Video and photography for not-for-profits

Will it be worth it?
Will everyone on camera be okay?
Will we use it again?
Fair questions. Here's how we answer them.

Strategic video and photography for not-for-profits, made with the people in it.

We're a small Melbourne crew. We start with what the video is for, film people in their own words, and plan where it goes next.

Book a free strategy call → See the work

All footage from published Fifth Castle Media films.

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Three questions

What a comms lead usually asks first

Here's what we do about each one, and the films further down show the result.

Worth the money?

Start with what the video is for

Before we film, we agree who it's for and what it should lead them to do. Everything after is cut to that.

Will they be okay on camera?

People speak in their own words

Consent and releases are sorted before we film, the crew stays small, and nobody is handed a script.

Will we use it again?

One shoot, several formats

Films come in wide and square-ish social formats, with captions. Photography can be included as a still library, so one day on location keeps working.

Case study

Down Syndrome Australia

The film

Perspectives on Ageing Well with Down Syndrome

Supported by the nib foundation, it sits beside DSA's Ageing Well resources. Health ambassadors with Down syndrome, a doctor and family speak in their own words.

How it was made

In their own words

The interviews are theirs. Around them are ordinary moments: a walk, a coffee, planning ahead together.

The relationship

Working together since early 2024

Alongside this film, we've made DSA's campaign refresh, training videos for employers, employment stories and World Down Syndrome Day coverage.

Frames from the published film, 2:48

From the films

Stills from the films we've made

All the footage on this page is real and from published films. The three how-it-works loops are AI illustrations, labelled as such.

★★★★★

They're professional, knowledgeable and reliable, and genuinely kind, caring people to work with.

Kate Jeremiah, Down Syndrome Australia, Google review

★★★★★

He and the team remained professional and respectful at all times throughout the Conference.

Natalie Morris, WESNET, on the 5th World Conference of Women's Shelters

How it works

Strategy first, then film, then where it goes

Illustration, AI

Step one

Strategy

What's the video for, who's it for, and what should it make them do? We settle that with you before anyone picks up a camera.

Illustration, AI

Step two

Production

A small crew films on location. Consent and releases are in place first, and the people on camera speak for themselves.

Illustration, AI

Step three

Where it goes

We cut for the places you'll use it: wide for the website, square-ish for social, with captions, and stills if you want them.

Your questions

What we'd want to know if we were in your seat

Some straight answers, so the call can be about your organisation and what you need.

01
Who's on the crew?
Arek Rainczuk plans and photographs, Sam Young films, Nick Varley edits. Freelancers join for particular projects.
02
Can we see published work?
Yes. The films below are public, so you can watch them before we speak.
03
What if the budget's small?
Tell us on the call. We'll say honestly what's possible at your budget, and if it isn't enough, we'll say that too.
04
What happens on the call?
A conversation with Arek about what you need the video to do. If we're not the right fit, he'll say so.