Filming the Archford across three developments
We made this Archford film for Barratt and David Wilson Homes across three developments over two half-day shoots: Forest Walk in Curbridge, Harbour Place in Havant and Niveus Walk in Shaftesbury.
The creative approach connected the locations through gimbal movement and matching actions. The production needed to account for those transitions during filming so the separate spaces could form one fluid sequence.
The brief
The project centred on the experience of moving into a home. Rather than presenting every room as an isolated view, the film used movement and connected actions to carry the viewer between scenes.
That approach made the relationships between shots important. What happened at the end of one view needed to support what came next, even where the material came from another location.
Three developments, one production
Working across Forest Walk, Harbour Place and Niveus Walk meant the idea had to fit a practical schedule. The filming was completed over two half-days, so access, travel and the order of scenes were important parts of the production.
Forest Walk in Curbridge and Harbour Place in Havant are in Hampshire; Niveus Walk is in Shaftesbury, Dorset. The edit brings those separate locations together around the experience of moving into a home.
Camera movement and transitions
Gimbal movement helped provide the moving shots, while matching actions gave the edit a way to connect separate scenes. The transition was therefore part of the production idea, rather than simply an effect added without reference to the footage.
For a film using this approach, the movement before and after a cut needs to be considered together. Direction, timing and the action within the frame can all affect whether the connection reads clearly.
The film above shows the finished treatment, with the movement and transitions working as part of the sequence.
Delivered work
The output presented here is the Archford property film. It sits within our wider Barratt and David Wilson Homes portfolio.
Explore the finished film alongside the broader property collection to compare a story-led approach with other ways of presenting a home.
Planning a film across several properties
For a similar commission, send the locations and explain which spaces are available at each. Identify any scenes that must connect, together with the people or actions needed to make those connections work.
Access, readiness and travel time should be considered alongside the shot list. If the brief includes both still photography and video, give each a clear list of outputs so the schedule accounts for both.
Think about the intended placements too. A main film and shorter website or social versions may need different edits, which should be included in the original scope.
Information to share before filming
Floor plans, reference photographs and a list of ready spaces can help explain the locations before a visit. Identify any continuity requirements, including props or actions that need to connect between scenes. Those details are especially useful when the finished film brings together material from more than one property.
Discuss a property production
Explore property photography and video or send us your brief with the developments, dates and finished assets required.
