Charity Campaign Film: Sarcoma UK
A 60-second hero film and six social cutdowns for Sarcoma UK's Support Line, shot in London with real service users and launched on YouTube and Meta.
Charity Campaign
Project Brief
Sarcoma UK is the national charity for sarcoma, a rare group of cancers with 100 subtypes. They run a free, confidential Support Line staffed by specialist nurses and advisers. In 2026, LutherMEB Productions produced the Support Line's campaign film: a 60-second hero and six social cutdowns, shot in London and launched as a paid YouTube and Meta. We worked as a long-standing production partner of Trendy Grandad.
Our challenge was to raise awareness of the work Sarcoma UK is doing, and help them target potential service users early in their Sarcoma journey. Around four in five people diagnosed never contact the charity, and those who did were a narrow demographic group. Our video production needed to reach younger and more diverse viewers, and the family members who search on a patient's behalf, showing them that the Support Line is vital.
Sarcoma UK’s brief set three rules. Real service users and real Support Line staff on camera, no actors. No statistics and no archive footage. And the first two seconds had to hold a viewer with no brand recognition, on a phone, with the sound off.
Production Process
We chose to target the persona of a person who has just heard the word sarcoma for the first time. They have a clinical name for their cancer, and nobody to walk them through it. The data showed people finding the diagnosis and never finding the Support Line, most of them on mobile. That gap became what informed our whole production process.
We wrote a three-act script around our character hearing the word sarcoma for the first time. Act two moved into the Support Line office, where Carly and Ben explain who calls, what people say, and what they can offer. Act three brings the contributors together whilst returning to their intimate stories about their cancer journey and experience with Sarcoma UK.
Shooting in London at Sarcoma UK’s Farringdon office and The Barbican, we deployed a range of filmmaking and cinema techniques to help the video stand out from other charity films.
Every contributor had a pre-shoot call to allow them to prepare, and the schedule was built around their busy lives. Script, direction, cinematography, edit, grade and delivery all sat with us as part of our commercial video production service.
Outcome
Sarcoma UK received a 60-second hero film, six social cutdowns sized for multi-platform use, and a stills library for web and social. This was delivered ahead of Sarcoma Awareness Month and launched in October 2026 on YouTube and Meta, pointing to sarcoma.org.uk/theword. The hero film is live on the Sarcoma UK channel.
The film was a huge success: it tells someone who has just heard the word sarcoma that there is a number, it is free, and the people who answer understand. The client, Sarcoma UK, gave positive feedback and is currently measuring the uptick in traffic and calls. You can read the client’s testimonial below. Thank you to all those involved.
Deliverables
60-second hero film, YouTube and Meta
Six social cutdowns, vertical and square aspect ratios
Stills library for web and social
End screen animation
Two shoot days, London (Farringdon, Old Street, The Barbican)
Credits
Client: Sarcoma UK
Agency: Trendy Grandad
Creative Producer and Director: Luther M E Bottrill, LutherMEB Productions
Director of photography: Joshua Whittington
Gaffer: Jacob Peel
1st AC: Eden Forrester
Contributors: Roy, Radhika, Sofia, Carly and Ben
“Care, Structure and Professionalism”
LutherMEB Productions was a pleasure to work with on Sarcoma UK’s YouTube campaign. They were exceptionally organised throughout, making deadlines, schedules and next steps clear from the start, which helped keep the whole project moving smoothly.
They understood the brief quickly, brought strong creative judgement, and delivered polished, purposeful content. I would happily work with them again and recommend them to any organisation looking for high-quality video content delivered with care, structure and professionalism.
★★★★★
Enda Guinan, Sarcoma UK Digital Communications Manager
Learn more about our Video Production services
We build high-performing videos for your commercial use, from performance marketing to informative and lifestyle top-of-funnel videos. It’s said that ‘brand’ is where your business lives in the hearts and minds of the public. We know that video is a powerful tool to shape that.
Charity video production, frequently asked questions
Answers for charities and agencies planning a support or awareness campaign film with real contributors. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Reach out to us directly and we’ll get back to you.
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A hero film with social cutdowns and a stills library, shot over two days in London, sits in our second and third pricing tiers. Published rates are on the video production page and the cost calculator gives a range for your brief in under a minute. Registered charities get a written quote within 48 hours.
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Around three months is typical for a hero film and cutdowns with real contributors: two to four weeks on script, two to three weeks to lock contributors and dates, two shoot days, then three to four weeks of edit with two rounds of feedback. Build in a buffer of at least three weeks before any awareness month or campaign date.
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Yes, and we recommend it for support and awareness campaigns. We hold individual pre-shoot calls with every contributor, build the schedule around their treatment and travel, and keep the crew small on the day so the conversation stays private.
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Both. On this project Trendy Grandad held the client relationship and we delivered production, script to final files. Agencies brief us when they need a production partner who will own the sensitive parts of a shoot and carry the edit through to launch.
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One hero film for YouTube, cutdowns sized for Reels, Stories and feed, a stills library for the landing page and social, and an end screen with the campaign line and URL. Everything comes from one shoot, so the cutdowns match the hero rather than looking like an afterthought.
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We confirm availability and health constraints before proposing dates, and keep one replacement contributor in reserve where the subject matter makes that likely. On this film one contributor was confirmed at short notice without moving the shoot.
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It depends on the brief. Two to three people for a founder or interview film, five to seven for a standard commercial, eight to twelve for a larger campaign with talent and multiple locations. Race-weekend and event work usually runs six to eight. We size the crew to the job, not the invoice.
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Yes. London locations and permits are handled in-house, casting runs through agencies we use regularly, and international shoots include a local fixer. You sign off creative at each stage; we do the logistics.
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Yes, regularly. We have filmed in twelve countries since 2018 and cover any UK location as standard. Travel and accommodation are scoped in the quote up front, so the final invoice matches the proposal.
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The person who takes your brief is the person on set and in the edit. No account managers relaying notes between teams, and one point of contact from proposal to final files.
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Yes. LutherMEB Productions Ltd holds £10m public liability and professional indemnity cover. Certificates, risk assessments and company registration details are supplied before contracting on request.
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Yes. Existing brand assets can be cut alongside new production where they suit the edit. Where there is a quality gap that would show on screen, we tell you before the shoot rather than after.
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