The brief
Independent School Marketing: How The Abbey Uses Video to Promote Scholarships
The Abbey offers scholarships for talented young people—opening doors to an outstanding education that might not otherwise be accessible. However, despite these fantastic opportunities, the school wasn’t always effectively promoting them. That’s where we came in.
They asked us to create a series of films to produce a high-impact scholarship promotional film that showcases specific scholarship programmes in music, drama, sport, and art. But we didn’t want to create just another school promo—we wanted something bold, dynamic, and unique. That’s why we took inspiration from Guy Ritchie-style heist movies—quirky scenes, voiceovers, and purpose-driven camera moves—to introduce The Scholars, a team of incredible students who see the world differently.
We developed a video marketing strategy for independent schools by pitching one central film to introduce the scholarship programme as a whole, plus four individual films that would each highlight a different discipline, each highlighting a different discipline.
What we did
How Independent Schools Can Use Video for Scholarship Promotion
From the outset, we wanted every element of these films to be intentional. We invested a huge amount of time into writing scripts that aligned with The Abbey’s values and used these as a foundation for meticulously detailed storyboards. Every scene was carefully planned to ensure we captured the essence of the school’s scholarship programme in a fresh and exciting way.
As part of our creative private school branding approach, we scheduled filming for half-term, giving us free reign over the school. This allowed us to be as creative as we wanted, without disruption. We worked with a small but highly skilled crew, carefully lighting each scene and using our Arri Alexa Mini LF to achieve complex, purposeful camera moves that elevated the storytelling.
The shoot was demanding, but our detailed preparation paid off, ensuring this private school scholarship film stood out as an innovative student recruitment tool, ensuring this independent school marketing video was both engaging and visually compelling. By the time we hit post-production, everything slotted together seamlessly. Having a clear vision—and a highly engaged client—meant we could bring the films to life exactly as we had imagined them.
The technical
Concept
Story development
Scripting
Storyboard
5 days of filming
Voiceover
Post-production
Music licensing
The result
How This Film Boosts Independent School Student Recruitment
When you have such a strong vision, there’s always a risk that the final product won’t match what you had in your head. Fortunately for us, these films landed exactly how we saw them. They have all the cheekiness, charm, and energy we were aiming for, and we couldn’t be prouder of how they turned out.
Looking to boost student recruitment with a compelling film? Let’s chat about how we can help! Let’s talk!
