THE BRIEF

As part of our wider work creating and delivering Home Energy Hub Norfolk, Treefrog was commissioned to produce a series of resident case study videos showing the real experiences of people who had made energy efficiency improvements to their homes.

The video programme formed part of a much larger end-to-end communications project, which saw Treefrog deliver the Home Energy Hub Norfolk case study from initial branding and strategy through to website design and development, content creation, photography, and professional video production.

An important part of the video strategy was moving beyond technical explanations of insulation, renewable energy, and low-carbon heating. We wanted residents to hear from real homeowners who had already been through the process: why they made the changes, what the experience was actually like and what difference those improvements had made to their homes.

Rory and Debbie's story provided a particularly strong example.

Having purchased a largely unchanged 1960s detached property, they undertook an extensive self-funded, whole-house retrofit. Their project included insulation, airtightness improvements, an air source heat pump, underfloor heating, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, solar PV and battery storage.

Our brief was to turn that extensive technical project into an engaging, relatable homeowner story that could help other Norfolk residents understand what a whole-house approach to energy efficiency could look like in practice.

OUR APPROACH

From the beginning of the wider Home Energy Hub Norfolk video campaign, we worked closely with the project team to determine what would make the resident case studies genuinely useful.

We considered several ways of structuring the series. Videos could have been led by individual technologies, geographical locations or specific types of property. Ultimately, however, we agreed that the strongest approach was to put the residents themselves at the centre of each film.

Rather than producing a technical demonstration with a homeowner attached to it, we wanted to tell Rory and Debbie's story.

That meant understanding what motivated them to undertake such a substantial project, what their home was like beforehand, the decisions they made along the way, the challenges they encountered and, most importantly, what living in the completed home was actually like.

Ahead of filming, our team researched their retrofit and developed a series of interview questions designed to naturally take Rory and Debbie through that journey.

We didn't want scripted answers. Our role was to create the right environment and ask the right questions so that their genuine experience could lead the narrative.

This approach was particularly important for Home Energy Hub Norfolk. Energy efficiency can quickly become a technical subject, but homeowners don't necessarily connect with specifications and terminology alone. Hearing another resident explain what they did, why they did it and whether it worked provides a completely different level of context and credibility.

THE PRODUCTION

Filming took place at Rory and Debbie's home in Norfolk as part of the wider programme of resident case study filming coordinated by our video production team.
As with every resident involved in the campaign, we wanted the filming process to feel comfortable and straightforward.

Before filming began, we talked Rory and Debbie through how the day would work, what we wanted to achieve and how their footage would be used. We also completed the relevant consent and release documentation before setting up within their home.

This was particularly important because we weren't filming professional presenters or actors. We were inviting real residents to talk about their experiences on camera, often within their own homes, so taking the time to explain the process and create a relaxed environment was an essential part of getting natural, authentic responses.

We then selected and set up the interview position within the property, considering lighting, composition, sound and the surrounding environment before conducting the interview using the questions we had prepared.

The conversation explored the complete story behind the retrofit: from purchasing a cold and inefficient 1960s property through to their decision to take a whole-house approach, the disruption and challenges involved and the eventual transformation of the home's comfort and energy performance.

Alongside the main interview, we captured extensive B-roll throughout the property.

Rory and Debbie's home gave us an opportunity to visually demonstrate many of the technologies discussed throughout the wider Home Energy Hub Norfolk platform. We filmed the property itself alongside the different improvements they had installed, including the air source heat pump, solar panels, battery storage and other elements of the retrofit.

This supporting footage was essential. Rather than simply hearing somebody talk about an air source heat pump or solar PV system, viewers could see those technologies installed within a genuine Norfolk home.

POST-PRODUCTION & STORYTELLING

Once filming was complete, our focus shifted from capturing the story to shaping it.

The interview footage was reviewed in full and the strongest sections were selected to create a concise narrative that retained Rory and Debbie's personality while clearly communicating the progression of their project.

The challenge was deciding what to leave out as much as what to include. Their retrofit incorporated numerous technologies and a substantial amount of work, but the finished film still needed to remain accessible to someone with very little prior knowledge of home energy improvements.

We therefore structured the edit around their personal journey, using technical details where they helped explain the story rather than allowing the technology to dominate it.

B-roll was then carefully incorporated throughout the interview, allowing viewers to see the home and individual improvements as they were discussed.

The film was edited within the visual framework we had previously created through the Home Energy Hub Norfolk branding and identity, helping it sit consistently alongside the other resident stories, technology explainers and campaign assets produced for the project.

Draft versions were shared with the Home Energy Hub Norfolk project team and relevant stakeholders for review. We then worked through the agreed feedback and amendment stages, refining the edit until the final version was approved.

THE OUTCOME

The finished Rory and Debbie film became one of nine resident case study videos produced by Treefrog for Home Energy Hub Norfolk.

Rather than simply showcasing an impressive retrofit, the video provides a real-world example of what can be achieved when energy efficiency improvements are considered as part of a complete, whole-house approach.

Rory and Debbie's property went from a cold and inefficient 1960s home with oil heating and poor insulation to a significantly more comfortable, low-carbon property achieving an EPC A rating.

Their combination of fabric improvements, renewable technologies and low-carbon heating has also brought the home close to being cost-neutral to run across the year.

But for us, the value of the film is in allowing Rory and Debbie to explain that transformation themselves.

Their story gives other homeowners an opportunity to see the technologies in a genuine residential setting, understand some of the challenges involved and hear directly from people who have experienced the process rather than from an installer or organisation trying to sell them a particular solution.

The finished video was published to the Home Energy Hub Norfolk YouTube channel, which Treefrog established as part of the wider project, before being embedded within the Rory and Debbie resident case study on Home Energy Hub Norfolk.

It also forms part of the wider library of resident stories, technology explainers and educational video content we produced for the platform.

You can discover how the video campaign fitted alongside branding, web development, content strategy, photography and the wider communications work in our full Home Energy Hub Norfolk case study.

DELIVERABLES

• Resident case study video

• Pre-production planning and research

• Interview strategy and question development

• Resident liaison and filming coordination

• On-location video production

• Homeowner interviews

• Technology and property B-roll

• Supporting photography

• Professional video editing and post-production

• Branded graphics and supporting assets

• Stakeholder review and amendment stages

• YouTube publishing and website integration

THE VALUE OF CASE STUDY VIDEOS

Sometimes the best person to explain the value of a product, service, or initiative isn't the organisation behind it. It's someone who has experienced it for themselves.

At Treefrog, our case study video production focuses on finding those stories and telling them properly. From developing the initial concept and interview questions to filming on location, editing and delivering the finished content, we manage the complete production process.

Whether you're a local authority communicating with residents, an organisation demonstrating the impact of a programme or a business looking to showcase what you deliver for your customers, we can help turn genuine experiences into engaging video content.

Contact Treefrog to discuss your next video project.

Or discover more about our video production services in Norfolk and see how we help organisations turn complex messages into content people want to watch.