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By Amy Houston, Senior Reporter

November 2, 2022 | 3 min read

The charity estimates that 119,500 children will be without a home this winter, waking up on Christmas day in temporary accommodation.

Following on from last year’s acclaimed film ‘The Drive,’ housing charity Shelter has released another hard-hitting video that details the realities many families will face over the coming months.

In ‘Brave Face,’ viewers watch a typical day unfold for a young boy. Throughout the course of the day he receives bad grades, misses out on pudding at lunchtime and lets in a goal at football practice. Yet, throughout all of this, he keeps smiling.

As the day ends, the youngster heads home and it‘s only then we realize that he and his mother will be spending Christmas in a noisy and cramped bedsit. The final message reminds viewers that no child should have to put on a ‘brave face‘ but, without a home, many do.

The campaign, created by agency Don‘t Panic, is being promoted across owned social media channels, as well as TV.

Credits

Agency: Don’t Panic

Founder: Joe Wade

Creative partner: Rick Dodds

Strategy and engagement partner: Ellie Moore

Client partner: Jane Marshall

Creative director: George McCallum

Senior project manager: Rosie Johnstone

Senior account manager: Rheia Chand

Executive producer: Jennifer Clare Houlihan

Junior producer: Ani Bosco

Production company: Academy Films

Directors: Si&Ad

Head of production: Gemma Priggen

Executive producer: Medb Riordan

Producer: Lexi Kiddo

Production manager: Colum Ewart

1st AD: James Sharpe

Director of photography: Alex Barber

Gaffer: Niko Kalimerakis

Production designer: Fletcher Jarvis

Stylist: Katie McGoldrick

Make-up artist: Marta Wozniak and Jin Jin Ong

Stills: Jim Fenwick

Cast

Jayden: Maxwell Smith

Mum: Uru Eke

Dinner lady: Nicci Andrews

Football kids: Asantewaa Manfo, Jayden Savage, Jude Ugbehe, Stanley Potter, Taaraz Sesay and Tristan Orgill-Faulkner

School: Bush Hill Primary

Edit

Edit: Final Cut

Editor: Joe Guest

Assistant editor: Leah Burton

Edit producer: Nikki Porter

Post-production

Post: Electric Theatre Company

Colorist: Jason Wallis

Producer: Alasdair Patrick

Sound

Audio post-production: String & Tins

Sound design and mix: Joe Wilkinson and Culum Simpson

Audio producer: Alina Miroshnichenko and Eimear Gorey

Music: Dean Martin – When You’re Smiling

Music supervisor: Stephen Ettery, Wake the Town

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