Smarter Production Through Better Systems
Craig Roberts
How Clear Processes Support More Sustainable Creative Work
Creative production involves many moving parts, people, ideas, timelines, and assets. What’s changed is how we manage that complexity. For us, improving systems hasn’t just been about efficiency; it’s also been about responsibility.
Becoming Carbon Literate has encouraged us to consider everyday working practices, not just big decisions, but the small, repeated actions that add up across projects.
Carbon Literacy You Say?
Carbon Literacy training has given us the awareness and understanding of the carbon costs of everyday decisions and how to take practical action to reduce them.
For us, it’s about more than high-level pledges, we’re looking for a positive impact. It’s about embedding sustainability into how we work day-to-day:
- Choosing digital over paper wherever possible
- Streamlining workflows to reduce wasted time and resources
- Making smarter decisions in production, from location choice to asset sharing
Centralised Tools, Clearer Communication
Information often lives across emails, folders, and message threads, leading to things being duplicated, and sometimes a mystery to solve about the original source of the data.
Using a central platform like Monday.com helps us to manage projects in one place. Timelines, responsibilities, and updates are visible to everyone involved, providing an overview at a glance for anyone who needs it.
That clarity doesn’t just save time, it reduces inefficiency, which is a core part of working more sustainably.
Less Paper, Lower Impact
Utilising Google Drive has significantly reduced our reliance on printed materials. Treatments, scripts, recce notes, floor plans, and decks all live in a shared digital space, accessible from anywhere (with the right permissions of course!)
This means:
- Fewer printouts
- Fewer outdated versions
- Fewer duplicated documents
Reducing paper is a practical outcome, but the wider benefit is consistency and accountability across teams and departments.
Streamlined Sharing, Smarter Feedback
Creative projects often generate large files, an unavoidable compromise for quality. What matters most is how those files are stored, shared and reviewed.
Tools like WeTransfer allow us to move assets quickly without unnecessary storage or inbox overload. Platforms like Frame allows our clients to provide feedback based on timecodes and centralised, avoiding long email chains and repeated uploads.
Adopting clear feedback loops means faster decisions and fewer revisions, keeping projects on track.
The Daily Practice of Carbon Awareness
Achieving Carbon Literacy status isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about building awareness into everyday decisions.
Our digital workflows help ensure that sustainability isn’t an afterthought. When recce notes, approvals, and updates are shared instantly and clearly, our teams can plan better, adapt faster, and avoid waste, whether that’s time, resources, or energy.
Systems That Support People and the Planet
Technology alone doesn’t make a production sustainable. But thoughtful systems, used well, create the conditions for more responsible working.
By reducing friction, repetition, and unnecessary materials, we give teams the space to focus on what matters, being creative and delivering work in a way that’s considered, efficient, and forward-thinking.
That balance is something we’re continuing to build on our journey as a Carbon Literate creative agency.
Field to Frame: real machines, real farms, content built for modern marketing
Craig Roberts
A great machinery launch deserves more than a quick photoshoot. It deserves a story told in the field, in conditions buyers recognise, and with content built to travel everywhere from press packs to social feeds.
That’s exactly why Field to Frame exists.
Field to Frame is an end-to-end content offering designed specifically for agricultural and ground-care machinery launches. It brings together planning, location sourcing, photography, video, drone and technical animation into one streamlined, launch-ready package – all delivered by a team who genuinely understand agriculture.
Because when machines are shown working where they’re actually sold, everything clicks.
Field to Frame starts with collaboration. We work with you to shape the creative direction around what really matters about your machine, then capture it in action with experienced vehicle photographers and a specialist agricultural video team. We even handle location sourcing and logistics, drawing on years of relationships across the agri-sector to secure authentic UK farm settings, including our flagship mixed enterprise farm in the Banbury countryside.
The result? Content that feels bold, credible and unmistakably real. This offering is well suited to PR and marketing agencies looking to provide a more premium, high-touch experience.
The service is flexible by design. Whether you need a fast-paced PR shoot packed with usable content, or meticulously crafted hero assets for global brochures and flagship campaigns, Field to Frame scales to suit your needs. One partner. One team. One clear vision in handling everything from planning and production to delivery.
Modern machinery launches need content created once, built to travel everywhere. Field to Frame delivers exactly that.
There’s a brochure available to download with full details of what’s included, and a very cool video that shows the approach in action. If you’re planning your next machinery launch, or looking to refresh how your products show up in press and social media, now’s the time to take a look.
From field to frame, this is content that works as hard as your machines.
Get Camera-Ready: Meet Our Hair and Makeup Partner
Craig Roberts
Professional HMUA services now available at Cande Studios!
We pride ourselves on delivering high-end productions where every detail matters, from creative development and filming through to the on-screen presence of our contributors. That’s why we’re excited to announce a new partnership with Alana Campbell, an award-winning Hair & Make-Up Artist (HMUA) with over 15 years’ experience across film, television, commercial and corporate shoots.
Alana has worked with some of the UK’s most recognisable names, including David Tennant, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Suranne Jones, Idris Elba and Lily Allen, as well as on more than 30 productions spanning BAFTA- and Oscar-winning shows. Now, she brings this expertise into the commercial and branded content space, supporting our clients at Cande Studios with professional styling that ensures every subject looks and feels their best on camera.
Why we’re introducing HMUA services at Cande Studios
We’ve seen first-hand how professional hair and make-up elevates our work for major clients. Studio lighting shows everything, but with the right styling, contributors look polished, confident and on-brand. Alana’s presence on set delivers:
- Camera-ready confidence: Talent feel comfortable in front of the camera, which translates into stronger performances.
- Consistent brand storytelling: Whether the look is polished and luxury, raw and edgy, or natural and approachable, styling supports the brand’s creative vision.
- Efficiency on set: Quick changes between looks mean clients can maximise content days with multiple setups.
- Cost savings in post-production: Fewer retouches and corrections, resulting in stronger output straight from camera.
Alana spent some time at Cande Studios recently demonstrating the value that professional hair and make up can add, check it out here!
This collaboration is part of our commitment to making Cande Studios more than just a space to hire. We’re building a complete production environment where every element, from cameras and lighting to talent styling and set design, contributes to premium, impactful results for our clients.
Get in touch today to find out more candestudios@candegroup.co.uk
Cande in the Community: Championing Local Creativity & Development
Craig Roberts
We’re proud to launch Cande in the Community — our new social enterprise initiative designed to give back to the local area through sponsorship, education, and hands-on support.
As one of the Midlands’ fastest-growing video production companies and creative agencies, we’re passionate about showing that high-end creative production doesn’t have to be London-centric. Through Cande in the Community, we’re investing our time, resources and expertise to help nurture the next generation of talent and strengthen the communities around us.
“When I started out in video production, most of the opportunities were in London or Manchester. Now that we’ve built a thriving creative business here in Hinckley, we’re keen to put something back through sponsorship, mentoring, and creating real-world experiences for young people who want to work in this industry.”
Ben Coates, Director of Cande Group
Giving Back Through Sport, Education and Creativity
Cande in the Community already includes several strands of activity that are making a difference locally:
Grassroots Girls’ Football
We’re proud sponsors of the FC Burbage U12 Girls team, supporting the next generation of players in local sport. The partnership celebrates teamwork, confidence and inclusion, values that align closely with our own creative culture.
Nuneaton Old Edwardians Rugby Club
Our long-term relationship with Nuneaton Old Eds has grown from individual player sponsorships to a wider club partnership, now featuring pitch-side boards, digital screen content and a suite of branded social-media videos to elevate their online presence. The collaboration even saw former South Africa international Ashley Johnson visit our studio to record promotional content for the club.
North Warwickshire & South Leicestershire College (NWSLC)
As an official placement partner, we regularly host students from the college’s Film & TV programme. Having studied there himself, Ben Coates is passionate about offering industry access to local students. The partnership has been recognised by Ofsted for providing “invaluable, real-world experience” and helping to build a creative-industry pipeline outside the traditional media hubs of London and Manchester.
Leicestershire Scouts: Houghton on the Hill
Our production team has developed a two-part filmmaking challenge for local Scouts, introducing them to concept development, storyboarding and production. The second phase will see the Scouts visit Cande Studios to bring their films to life on set.
Expanding Our Impact into the Agri and Food Sectors
Alongside our community work, we also have deep expertise in the agriculture and food supply chain sectors, working with some of the UK’s biggest names in farming, sustainability and agri-tech.
Our current partnership with Meat Business Women, the global professional network for women in the meat industry, reflects a shared commitment to driving equality, representation and opportunity across the sector.
Building on this, we’ll be expanding Cande in the Community later in 2025 and into 2026 with a dedicated programme of support for the agri sector — with new plans and partnerships to be revealed soon.
A Long-Term Commitment
Cande in the Community is set to grow through 2026 and beyond, forming part of our wider ESG commitment to improve accessibility, education and social mobility — both within the Midlands and across the industries we serve.
“It’s about showing young people that there’s a future in creative production right here in the Midlands,” adds Ben.
“And it’s also about using what we do best — storytelling — to make a positive difference in the sectors and communities that matter most to us.”
Win a Session at Cande Studios
Craig Roberts
Win a Free Day in Our Brand-New Studio!
We’re excited to announce the launch of our brand-new creative studio in Leicestershire and to celebrate, we’re giving one lucky winner the chance to use the space for a full day… completely free!
Our new studio has been designed to be a flexible, dynamic space for all types of creative projects, from video shoots and photography to podcasts, livestreams, and more. Whether you’re an experienced creator or just starting out, this is your opportunity to bring your ideas to life in a professional environment worth £1,000. The prize consists of one full day of studio hire at Cande Studios (up to eight hours, standard value £600) plus a £400 kit hire allowance for use with in-house equipment during the booking. The kit allowance is valid for use on site only and cannot be taken off premises. Any unused allowance has no cash value and is non-transferable.
How to enter:
Taking part couldn’t be easier
1) Follow @CandeStudios on Instagram
2) Like and share the giveaway post to your story
3) Tag three people in the comments who would love to use the space
The deadline for entries is 02/10/2025, and we’ll be announcing the winner on 03/10/2025 on our Instagram page.
See the full terms and conditions here.
Why We’re Excited
We built this studio to give businesses, creators, and brands in the Midlands access to a professional production space without the big price tag. It’s adaptable, easy to book, and comes with the option of full production support from our in-house team.
So whether you’re planning a product shoot, recording a podcast, or want to experiment with something new, we have plenty of lights, cameras and grip ready to use at your disposal to help bring your vision to life. This is your chance to make it happen … on us!
Cande Group appointed as official video partner for World Meat Congress 2025 in Brazil
Craig Roberts
The International Meat Secretariat (IMS) has appointed UK-based creative agency Cande Group as the official video partner for the World Meat Congress (WMC) 2025, to be held in Brazil and hosted by IMS member Instituto Mato-Grossense da Carne (IMAC).
The Congress, themed “A New Era of Meat,” will bring together global leaders from across the meat and livestock sector to explore the key challenges and opportunities shaping the future of sustainable protein. Building on the success of the 2023 WMC in Maastricht, this year’s event promises to be the premier global platform for debate, knowledge exchange and collaboration.
As video partner, Cande Group will capture and produce content from across the Congress, from plenary sessions and keynote speeches to interviews and highlights, ensuring the insights and outcomes are shared with audiences worldwide. IMS, a non-profit organisation representing the global meat and livestock sector, works to promote the industry’s role in supplying safe, healthy and nutritious animal protein sustainably.
Cande Group brings specialist expertise in agricultural and food supply chain storytelling. Founded by Ben Coates, who previously led the in-house video team at the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), the agency has built a reputation as a trusted creative partner for organisations across the farming and food supply chain, from soil to screen.
As the creative digital partner of Meat Business Women (MBW), the global membership organisation driving equality and diversity across the meat sector, Cande already works at the forefront of industry communications, highlighting its ability to connect with audiences on complex, technical and strategic sector issues.
Ben Coates, Founder and Director of Cande Group, said:
“We’re delighted to be working with IMS as the video partner for World Meat Congress. It’s a landmark event for the global meat sector and a unique opportunity to showcase the innovation and collaboration that is shaping a new era of meat. With our background in agriculture and food, we’re proud to bring our sector expertise to such an important international platform.”
Dr. Phil Hadley MBE, Secretary General of the International Meat Secretariat, said:
“The World Meat Congress is where global industry leaders come together to address the sector’s future. Having Cande Group on board as our video partner ensures we can capture the discussions, innovations and insights in a professional and creative way, amplifying the impact of the event worldwide.”
World Meat Congress takes place in Cuiaba, Brazil from 28 – 30 October 2025.