30 Years in the Making

How do you turn ordinary movie marketing into a must-see TV documentary? You tell a “making of” story that spans 30 years – from Take That’s earliest days to Greatest Days, their new movie musical. Watch the full film on ITVX here.

A BIGGER STORY

AMV Stream was invited onto the set of Greatest Days, a new British musical featuring the songs of Take That, and saw an opportunity to tell a bigger story than just the making of a movie. Working closely with our client, the film company Elysian, we saw that the movie’s narrative about four female fans of a boy band had a vivid parallel in real life – in the massed legions of the “Take That Army” who had followed the band for three decades. Our pitch to the band, and eventually to ITV, was a branded entertainment story about a movie that was in fact “30 Years in the Making”.

A HUGE CANVAS

From band break-up hotlines to on-set Covid setbacks, 30 Years in the Making tells two parallel stories, the against-the-odds making of Greatest Days, plus three decades of the band and the fans that inspired it. The 75-minute documentary features contributions from Take That’s Gary, Howard and Mark and insights from the filmmakers behind Greatest Days, including star Aisling Bea. The stars of the show, however, are the most dedicated members of the Take That Army, including celebrity fans Mel and Sue, Alesha Dixon and Calum Scott, who all share funny and revealing anecdotes that recall Take That’s unique career from the earliest pop singles to the biggest stadium shows.

A DELICATE BALANCE

Shot over more than a year, 30 Years in the Making was an epic undertaking itself, but the most important capability on show for AMV Stream was creative solutions to any story challenges that meant we managed to keep all stakeholders happy from legal and compliance to the all-important band sign-off. Finished against the clock, the result was a truly priceless piece of branded entertainment for an independent UK film company that premiered on national television the day before the global premiere of Greatest Days. By aiming for the big branded entertainment story, Elysian was able to punch far above its marketing budget, producing a long-form, story-first and broadcast-calibre output that ITV was keen to host and promote on their streaming service ITVX.