At Anatomised we pride ourselves on our willingness and ability to solve communications problems on behalf of clients quickly and effectively. A project we undertook recently for So Just Shop is a good case in point.

So Just Shop is an ethical online retailer that provides a marketplace for female artisans in developing countries, enabling them to sell their jewellery and other artifacts to an international audience. But a month or so ago So Just Shop’s founder and managing director, Jennifer Georgeson, ran into a problem. She needed an attractive way to showcase her operation for an investment fundraising event to be held in New York. Milamber PLC, a company that invests in tech start-ups, of which So Just Shop is one, was hosting the event. To add pressure on Jennifer, the event was just one week away. Luckily, she turned to Mark Andrews of Anatomised for help.


 
Mark suggested making a short video, two minutes or so in length, to give a flavour of what So Just Shop is all about. Mark sat down with Jennifer and reviewed materials and pictures Jennifer already had. Together they decided that the best way to proceed was to edit together a series of still shots interposed with interviews, using the sort of approach that might be used for a high-quality documentary. Happily, Jennifer had a trio of willing participants to be interviewed in the forms of So Just Shop members, Daniella Castellano, Frances O’Dell and Lorna Weightman. At this stage, Mark involved two other members of the Anatomised team, David Hughes and myself.

We developed a script, paying particular attention to the voice over, which we felt would bind the static pictures and interviews together. We filmed the interviews on two Central London locations in extremely difficult conditions and with limited time available. David Hughes (who also directed the filming of the interviews) then spent the best part of a couple of days honing the footage and the images into a working edit – and, because time was tight, working closely with Jennifer, Mark and me throughout.

Once we were all happy with the edit, it was time to record the all-important voice over. With the help of Tessa Rayner, Mark’s producer we chose actress and presenter Anna Madeley to be the voice of So Just Shop, and a great job she made of it, too. In a little over half an hour we had our voice-over in the can.

The resulting film, which ran to just under three minutes, reached New York in the nick of time. The whole thing was, to use a technical expression, a bit of a kick, bollock, and scramble production. But at Anatomised we are used to that sort of thing, and proud of the result. We are also proud to have helped So Just Shop – and all the ladies it keeps in employment throughout the developing world. Which leaves only two things for you to do. One, take a look at the website. With Christmas coming up, you never know, you might find the perfect gift for a loved one. Two, watch the video. It’s a seven-day wonder if ever there was.