Client: JA Brooks
Genre: Branded Micro Doc, Corporate Film, Brand Film
100 Years of JA Brooks
A short film celebrating 100 years of JA Brooks, one of the London’s leading mechanical services firms.
From its wartime beginnings to the high-profile London projects it helps power today, this is a story of generational work ethic, fierce loyalty, and the kind of deep-rooted pride that can’t be faked.
JA Brooks came to us wanting to mark their centenary in a way that didn’t just show the projects, but the people. The welders, fabricators, designers and families who’ve built their name over decades of graft.
This wasn’t a glossy corporate reel. It was something more honest: real people, real workplaces, and real voices, told from the inside out.
Our Role
We worked with JA Brooks from day one to shape the narrative and guide the story structure. Our role spanned the full video production journey:
- Delivered a final micro-documentary piece used to celebrate the centenary internally and externally
- Developed a concept centred on the people and heritage of the company, not just the work
- Crafted a 3-act story built around three central themes: Spirit, History, and Family
- Shot on location at JA Brooks’ Pod factory and multiple live London sites
- Directed fast-paced, on-the-job interviews to capture the energy and humour of the team
- Filmed real families working side by side, a living testament to the company’s roots
- Wove together present-day footage with archive photos, narrated VO and on-site soundbites
The Challenge
JA Brooks isn’t just one of the UK’s most established firms, it’s a company where the founder’s name still echoes through the corridors, and where some staff have been on the tools for 40+ years.
The challenge was doing that legacy justice without slipping into nostalgia or corporate fluff.
We wanted the pace and energy of a modern brand film, but with depth. That meant:
- Authentic interviews on the factory floor (often mid-job)
- Seamless integration of family members working together
- A strong, documentary-style voiceover to anchor the story
- Showing work happening live, from CAD to construction
And most of all, capturing the sense of pride that runs through every weld, drawing, and conversation.
The Result
The film launched in summer 2025 to coincide with the 100-year milestone. It’s since been used:
- Across internal comms to reinforce the JA Brooks culture
- As part of anniversary events and site celebrations
- In new business pitches and recruitment drives
- And most importantly: it landed emotionally. The feedback from staff, clients and families was unanimously positive, with many saying it made them feel proud to be part of something bigger.
Thanks again Ed, the feedback over the last week has been brilliant. A lot of people feeling proud.”
— Joe Robson, Managing Surveyor at JA Brooks
Why It Matters
There are few companies left like JA Brooks. Still independent. Still family-led. Still showing up day after day with boots on and sleeves rolled up.
This was more than a milestone film — it was a portrait of a company that’s lasted a century not by accident, but through sheer perseverance and shared purpose.
For us, it was a privilege to help tell that story.