working with us
How we make films people trust.
Much of what makes a film work is shaped in the conversations before anyone picks up a camera. That preparation is what lets the rest of the process stay open, human, and unscripted. Below is what a project with us looks like: each stage, what we need from you, and what you can count on.
What this work is for
When important work needs to travel beyond the field
Researchers, academics, and institutions funded by public money or grants are operating under a specific kind of accountability pressure. Communicating the value of their work is not optional — it is expected by funders, demanded by the public, and increasingly central to how programmes recruit and sustain themselves.
The challenge is not only making the subject simpler. It is finding the right shape for the story without losing the nuance that makes the work credible to the people who matter most.
We help research and education institutions communicate
why
the research matters — to audiences who did not commission it
what
a programme offers and what makes it worth applying for
who
is behind the work and why they care
how
the project connects to society, education, innovation, or public value
the impact
of a programme or research initiative to funders and partners
ESA - Deltares
Satellite Research Documentary — 30 min
Erasmus UNiversity Rotterdam
Impact at the Core — Five-Year Retrospective
are we the right fit for you?
GREAT WORK STARTS
WITH THE RIGHT
PARTNERSHIP
Not every project needs the same approach. Here are a few signs that the way we work could be a good match for what you need.
01
BEYOND YOUR FIELD
Your research or programme needs to reach an audience outside your own field.
02
CREDIBILITY MATTERS
Accuracy, credibility, and nuance matter to your funders, peers, or institution
03
RESEARCH & INSTITUTIONS
You work at a university, research institute, medical institution, or public-funded body
04
VALUE NEEDS VISIBILITY
You need to communicate the value of a programme — for recruitment, funding, or public visibility
05
PEOPLE LEAD THE STORY
You want the researchers and people behind the work to carry the message, not a narrator
the shape of a project
Three stages, from the first conversation to
the finished film.
Every project runs through the same three stages. This is the order they happen in, what each one is for, and where you come into it. For the projects that require a strict written structure, a voiceover, or scripted scenes, our approach is identical. It is what keeps a scripted film sounding like your organisation rather than like an advertisement.
the shape of a project
Three stages, from the first conversation to
the finished film.
the shape of a project
Three stages, from the first conversation to the finished film.
Every project runs through the same three stages. This is the order they happen in, what each one is for, and where you come into it. For the projects that require a strict written structure, a voiceover, or scripted scenes, our approach is identical. It is what keeps a scripted film sounding like your organisation rather than like an advertisement.
We work out what the film needs to say.
Before there is a brief, there is usually a sense that something needs communicating. We work backwards from the outcome: what the film should change, who needs to understand it, and which message has to come through.
Then we familiarise ourselves as much as possible with your world. The more resources you provide us with, the more creative and truthful the final product will be.
We film so people can say it in their own way.
Because we know the subject, we don't need to hand anyone lines. We guide the conversation and leave room for the moment someone puts it better than any script could.
The preparation is what makes this a method rather than a gamble. Ultimately, this ensure that the final product is filled with personality that is uniquely yours.
The edit connects it all, and we stay close.
In the edit we weave the intended message and the authentic moments into one film. You stay involved through review versions and ongoing conversation, so the result matches your intentions and your energy.
The team member you first spoke with is also the one behind every decision in the editing room.
Clarify the intention
We work backwards from the outcome: what the film is meant to change, who needs to understand it, and what would be lost if it were made badly. We come back with a proposal.
your part
One conversation.
concept
shoot
edit
planning
concept
planning
shoot
edit
delivery
In larger structures, every handover costs a little of what was understood in the first conversation.
Here, there are no handovers.
We are deliberately not specialists in one subject area. We work across engineering, research, medicine, finance, and education to ask the questions others might not.
The working relationship
The same people, from first conversation to final edit.
A small senior team. The people who understood your subject in the first conversation are the ones still deciding in the edit.
The working relationship
The same people, from first conversation to final edit.
The working relationship
The same people, from first conversation to final edit.
A small senior team. The people who understood your subject in the first conversation are the ones still deciding in the edit.
A small senior team. The people who understood your subject in the first conversation are the ones still deciding in the edit.
In larger structures, every handover costs a little of what was understood in the first conversation.
Here, there are no handovers.
We are deliberately not specialists in one subject area. We work across engineering, research, medicine, finance, and education to ask the questions others might not.
"
"It’s not easy to capture the soul of an educational program that resides at the intersection of science, ethics, and society. What struck us was how quickly Laurent and Simone understood the heart of our curriculum. They spoke with researchers, students, and lecturers, and wove their voices into a clear, accessible and engaging narrative. The film they created is visually rich and beautifully conveys our warmth and inclusivity. I love how their playful animations brought the stories to life! This video has been enthusiastically received by its intended audience."
It’s not easy to capture the soul of an educational program that resides at the intersection of science, ethics, and society. What struck us was how quickly Laurent and Simone understood the heart of our curriculum. They spoke with researchers, students, and lecturers, and wove their voices into a clear, accessible and engaging narrative. The film they created is visually rich and beautifully conveys our warmth and inclusivity. I love how their playful animations brought the stories to life! This video has been enthusiastically received by its intended audience.
Sam Riedijk
Associate Professor &
Medical Psychologist,
Erasmus MC Rotterdam
"
The practical part
What working with us actually involves.
Everything above describes how the work goes. This is what it looks like in your calendar.
The practical part
What working with us actually involves.
Everything above describes how the work goes. This is what it looks like in your calendar.
what we need from you
Almost every project has a single main contact on the client side. They know who we should speak to, where we are allowed to film, and which internal doors need opening. This is the most useful thing you can give us. Projects with two or three equal decision-makers are the most common reason a schedule slips.
An opening conversation, which leads to a proposal. A second after you accept it, where the proposal becomes a plan. Sometimes a third if the route changes. After that we stay in contact while we organise the production day: access, scheduling, and who we are speaking to when.
Background material, decks, research, previous films, internal documents. There is no format requirement and nothing needs preparing for us. We would rather read too much than too little.
Labs, workshops, offices, sites, wherever the subject actually lives. We are two or three people and we work quietly, but we do need to be let in, and someone inside usually has to make that possible in advance.
Interviews run 45 to 90 minutes. We ask almost nothing else of the people we film. No preparation, no lines to learn, no talking points to memorise. What we do ask is that they trust the unscripted process for the first ten minutes.
Once the film is out, we want to know how it landed with the people it was made for, including the parts that did not work. You learn what your audience actually responded to. We learn your organisation better, which is why a second project takes less of your time than the first did.
"Rather than starting with a script, Winston Films started by listening. They immersed themselves in our classrooms, shared meals with students, and observed what makes our community tick. The final video doesn’t just explain our Liberal Arts and Sciences programme. It feels like it. Students regularly tell us that it helped them picture themselves here. It’s become a central part of how we present ourselves."
Jim Bastiaans
Team Lead of Recruitment,
Marketing & Admissions,
Erasmus University College
What you can count on
The schedule is set in the proposal and we plan backwards from the date you need it. Most of what we make, a main film plus several shorter assets, comes from a single, well-planned production day. Projects with more interviewees, more locations, or a documentary structure take longer, and we say so at proposal stage rather than discovering it on the day.
The less obvious factor is how quickly decisions come back. The clearer the intention at the start, and the faster we can iterate together, the shorter the project.
We work in English, German, Dutch, French, and Italian. Where it helps, we ask questions in one language and let the person answer in another. People are more precise in their own language, and it shows on camera.
Clients often tell us the process was the part they didn't expect to enjoy. From project leads to the people in front of the camera, we care about making the work feel like a good collaboration, not a production being done to you.
Two formal rounds are included in every project. Ongoing conversation is not counted against them. We stay in contact throughout, and we would rather hear a concern the moment it occurs to you than in a review document three weeks later.
What you receive is the completed work, in the versions and formats agreed in the proposal. We normally keep the raw material, which keeps the handover clean and means we can cut new versions later without filming again.
Ownership and usage are discussed openly and written into the contract rather than assumed. If a project needs a different arrangement, that is a conversation, not a problem.
We scope by days: pre-production, filming, and post-production. There are other variables, but those three account for most of any figure we give you. If a brief and a budget are not aligned, we say so early, because there is usually a smarter scope that delivers more for the same investment.
The figure holds unless the project itself changes. If scope moves significantly, we tell you what it costs before we act on it, never afterwards.
"
"Rather than starting with a script, Winston Films started by listening. They immersed themselves in our classrooms, shared meals with students, and observed what makes our community tick. The final video doesn’t just explain our Liberal Arts and Sciences programme. It feels like it. Students regularly tell us that it helped them picture themselves here. It’s become a central part of how we present ourselves."
Rather than starting with a script, Winston Films started by listening. They immersed themselves in our classrooms, shared meals with students, and observed what makes our community tick. The final video doesn’t just explain our Liberal Arts and Sciences programme. It feels like it. Students regularly tell us that it helped them picture themselves here. It’s become a central part of how we present ourselves.
Jim Bastiaans
"
"
"
Rather than starting with a script, Winston Films started by listening. They immersed themselves in our classrooms, shared meals with students, and observed what makes our community tick. The final video doesn’t just explain our Liberal Arts and Sciences programme. It feels like it. Students regularly tell us that it helped them picture themselves here. It’s become a central part of how we present ourselves.
"Rather than starting with a script, Winston Films started by listening. They immersed themselves in our classrooms, shared meals with students, and observed what makes our community tick. The final video doesn’t just explain our Liberal Arts and Sciences programme. It feels like it. Students regularly tell us that it helped them picture themselves here. It’s become a central part of how we present ourselves."
Jim Bastiaans
Team Lead of Recruitment, Marketing & Admissions,
Erasmus University College
what you can count on
GREAT WORK STARTS
WITH THE RIGHT
PARTNERSHIP
Not every project needs the same approach. Here are a few signs that the way we work could be a good match for what you need.
01
Two feedback rounds, as standard.
Almost every project has a single main contact on the client side. They know who we should speak to, where we are allowed to film, and which internal doors need opening. This is the most useful thing you can give us. Projects with two or three equal decision-makers are the most common reason a schedule slips.
02
One filming day for most projects.
Most of what we make is a main film plus several shorter assets, and that usually comes from a single, well-planned production day. It is only possible because the planning is real. Projects with more interviewees, more locations, or a documentary structure take longer, and we say so at proposal stage rather than discovering it on the day.
03
Interviews in the language people think in.
We work in English, German, Dutch, French, and Italian. Where it helps, we ask questions in one language and let the person answer in another. People are more precise in their own language, and it shows on camera.
04
A timeline shaped by more than us.
Projects have run from a single week to more than a year. The obvious factors are scope and logistics. The less obvious one is how quickly decisions come back. Our fastest project was for a client we had worked with for years, where a question could be answered in minutes. The clearer the intention at the start, and the faster we can iterate together, the shorter the project.
05
The finished films, and a clear agreement about the rest.
What you receive is the completed work, in the versions and formats agreed in the proposal. We normally keep the raw material, which keeps the handover clean and means we can cut new versions later without filming again. Ownership and usage are discussed openly and written into the contract rather than assumed. If a project needs a different arrangement, that is a conversation, not a problem.
06
Scoping you can follow.
We scope by days: pre-production, filming, and post-production. There are other variables, but those three account for most of any figure we give you. If a brief and a budget are not aligned, we say so early, because there is usually a smarter scope that delivers more for the same investment.
When plans move
Projects rarely run exactly as written
Shoot dates move. Interviewees leave the organisation a week before filming. Sometimes the message shifts halfway through, because something in your world changed while we were making the film.
We will do what we can to absorb it, and usually we can. Adjusting to your reality as it arrives is part of the job rather than an exception to it. When a change carries a cost, we tell you what it is before we act on it rather than after, and we look for the version that keeps the project whole.
TELL US WHAT YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN
Send us the project, problem, launch, event, programme, product, or story you are trying to communicate. We will help you understand what kind of film, if any, makes sense.