We’re ZION. A film and video production company based in Nottingham, passionate about telling stories & inspiring others. We have a heart for communicating God's message through the use of video, helping grow the Church around the world.
ZION was founded by Dave and Ruth Watts. They have a particular passion to see Christian organisations and churches thrive with video content to share the good news.
Below is a couple of case studies for some recent projects we've worked on. If you'd like to know more about how we can support you, then please do get in touch.
Some projects we’ve MADE
CPAS
In early 2024, we started a collaboration with CPAS to produce a series of videos designed to enhance the reach of their Leadership Enablers team. We worked closely with CPAS to define a fresh visual style and approach for how their leadership team would be presented on screen.
One key objective was to maximise the opportunity. So to achieve this, we scheduled a single filming day at the Albany Theatre in coventry, which offered us a versatile location with multiple rooms and settings, perfect for capturing the different looks we needed from large expansive auditoriums to clean and rustic white studio.
Using a two-camera setup, we incorporated an autocue system to ensure smooth content delivery (reducing the number of retakes). This setup allowed us to film multiple consistent takes with each leader, offering different angles, maximising efficiency and consistent content quality. In total we captured 10 videos featuring 6 different leaders across an 8 hour shoot day.
Once in post-production, we crafted an engaging visual edit by incorporating variety of camera angles from extreme wides showcasing the full theatre environment to extreme close ups. To further enhance the videos, we over laid white graphics to highlight key points and reinforce the message.
The final deliverables included 10 videos, each 2-3 minutes in length—all filmed in one day on location. This streamlined production approach resulted in a highly effective content package that will support CPAS’s ongoing mission to empower leaders.
CHURCH OF ENGLAND
We collaborated with the Church of England Nottingham, and embarked on an exciting new project titled Living Hope Stories. The goal was to capture a series of inspiring “living hope” stories from a range of contributors across the diocese, aligning with the church’s new vision initiative, Living Hope.After initial discussions, we proposed a creative concept featuring a partial colorama paper backdrop.
This backdrop filled part of the frame, while still allowing the varied church environments across the diocese to be visible, emphasising the diversity of the contributors’ settings.The project required the videos to be delivered in multiple aspect ratios. We shot in 16x9 widescreen for YouTube and website use, while also cropping the footage to 9x16 vertical format for optimized social media distribution. Ahead of filming, we conducted a few test shots to ensure we had the best setup for both formats.In 2024, we filmed across four shoot days to capture 12 unique Living Hope stories. The project will continue throughout 2025, with more stories to come, further sharing the powerful messages of hope across the diocese.
SERVING IN MISSION
In 2022, we partnered with SIM and Crosslands UK to produce a comprehensive video content package for their new training course, Intercultural Church. This course aimed to explore how the church in the UK can become more inclusive and intercultural, reflecting the diverse society it serves.
Our role was to create a series of 27 videos, spread across 9 content sessions. Each session was supported by contributions from 9 individuals located across the UK, each bringing a unique perspective and personal story that aligned with the themes of the course.In addition to documenting the personal stories of the contributors, we filmed them in their everyday environments, capturing both their lived experiences and their responses to thought-provoking questions. For example, we asked: “Why is now a good time to be alive?” These Vox Pop-style responses were edited into a compilation, providing a rich array of perspectives that would encouraged deep discussion points.
The entire video package was filmed over 9 separate shoot days across 9 different cities, resulting in dynamic and engaging content that complemented the written elements of the course. The powerful visuals and diverse voices helped bring the training material to life, making it not just informative but deeply resonant with its audience.
