From shoot day to Sky: creating the Summer Festival advert

Audley End Enchanted Railway commissioned Firepit Media to create a 30-second TV advert promoting its Summer Festival, which ran from 18th July to 31st August.

The summer event invited families to leave the everyday behind and enter an enchanting world where the forest comes alive. With a focus on outdoor play, exploration and making memories together, the advert needed to capture the atmosphere and appeal of the experience in just 30 seconds.

The finished advert was delivered for regional advertising on Sky UK and Ireland, as well as Sky’s online and digital platforms. It was also used across the Audley End website and YouTube channel.

The Challenge

The main challenge was to communicate the experience of the Summer Festival within a very short running time.

Rather than simply listing activities or explaining what visitors could expect, the advert needed to give potential visitors a feeling for the event — the sense of adventure, discovery and excitement that comes from spending time outdoors together.

The project also had a tight production timeframe, requiring us to move quickly from the initial brief through filming, editing and final delivery.

A key part of the shoot was working with a large group of volunteer families, who needed to be coordinated and directed efficiently to capture the range of shots required. With a limited amount of time on location, careful organisation and clear direction were essential to keep the shoot moving while getting the footage needed for the advert.

Alongside the main advert, we also captured additional footage that Audley End could use across its social media channels, making the most of the production day and providing further content for the wider campaign.

Our Approach

The creative approach centred on experience, atmosphere and visual storytelling.

Rather than relying heavily on explanatory messaging, we focused on showing the Summer Festival in action and creating a sense of what it would be like to experience it first-hand.

Working with a large group of families required a practical and efficient approach to directing. We needed to give clear instructions, organise groups quickly and capture natural interactions without allowing the process to become overly staged.

The filming focused on the outdoor environment, activities and moments of interaction that helped communicate the character of the event. These were brought together through a fast-paced edit designed to maintain energy and interest throughout the 30-second advert.

With such a short running time, every shot needed to contribute to the overall story. The edit was carefully structured to build a sense of excitement and discovery while giving audiences a glimpse of the experience.

We also secured the voiceover talent and oversaw the recording of an original voiceover specifically for the advert. Rather than using an AI-generated voice, we felt a real human voice would better complement the family-focused nature of the campaign, bringing warmth and personality to the finished film.

From selecting the right voice talent through to directing the recording session, we managed the process to ensure the delivery felt natural, engaging and suited to the tone of the Summer Festival.

Broadcast & Delivery

The finished 30-second advert was delivered for regional Sky advertising in the UK and Ireland, as well as Sky’s online and digital platforms. It was also supplied for use across Audley End Enchanted Railway’s own digital channels, including its website and YouTube.

As part of the delivery process, Firepit Media also handled the broadcast clearance process for the advert.

This involved responding quickly to queries and dealing with clearance issues as they arose, ensuring that unexpected problems were resolved without delaying the delivery of the finished advert.

Working to a tight deadline meant maintaining clear communication with the client throughout the process and being able to respond quickly when changes, questions or issues needed resolving.

The Result

The advert was completed and delivered within the required timeframe and became part of Audley End Enchanted Railway’s Summer Festival campaign.

The client was very happy with the finished advert and the way the project was handled, particularly given the tight timeframe and the additional requirements involved in preparing the film for broadcast.

For Firepit Media, the project demonstrated our ability to work quickly, manage a complex shoot, coordinate large groups of contributors, handle broadcast requirements and respond immediately to issues as they arise — all while maintaining the creative quality of the finished advert.

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