A film for the school community
Helping families picture the new centre
In 2019, Brighton Grammar School commissioned Dream Engine to produce a fundraising video for its proposed Centre for Science, Creativity and Entrepreneurship. The film needed to help families and donors understand the plans and see how students would benefit.
We filmed on campus and at the Brighton foreshore, combining scenes of school life with the appeal for the new centre.
The brief
Raising funds before construction
The centre was still a plan. Families couldn’t walk through the laboratories, see a class in the creative spaces or attend a performance in the auditorium. We needed to show why these facilities were worth supporting.
The school wanted students to learn to collaborate, try new ideas, take risks and lead. The film connected those aims to the activities the new centre would make possible.
The script
Starting with the students
The film opened by asking what students would need to succeed in a changing world. It then introduced the proposed centre and explained how the school planned to use it, before asking the community to contribute.
The school’s “beyond tomorrow” theme ran through the film. The closing line, “Tomorrow belongs to those who prepare today”, tied the appeal back to the students’ future.
See our education video production service for more about filming in schools and universities.
The production
Filming on campus and on the bay
On campus, we used a camera track for smooth moving shots. At the Brighton foreshore, we filmed students sailing and working together outside the classroom.
We filmed wide shots from shore and used a GoPro on a dinghy to capture the sailing from the students’ point of view. We edited the 4K campus and sailing footage into a 3-minute 38-second fundraising film.
Client perspective
What Brighton Grammar said
“The execution of our brief was superb resulting in an outstanding video. We couldn’t be happier with the finished product, and will use Dream Engine’s services again.”
The campaign outcome
The Duigan Centre opened in 2025
The building, later named the Duigan Centre, was completed for the start of the 2025 school year. Brighton Grammar’s 2025 Grammarian report (PDF) confirms that the Beyond Tomorrow capital campaign raised more than $10 million.
Our film was an early part of that wider campaign, helping the school explain the proposed centre and ask for support years before it opened.
Planning a school fundraising video?
Tell us about your campaign, who you want to reach and when you need the film. We’ll help you work out what to film and how much it will cost.
Ryan Spanger is the founder and managing director of Dream Engine, a Melbourne video production company established in 2002. Over the past two decades, he’s produced hundreds of videos for businesses, government departments, universities and healthcare organisations across Australia. Ryan specialises in helping organisations explain complex ideas through clear, engaging video content, with particular experience in corporate communications, training and education.
