University of Leicester Founders of the Future Campaign

The answer wasn't to explain the vision. It was to make people feel it.

We cast Richard Armitage and Serge Pizzorno not for name recognition alone, but because together they represent something important: the breadth of what a university education can lead to. An acclaimed actor and a rock musician, both connected to Leicester, both credible to very different audiences. That tension between the academic and the cultural became the creative engine of the whole film.

From there, everything was rooted in place. The locations, the atmosphere, the tone of the storytelling. Leicester isn't a backdrop here, it's a character. We wanted audiences who know the city to recognise it, and audiences who don't to want to.

We developed a cinematic film that combined powerful storytelling with recognisable voices connected to the University. By featuring Richard Armitage and Serge Pizzorno, the film gained both gravitas and cultural relevance, helping bridge academia with wider audiences.

Creatively, we focused on making the film feel rooted in Leicester, from the locations and atmosphere to the tone of the storytelling. Careful planning through storyboards, recce visits and narrative structure ensured that every shot reinforced the themes of innovation, heritage and long-term impact. The result was a film that feels cinematic, human and aspirational, capturing the spirit of the University while clearly communicating its vision for the next century.