The brief
Become commissioned this film to support an application for funding through Jingle Jam, with the audience being the decision-makers responsible for selecting partner charities.
The aim was clear: make a compelling case for why Become should receive funding, and give the application something extra that could help tip the balance.
Become had previously come close without securing support, so this wasn’t about starting from scratch. It was about building on what already made the charity strong and adding a new dimension that would resonate with the people making the final call.
There was a natural alignment to explore. Jingle Jam is rooted in community, gaming, streaming, and people coming together for good causes. Become supports care-experienced young people, many of whom find connection, belonging, and identity through the same spaces.
The challenge was making that connection feel genuine rather than engineered. If the relevance felt forced, the film would lose credibility immediately.
What we did
We kept the concept simple and human.
We brought together three care-experienced young people with a shared love of gaming and invited them to talk. Rather than placing them in a formal interview setup, we created space for a real conversation where they could ask each other questions, reflect on their experiences, and build off one another naturally.
Our role was deliberately light-touch. We directed where needed, but the energy of the film came from the contributors themselves. That looseness was important. It allowed the film to feel lived-in, warm, and authentic rather than overly produced.
The conversation wasn’t superficial. Alongside the humour and connection, the film also gave space to more difficult experiences linked to growing up in care. That balance between honesty and warmth is what gave the piece emotional weight.
To ground the link with Jingle Jam, filming took place in a gaming-related venue and gaming culture formed part of the discussion throughout. This helped create relevance without resorting to empty references or overt pandering.
The result was a film that reflected genuine overlap between the storytellers’ lives and the values of the funding partner.
The technical
Concept development
Story planning
Contributor-led interviewing
Live action filming
Editing
The result
The final film positioned Become not just as a worthy cause, but as a natural fit for the Jingle Jam community.
By focusing on authentic conversation and shared values, the piece created a stronger emotional and cultural connection than a standard case for support film could have achieved.
Most importantly, it worked.
Become secured funding, helping turn a strong application into a successful one.
