Crafting the Daylesford Christmas Film: How We Brought Authentic Craftsmanship to the Screen

A film about craft ought to be crafted with equal care. This guiding idea shaped every creative decision behind this year’s Daylesford Christmas film, beautifully narrated by Richard E. Grant. What began as a simple seasonal brief evolved into a thoughtful piece of festive storytelling that celebrates the makers, the farm and the authentic traditions at the heart of Daylesford Organic.

Capturing Christmas at Daylesford with Authenticity

Our latest campaign for Daylesford Organic has already gained strong engagement on Instagram, helping to build anticipation for the Christmas season. From the beginning, we wanted to avoid forced messaging or clichéd festive tropes. Instead, we focused on an honest, warm and product-led approach that highlighted the real work being done on the farm. The voices, hands and processes of Daylesford’s makers were central to the story. Looking at the comments on social media in the first few days of release... we met the brief!

This film represents a balance between brand storytelling and genuine observation. It was important that nothing felt overly staged or embellished. Daylesford’s craft speaks for itself, and our job was to create a space where viewers could connect with that sincerity.

The Importance of Cinematography in Brand Storytelling

Telling the story of Daylesford at Christmas is only part of the work. How the story is shown is equally important. In commercial and brand videos, the opportunities for creative cinematography are often overlooked. We chose an approach that made careful use of composition, colour, natural tones and lighting to communicate the atmosphere of the farm.

Every artistic choice mattered. Camera angles. Lens selection. The use of naturalistic light. The decision to keep the scenes simple. These considerations shaped the look and feel of the film and ensured the craftsmanship behind Daylesford’s Christmas products was presented with respect and clarity.

Filming the Makers Behind Daylesford’s Christmas Offerings

The film takes viewers behind the scenes to meet the makers who create Daylesford’s Christmas gifts and produce. We wanted the audience to feel close to the hands-on processes. Because of this, the camera, lenses, lighting and shot types were chosen with care.

We kept each scene to a few key shots. There were no elaborate camera movements or dramatic tricks to force attention. Instead, we relied on thoughtful, elegant visuals that allowed the story to unfold naturally. By simplifying the visual language, the details of the craft could shine without distraction.

Lighting played a significant role. We aimed to create a warm, cinematic glow that hinted at the late afternoon light of the winter season, without pushing it too far. It was important to remember that the setting was a working environment. The lighting needed to feel organic and somewhat believable.

Blending Modern Technology with Vintage Character

One of the most defining elements of the film was the lens choice. Modern cinema cameras provide exceptional clarity, but the clean, clinical image does not always suit stories rooted in tradition and craft. To balance modern detail with a touch of character, we used a specific vintage lens adapted for our digital cinema setup.

This gave us a sharp image that maintained resolution while introducing a gentle softness and natural flare. These characteristics supported the tone of the film. They reinforced the handcrafted nature of Daylesford’s products and created a visual bridge between the modern farm and its traditional roots. It also allowed us to avoid the hyper-real look that dominates contemporary digital filmmaking.

Using an existing drone shot of ours, we experimented with adding snow during the mood-boarding stage by applying AI to a still frame. The results were certainly interesting. In the example shown, the snowy twilight image forms the background, with both the original and a snowy daytime version overlaid for comparison.

Small Choices, Big Impact

The film may appear simple at first glance, but that simplicity is carefully designed. Many small decisions come together to create a final piece that feels natural, warm and genuine. From the lighting choices to the pacing of the edit, every detail supports the central theme of authentic craft.

Of course, a project like this depends on many hands, particularly the hands of the Daylesford team. From the creative planning to the organisation, from the makers featured in the film to the beautifully written poem and then of course Richard E. Grant’s wonderful narration, each contribution played a role in bringing the final story to life.

Produced by Oxford House Video Agency

This Christmas campaign was proudly produced by Oxford House Video Agency, where our focus is always on cinematic storytelling, premium brand films and honest visual communication. It has been a pleasure to work with Daylesford again and to help share the joy of the farm during the festive season.

To learn more about our commercial video work or to discuss your own project, visit:

www.oxfordhouse.io

The video thumbnail for the Daylesford Christmas Film

Following our use of AI for blogging, this article has been adapted from our original LinkedIn post about the Daylesford Christmas film and expanded into a full blog post using AI.

I do not want the above disclaimer to contradict the care and attention that went into the Daylesford Christmas film. It's important to state that AI tools are extremely useful, and finding an appropriate use case is important, especially when not interfering with the value of original thought within creative work. AI is a tool, and like any tool, it should be used with care and only when appropriate. A hammer is not the right choice for turning a screw, just as AI is not the right choice for every task... AI is a wonderful tool for creating SEO rich blogs!