Floating Harbour is a film and video production company in Bristol. We make brand films, documentaries, commercials, corporate films, training films, animation and live productions for organisations that need their message to land, and we have been doing it since 2001, from a solar-powered studio on a Dutch barge in the centre of the city.
Whether you need a video for a launch, a course, a campaign or an event, or a film that has to carry your whole story, you can work with us end to end or bring us in for the parts you need. Explore our film portfolio and case studies.
What we make
Twenty-five years of it
- Making films since 2001
- TV commercials for Oral B, Yazoo and others; broadcast collaborations with major UK broadcasters
- A feature documentary for the BBC and Netflix: Last Breath, Hot Docs 2019, four RTS West Awards
- Training films for Network Rail, B&Q, the NHS and the Judicial Studies Board
- Films for the United Nations, the Cabinet Office and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
- Client relationships of ten years and more, and a solar-powered studio in central Bristol
How we make them
Full-service production, end to end. The most usual way to work with us: we take the film from brief to delivery, with development, filming, post-production and versioning under one roof and one team in charge throughout. See how we work, below.
How we work
Brief. We start with your audience, the outcome you need and where the film will live, in your words. If you have a script or an agency brief, we work from it; if you have a business objective and nothing else, we work from that. This is where we shine, because understanding the objective properly is most of the job.
Creative and plan. Concept, script or treatment, then the practical plan: locations, contributors, crew, schedule and budget. This is where we raise the ambition: the format you had not considered, the way of shooting that gets more from one day, the story that is better than the one in the brief. And we say early if something will not work.
Filming. A crew sized to the job, from one director-camera operator to a multi-camera unit, on location anywhere in the UK or in our own studio in central Bristol. Our directors come from drama: they know how to get a real answer from a nervous chief executive, and a natural performance from someone who has never been on camera.
Post-production. Editing, colour grading, sound design, graphics and animation in house, by the people who shot it, with review links and time-coded comments at every stage. Nothing gets lost between the shoot and the edit.
Delivery. Masters and versions for every platform, with subtitles, audio description and accessible formats built in where you need them. When a film has to exist tomorrow, it can: we have turned films round in a day when the moment demanded it, ZeroAvia's first flight among them.
Who we work for
Much of our work is for organisations with something important to explain. We make films for government and public bodies, charities and NGOs, universities and schools, renewable energy and clean technology companies, the NHS and healthcare, transport, broadcasters, conferences and events, sport, finance and accounting, technology companies, leisure and tourism, retail and marketing teams in every sector. See all our work by sector, or browse by client.
Why Floating Harbour
A production company with a wealth of experience, big ideas, total commitment and unrivalled capability. That is a large claim, so here is what stands behind it.
Our approach is collaborative from the first conversation. We spend time understanding your audience, message and priorities, so the creative direction and production plan align with what your organisation actually needs. Working with us gets you what you need, and usually more than you expected, because we are obsessive about detail and we keep looking for the better film until the day we deliver.
We are a small, highly experienced team, which means the people who plan your film are the people who make it. Our credits run from a feature documentary released on Netflix and the BBC to national TV commercials, from training drama for Network Rail and the judiciary to films screened at the UN General Assembly, from close to a hundred films for one hydrogen aviation company to broadcast collaborations with major UK broadcasters. We have filmed Sir David Attenborough, Greta Thunberg and David Olusoga, and we are equally at home with a single interview in our studio. That range is the point: we can make something look beautiful, and we can go deep, and we enjoy doing both.
Frequently asked questions
What types of films do you produce?
Brand films, documentary, commercials, corporate communications, social content, training and learning films, animation and live production. Explore our film portfolio and case studies to see examples by sector and client.
Do you work UK-wide or only in Bristol?
Floating Harbour works UK-wide and internationally. We are based in the West of England, we film regularly across the UK, and we are well used to working further afield when projects need it. We plan travel efficiently, responsibly and as sustainably as possible as part of the production.
Can you handle production from concept to delivery?
Yes. You can bring us in from the start or at any stage. We can support creative development, planning, filming, post-production and delivery in the formats you need.
Can you work with our internal team or agency?
Collaboration is central to how we work. You can involve your in-house team or agency as much as you like, and we fit into existing approvals, brand guidelines and workflows.
What do you need from us to provide a quote?
A short brief covering audience, purpose, preferred length, key messages, deadline and where the film will be used. Or get in touch with what you know so far and we will help shape the next steps. Contact us.
How much does video production cost?
We have made films for two thousand pounds and films for more than a million. Most projects with us fall between £4,000 and £25,000: a single-day, interview-led film at the lower end, a multi-location campaign with cast and animation above. Cost is driven by shoot days, locations and people on camera, and by how much needs to be built or animated, more than by the finished length. Tell us what you are working with and we will recommend the approach that gets the strongest result for it.
How long does it take?
A straightforward film can go from brief to delivery in a few weeks. Documentary, multi-location campaigns and anything with animation take longer. When speed is the point, we can be very fast: we have turned films round in a day when the moment demanded it. Tell us your deadline early and we will plan the schedule backwards from it.
What budget range do you work with?
A wide one. Tell us what you are working with and we will recommend the best approach to achieve strong results within it.