adding genuine emotional depth.
Thanks to strong pre-production planning, we executed dynamic techniques such as match cuts and action transitions to connect scenes in a visually engaging way. These choices didn’t just add style, they reinforced how students’ passions and academic paths are intertwined, showcasing the essence of a truly impactful university video production.
We used two Sony FX6 cameras to capture high-quality 4K footage, allowing us to adapt the video for multiple aspect ratios and platforms. We paired tripod setups with gimbal movement to achieve a balanced mix of stability and fluidity, ensuring both efficiency and creative flexibility on set.
Click here to see the full video.