Behind the Inspiring Stories of UEFA’s Grassroots Awards Winning Teams
In January this year, director at full-service production company DEAD Films, Luke Nutt received a faithful call asking for an email address for UEFA to contact him. “They said there was a project UEFA would like us at DEAD Films to pitch on,” he remembers. He later came to find that the campaign itself was focused on the 2023 UEFA Grassroots Awards, during which six exceptional clubs, national associations and initiatives have been honoured by the Association for their outstanding work in developing grassroots football for people who might not have equal access to the game.
“Grassroots football forms the bedrock of this beautiful game,” says Luke. So, to help UEFA commemorate the six winners of the Grassroots awards, they had to tell their inspiring stories in a way that truly championed the heroes behind the work - by filming six films for each of them in their six respective countries.
The DEAD Films crew embarked on a six-week long journey (initially planned as a five week one) through Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Moldova and Poland to share stories from a women’s amputee football club in Warsaw, from underprivileged children from the slums of Marseille, and children affected by the war in Ukraine who still find solace in playing football, among many others.
Ultimately, the goal of the journey was to convey the ever-changing nature of the game, as well as the power it has to connect communities and people to each other, despite curve balls thrown their way.
LBB’s Zoe Antonov spoke to Luke about the time constraints on the project, the stress of working in six consecutive countries and the reward of having told these important stories. Watch all six of the films here.
LBB> Tell me about the beginning of the project and the brief - how did you tackle it and how did this all start?
Luke> Upon receiving the brief, we immediately saw the potential in it. The next step was to submit our treatment. Alongside captivating interview compositions and carefully crafted B-roll, we set out to implement two additional creative executions, hero portraits shot on a deep red background, and stills photography that would be used in a textured graphic design treatment. Whether a team or individual, these elements presented the opportunity to elevate the heroes to the status of elite athletes or even film stars on the cover of a magazine. Capturing a feeling of strong local community from across the continent was key in doing justice to these real human stories.
Once developed, the treatment was submitted and we were told the news that we had been successful with our pitch on February 27th, five days before the first shoot in Poland!
LBB> Had you ever worked with UEFA before and if it was your first time, how did your creative partnership develop?
Luke> This was our first time working for UEFA. The creative partnership was a strong one from the beginning, t the additional creative executions we presented were well received and played a big part in UEFA’s decision to award us the campaign. There was a degree of trust placed in us to execute the style and tone of voice that we put forward, and that resulted in a smooth and successful working partnership.
LBB> Was six weeks the deadline from the start or did it move around as the project progressed? Did you find the deadline challenging and in what way?
Luke> Once we had been given the green light on the project, we actually only had a five-week window to produce the films. That original deadline was pushed by a week as our Cyprus shoot was postponed due to bad weather. The final film was delivered in April, resulting in the full production of all six films taking just shy of six weeks to complete.
The deadline was extremely challenging for various reasons. The plan from the outset was to have our edit facility working on the films whilst we were on the road shooting. This workflow however relied on us being able to send proxy files back to our headquarters to begin the edit. This proved tricky at times when trying to send from the sparse northern parts of Finland or the Moldovan countryside.
LBB> What was the style you wanted to execute? As the awards were for Grassroots teams it seems that authenticity was key - how did you achieve that authentic, homely look?
Luke> We set out to shoot the films handheld with subtle movement to accentuate the natural elements, and give us a greater sense of intimacy. We wanted to make the audience feel as if they were right there, reduce setup time and create an authentic atmosphere.
We also employed some really simple camera moves to integrate a more stylised approach to the visual language. Zooms were a very undemanding way of doing this, focusing the audience’s attention, and capturing the subject's point of view by taking us into their world.
LBB> Overall, tell me more about the challenges of filming in six different countries in a row - what was the most difficult and the most fun part of it?
Luke> The travel (especially with our own kit) was challenging. The camera kit posed the greatest issue when travelling to Moldova, which borders Ukraine and is used as an entry point into the war-torn country. Various documentation, carnets, letters of invitation from federations and official UEFA accreditation were needed to secure a delayed, but safe entry.
With only a single day to shoot in each location for each film, and often trying to give direction in a language not understood by the subject, there was a lot to do in a short amount of time. This meant we had to be extremely nimble and disciplined with our scheduling, rarely having any opportunity to recce pre-shoot. Thankfully the representatives of each club, organisation and initiative were extremely helpful in assisting us with giving as much detail as possible with regard to who and where we would be shooting.
Despite the difficulties, we found our rhythm. Our first stop in Poland gave us a clear understanding of what was possible, and how we would need to structure our days. Four interview contributors maximum, understanding camera build and backdrop set up time with the limited crew we had, allowing enough time to capture our portrait hero shots and photography, how we would balance our controlled B-roll with the more verité style content.
For me, being able to create our own controlled, more stylised scenes and drills for each film was the most fun part of the filming process. The participants, particularly the younger ones, really got into them and desperately wanted to showcase their skills. The amputees in Poland presented a new approach to how we constructed these scenes. The young lads from the slums in Marseille were all about the flare.The boys and girls in Finland were explosive and clinical, and the over ‘70s in Denmark were all laughs and smiles with their technically sound approach. These scenes were not only fun to film, but also a joy to edit, adding some dynamism to each film.
LBB> When it came to filming children in other countries, what kind of processes did you have to go through to have that happen?
Luke> The usual processes were taken to film with the various children with permission and release forms, and on the whole, there was very little resistance from parents to give this permission. The only time there was a bit more difficulty with this was in Moldova. Families that had just spent the last six weeks of their lives taking shelter from missile fire in Ukrainian subway stations before crossing the border wanted to keep their identities hidden, and understandably so!
The Ukrainian children that did speak gave incredibly emotional and visceral accounts of their horrifying experiences, and showed immense bravery in delivering these to the camera. What was incredible to see was how all of those unimaginably painful thoughts seemed to fade as soon as there was an opportunity to play football with their friends. Another example of the power of the game.
LBB> How did you manage to establish personal relationships with the teams you met especially given the time constraints?
Luke> The contributors from the various organisations were all contacted and sent questions before arrival. Having that opportunity to preliminarily chat before meeting them in person was really helpful, and gave us a good understanding of how the interviews would be structured. The conversations also allowed us to build relationships as we would be relying heavily on these people in each location to help us capture the stories to their fullest.
With regards to the children and other participants in the films, the decision on who to include was made on the ground having observed some of the training, or understanding who might have an interesting story to tell. This was an important part of the process of each film. Making sure the participants were comfortable enough in front of the camera was tricky at times, but each resulted in heart warming deliveries.
LBB> Tell me about the interview compositions throughout the films - why were they an important part and how did you construct them?
Luke> The interviews were at the heart of this series and the backbone of each episode. They were vital to paint the picture of what each club or organisation has been able to achieve. We wanted the interviews to feel natural but also considered and beautifully shot using natural light as our main source.
It was important for the interviewees to feel comfortable in their surroundings. Ideally in a place they were familiar with, and somewhere that spoke to their personality. Whether that be at a desk, in the dugout, sitting in the stand or leaning against a goal post. It’s in these environments they felt most relaxed, providing extra insight into their everyday life. In terms of the framing and composition, we generally followed the rule of shooting them fairly wide to embrace that environment and give the sense of them being exactly where they are meant to be.
LBB> What was the role of music in the six separate films?
Luke> The music selection was integral to each film. The music and sound design was key to taking the viewer on the specific journey. It was an essential vehicle to evoke emotion at the right time, and inject some pace and energy back into the edit at other times.
We also wanted to align the selection of music and sound depending on the location. From French hip hop in the slums of Marseille, to sounds you might find in a Nordic dark comedy for our film in Frederikssund.
LBB> What were the core messages you wanted to carry through to audiences with the films?
Luke> Grassroots football forms the bedrock of the beautiful game. We wanted to demonstrate that the game not only provides an essential platform at the elite level but also teaches and nurtures respect, inclusion and equality.
The six award winning initiatives all showcase a slice of this with inspiring work by truly inspiring people. The game wouldn’t be what it is without them. This exciting project allowed us to create a series of thoughtful and engaging films that shine an important light on the people behind these initiatives, and those that have benefited from them.
Capturing a feeling of strong local communities from across the continent, where real human stories show that football’s job is never finished, was also a core message we wanted to convey. The game is always growing and developing to be better.
LBB> Did you get to play with the teams at all?
Luke> Despite the very busy days and travel schedule, we did manage to squeeze in a little kickabout with the boys and girls in Moldova, which was a very special moment for the crew.
