Watch These 5 Incredible Stories From London Before Your Next Video Shoot

Are you planning a video shoot in London? Dive into these five videos filmed by talented Glimmer creators in Europe's video production hub. These videos will set your creative fire - offering inspiration for shoot locations, a glimpse into the city's vibrant spirit, and a better idea of the captivating stories brands and media companies are covering right in the heart of London. Get ready to be blown away.

To ensure a seamless production, check out these exclusive insider tips from our creators in London.

Tommy Hilfiger

The iconic fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger brought together seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton and Grammy award-winning American singer HER for a conversation. James Maiki, a camera operator, says the shoot at the Tommy Hilfiger London showroom was a collision of brilliant minds coming together to explain a new fashion line.

James said the client and interviewees were thrilled with the outcome of the off-platform shoot. “Smiles all around! Both H.E.R and Lewis are very hands-on with their work and were pleased."

While filming, James uncovered a takeaway: When working with celebrities, attention to detail and quick thinking are essential. Every shot had to be flawlessly executed, with no room for retakes or repetition. In the case of the Hilfiger shoot, the authenticity of the conversation had to shine through.

Bicycling Magazine

Bicycling Magazine is the ultimate go-to for all bike lovers and builds its community through videos on its YouTube channel, which has racked up 25,000 subscribers. Their YouTube videos are on everything from the five best mountain bikes to the cause of hand numbness while cycling.

Ana Gonzalez, a London-based filmmaker interested in travel journalism, produced an "observational character-driven portrait," as she describes it, for Bicycling Magazine about the "most whimsical bike shop in the world."

The piece follows mechanic and sailor Sam Skinner, "a good-natured bike mechanic living and working full-time on his three-boat flotilla called 'Floating Bike Repairs."

Ana says she's always gravitated toward stories of people living an alternative lifestyle. "I was living in East London and often walked in the Regent's Canal. There were dozens of houseboats, and I loved to take a sneak peek into these people's lives," she said. "Remi, my friend, and I had the plan to make a series of short portraits around the houseboat community and had started filming with Sam, who ran a floating bike repair. Then we saw the brief and decided to pitch Sam's story as a one-off to Bicycling Magazine."

London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust

An NHS Trust in London wanted to inspire healthcare workers to follow the nursing path. And how did they plan to achieve this? Through video storytelling, of course.

London North West University Healthcare NHS (LNWH) Trust hired Matthew Somerville to film the story of Marcia, a healthcare worker moving toward becoming a fully-qualified nurse.

"We spent a few days together at work and home to learn about her nursing journey," Matthew said. "We wanted to focus on her personal story and show that even though it is hard, it is possible."

LNWH showcased the three-minute video to policymakers and fellow healthcare professionals at conferences, leaving a lasting impact.

But what's the key to telling someone's journey so effectively? Matthew says you need to build a strong relationship with the subject beforehand. Unlike his previous experiences, for this project, he had the opportunity to get to know Marcia on a deeper level before the filming even began, resulting in a more compelling and authentic video.

Jane Gun Activewear

Jane Gun Activewear is a women's gym and fitness clothing brand, and as a young company, their goal was to use video to showcase their clothing as ideal for workouts and everyday lifestyle wear.

"Jane Gun Activewear is centered around strong independent women. And the models we filmed were very athletic, and at times I had trouble keeping up with them, especially for the running shots!" said Anton Califano, who filmed and edited the video.

Emphasizing the "active" theme, Anton skillfully used his gimbal to capture the models' movements, synchronizing their energy with the camera's motion.

Anton says he loves shooting fashion videos. "This video brief appealed to me because it was more than just simple posing to the camera: The combination of trying to capture the athleticism and the beauty aesthetic made it an interesting project to shoot."

London East Teacher Training Alliance

The London East Teacher Training Alliance (LETTA) sought to attract new teachers and decided to use video as a marketing tool. Edan Schiller, who directed and edited the video, said the goal was to show cheerful, supported, and skilled teacher trainees while getting across essential information about the program.

Edan designed a visually appealing environment with bright colors and soft lighting. He used a gimbal to introduce movement and dynamism into the shots.

When asked about the challenges, Edan told us it was making sure the teacher trainees appeared natural on screen, considering many were unfamiliar with being in front of a lens. To evoke more emotion in each scene, Edan chose to film authentic conversations between the trainees instead of conducting traditional face-to-camera interviews.

As a result, these on-the-go conversations turned out to be remarkably genuine and filled with valuable content.

“The thing that excited me was the possibility to portray the energy of a positive and warm environment as well as work with children and capture naturalistic documentary moments,” Edan said.