Manchester, EnglandBrand DocBSC Short Film Nomination & Arts AwardIlford Photo
Truth & IllusionA brand documentary for Ilford Photo, featuring Lucy Ridges.
#MyFilmStory is a global documentary series that celebrates the art and emotion of shooting on film. Through intimate, story-driven portraits, we explore the lives of passionate photographers from around the world—each with their own creative voice and visual style. More than just a look at technique, these films reveal why they choose film: the personal motivations, tactile process, and timeless inspiration behind their work. It's a celebration of craft, character, and the enduring power of the go-to brand in analogue storytelling.
Details
Specs.
30k
10 Days Pre
7 Days Prod
7 Days Post
Schedule
Producer
Director / DP
Gaffer
Trainee
Focus Puller
Loader
Gimbal Operator
Sound Recordist
Crew
Red Scarlet-W 5k
2:1 Ratio
Panchro/i Classic
Budget
James Copson
James Stier
Rich Hallworth
Lemar Maynard
James Copson
Rose Heather
Mark Lomas
Jocelyn Harvey
00:12:50
Redcode RAW
S35
ROIOutcomes
Craft & Value
Strong cinematography does more than make a film look good, it shapes how a brand is seen. High-end visuals signal quality, care and authenticity, all of which build trust and elevate a brand’s image. For Truth & Illusion needed to reflect those same values: precision, craft and a respect for tradition.
The film’s nomination by the British Society of Cinematographers (BSC) confirmed that it went beyond typical branded content. It sits in the same creative space as short-form cinema — thoughtful, deliberate and visually refined.
That level of craft matters. It means Ilford’s story, and Lucy Ridges’ work within it, were presented not just as marketing but as art. Something with emotional depth and long-term relevance. It’s the kind of content that continues to hold value well beyond its first release, shaping how audiences perceive the brand and influencing future campaigns and social storytelling.
Impact
Rather than simply releasing a film and hoping it finds traction, the strategy for Truth & Illusion centred on placing it where Ilford’s community already lives — on the official Ilford Photo YouTube channel. At the time of release, the channel had around 55,000 subscribers. Following the launch of the #MyFilmStory strand, that number grew to more than 67,000, a gain of roughly 12,000 engaged followers directly tied to this style of long-form storytelling.
The film reached more than 69,000 views on YouTube, which is a strong result for a niche brand in analogue photography. If even 1% of viewers took a measurable action — visiting Ilford’s site, signing up to a newsletter, or buying film or paper — and we use a modest average customer value of £50, that’s roughly £34,500 in direct revenue from YouTube alone.
Its reach didn’t stop there. Ilford pushed the film across their wider social ecosystem, with clips and cutdowns shared on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Using typical cross-platform multipliers, a realistic estimate looks like this:
Instagram: Around 100,000 extra impressions from reposts, tags and shares. That translates to roughly £10,000–£15,000 in indirect value through engagement, traffic and sales uplift.
TikTok: A smaller audience for Ilford’s demographic, but short edits and BTS moments likely generated 30,000–50,000 organic views, worth an estimated £3,000–£5,000 in brand exposure.
Facebook: Shared across community pages and photography groups, the film may have reached 40,000–60,000 impressions, adding a further £5,000–£8,000 in indirect value.
Add this all together and you’re looking at a total cross-platform value comfortably north of £50,000, with the longer-term benefit being sustained engagement, search lift and a noticeable strengthening of Ilford’s position in the analogue community. Against an initial £30,000 investment, the return is compelling.
More importantly, the film shows what a single well-crafted story can do. It becomes more than a one-off premiere; it becomes the backbone of a brand’s social output. A strong documentary like Truth & Illusion doesn’t just perform, it compounds with each platform feeding the others.
For Ilford, this wasn’t just about generating views or upfront revenue, it was about generating value through deeper loyalty, increase obsession and reassurance the brand remains at the centre of analogue photography.
Engagement
Truth & Illusion didn’t just perform well — it connected. The film drew over 235 comments and 69,000 views on Ilford Photo’s YouTube channel, making it one of their most-engaged and most-watched non-celebrity films to date.
People spoke about how the film inspired them, reset their mindset after a long day, and reminded them why they love photography. One viewer wrote, “The concept, the camera is reality itself… just wow! Awesome video and work — thank you Ilford and Lucy.” — @Ian-dj9jn
The result is a film that works on two levels, first as community-building content, bringing together Ilford’s loyal analogue audience, but also as aspirational brand storytelling, expressing the values that make the brand enduring (creativity, patience and artistry). It proved that story-driven, emotionally intelligent filmmaking doesn’t just engage an audience; it strengthens a brand’s voice within its category and creates long-term affinity.
Collaboration
Every project begins with conversation. Before a single frame was shot, we spent time talking with Ilford and Lucy. We conducted a series of preliminary, off-camera interviews designed to uncover the why behind her work, not just the what. From those early recordings, we reverse-engineered our questions and a narrative structure emerged, shaping the film around the rhythm of her thoughts and process.
Ilford placed full trust in us to lead the creative direction, allowing us to work with complete autonomy. That trust paid off — very few changes were requested in post-production. Still, we never saw this as a one-way commission. We approached the project as a partnership, not a brief, grounded in openness and shared respect for Lucy’s work.
The production took place over an extended period, built around Lucy’s world — her home, studio and local darkroom. We worked carefully to ensure the filmmaking process blended seamlessly with her creative routine. Friends and collaborators became part of the production, reinforcing the sense that this wasn’t just a film about an artist, but a collaboration with one.
Patience and a genuine connection shaped the tone of Truth & Illusion.
“This was fantastic, it held me captivated from beginning to end. I admire both Lucy and the filmmaker James greatly. Well done to everyone involved.” — @benjamjack
“It reminds me of the importance of seeing outside the box. Sometimes, age and life’s experiences make us forget to do this. This is definitely an inspiring video from an awesome photographer and awesome film company... film lives!” — @csb65536
www.lucyridges.comLucy Ridges
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Lucy Ridges is a fine art photographer whose work explores the intersection of body, emotion and process. Working exclusively with analogue and alternative photographic techniques, her images are tactile, layered and alive with imperfection.
“I’m in love with the aesthetic and allure of analogue photography,” Lucy says. “Alongside photography, I work with hand colouring, cyanotype, and printmaking methods such as screenprinting and photopolymer gravure. I’m drawn to the tactile nature of these processes — and to the space they allow for experimentation, unpredictability and chance.”
People remain at the heart of Lucy’s practice. For her, the human body is both subject and medium: “The body is my anchor, my blank canvas, my attachment to reality.”
