The Sunday Times

Since 2019, Rise Media has partnered with The Times Sportswoman of the Year Awards (SWOTY) to capture the stories of incredible female athletes and changemakers.

Each year, we’re tasked with creating mini documentary films – each 60 to 90 seconds long – for nominees in two key categories: the Changemaker Award and the Grassroots Award. These films help the public get to know the nominees and ultimately cast their votes. In addition, we produce a highlight film of the award ceremony night itself.

For the nominee films, we hit the road. Each year we produce between 8 and 12 mini-documentaries across the UK – from London to Cardiff, Cornwall to York, and beyond. We work with a lean crew, often just one or two team members handling interviews, direction and cinematography. The Sunday Times SWOTY team provide us with a set of questions to guide each interview and manage all pre-production conversations with the nominees, so they’re fully briefed before our team arrives. Our goal is always to capture heartfelt stories that showcase the impact these women have at the grassroots level or as industry changemakers.

We usually receive the nominee list and filming locations just a week or two before the shoot – a tight turnaround that requires careful planning. The Sunday Times team notify us of the filming window a few weeks in advance, allowing us to keep our production schedule agile and pencil in crews ready for deployment as soon as details are confirmed. Each nominee film is crafted to give voters an authentic glimpse into the nominee’s contributions to sport.

See an example of a nominee film below.

After the nominee phase, we also cover the awards ceremony itself. Each year, the event is hosted at a prestigious London venue – most recently at the BAFTA building, and in previous years at the NewsUK headquarters at London Bridge. Our crew of three to four handles the entire production, typically including two camera operators, a director, and a sound recordist or assistant.

We film the awards ceremony with up to three cameras on the stage to capture speeches, reactions, and key moments, while an additional two cameras are dedicated to capturing atmospheric b-roll and establishers. All kit is supplied from our in-house inventory, ensuring consitency whilst staying within budget.

Given the rapid publicity cycle, we ensure a quick turnaround. The initial edit is often completed overnight, with client amends actioned the following morning and afternoon. This allows the highlights film to be shared within 24 hours, keeping the momentum of the event alive.