
RCGPs
RCGPs
After years of continuing controversy over the changing role of the GP, there is now a shortage of medical students training to become GPs. However, the Royal College of General Practitioners now believes that with increased funding from the government, this is the best time in a generation to become a GP.
The Brief:
The RCGPs wanted to make a short film aimed at medical students who were considering their future, to entice them to consider a career in general practice. The deadline was tight; the film had to be ready for the middle of January when students consider their options and was only commissioned mid-December – with Christmas looming.
The Approach:
It was important to the RCGPs that the audience heard from the GPs themselves explaining why being in that role was rewarding and exciting. It also wanted those GPs to be ones who had taken up the role within the last five years.
We began by working with them to come up with one page of key messages which the GPs could then tell in their own words. To give the video some pace and flow, we decided on a ‘hand-over’ approach – each GP telling his story would then visually be seen interacting with the next GP, who would then take up the next part. This approach also meant we could fulfil another requirement from the RCGPs – the number of GPs they wanted to appear in the film. In the final edit, we featured 10!
Obviously, the budget would not allow for us to travel all around the country, so this approach allowed us to bring all the GPs to one location for the shoot. We used a GP Practice in South London, which was extremely helpful and accommodating. With careful scheduling and planning beforehand, we were able to ensure each GP ‘handed-over’ to the next one, film interviews with more than 10 GPs and all the sequences necessary in just two days.
In order to meet the tight deadline after the shoot, we held a face-to-face meeting with the RCGPs after we edited the first version of the film together with our editor; this allowed us to make changes and respond to suggestions immediately.
The result:
The RCGPs was delighted with the video and used the fact it had commissioned a video as a news story. On Saturday 24th January, just four days after we signed off the video, it appeared on the BBC, ITV and Sky news. Over 8000 views on Youtube in the first 5 days. Substantial coverage in national press including BBC Radio 4, Daily Telegraph, The Times, Daily Mail, ITV News, Western Daily Press, Dundee Courier and BBC Wales.