THE LIGHTHOUSE PROJECT 

THE LIGHTHOUSE PROJECT 

The client 

Juniper Lodge is a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) that provide help and support for those affected by rape and sexual assault in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. 
The brief 
In 1999 a planning authority was sought to develop a house (named St Bernard’s) to provide a relaxed and homely atmosphere for child victims and witnesses of crime. It was a ground-breaking and pioneering venture which totally changed the approach to dealing with vulnerable child witnesses and victims. 
 
Plans were drawn up, assessed and altered until a final version was agreed and building work could begin. 
I was approached by Millie Gant, Juniper Lodge SARC Manager to produce a film highlighting the planning, building and updating of the facilities at the child SARC. 
 
Millie was going to be presenting on the development of the child SARC at the National Witness and Justice Awards and wanted to show the video. The launch of Lighthouse and subsequent film would be heavily promoted as it is the only one in the country 
 
 
 
 
The Main Considerations 
There were quite a few considerations that had to be overcome during the filmmaking process and these were highlighted at the planning stage. There had to be flexibility with filming schedules because part of the filming was to be done at the Juniper Lodge SARC where clients would be using its services. Disruption has to be kept to a minimum. 
 
There was also a section of filming at a local school who were providing artwork for the newly updated Lighthouse and therefore all parental permissions had to be provided. Also, the film had to be completed within a short time. 
Principle Objectives 
The main points to highlight in the film were the name change from St Bernard’s to Lighthouse and the installation of the remote Court, where children can provide their evidence direct to the Court. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Phase 1 – Pre-Production 
The first step was to come up with a concept that was visually eye-catching but also sympathetic to the subject matter. 
 
A script was written, as the client Millie from Juniper Lodge would be filmed talking directly to the audience, and then a storyboard was drafted. The storyboard blended the journey from 1999 when the old St Bernard’s house was launched, to the present day of the lighthouse where builders had began renovations. 
Phase 2 - Filming 
After going through the ideas with the client, a list of processes and locations were assessed for filming. 
 
The filming lasted 3 days and we visited a number of locations including a school, graphic design company, the Lighthouse and Juniper Lodge. 
 
Including Millie, there were 4 interviews that were required to be filmed. A list of questions was prepared ahead of time so nothing was missed and a teleprompter was used to make sure the interviewee didn’t stray off camera or forget anything. 
Phase 3 – Post Production 
With the visual narrative in place from the filming it was time for post-production to bring all different elements together. 
 
All of the content filmed was initially logged on the computer so it would be easy to find certain clips to add into the video. 
 
A rough edit was first done to determine the length and flow of the video. Then for certain sections of the film, such as the short title animation, I created some motion graphics pieces. These work great at breaking up the filmed pieces such as interviews and have a more 
 
visual impact to catch the viewers attention. 
 
The final touch was to add the soundtrack and do the ‘colour grade’. This is the process of altering the appearance of the image: the highlights, the shadows or the overall colour. By tweaking certain values of the video it can have even more impact. 
Conclusion 
The final video was completed on time and on budget. The client was extremely happy with it’s outcome and has already booked my services again to produce a follow up video. The new video will showcase the Lighthouse once it has been fully renovated and include segments from the grand opening and how it can be used to help young victims.