We rebuilt a 1990s video shop in Slough to show what smartphones are doing to kids.
Which isn’t a sentence I ever expected to write.
But one of the most incredible things about building
Smartphone Free Childhood has been discovering just how many talented people care deeply about this issue.
People contribute in all sorts of ways.
Some organise local groups. Some speak to politicians. Some run school fairs, community events or just start conversations with friends.
And occasionally, a group of exceptionally talented filmmakers donate their time and talent to build an entire 90s video shop and turn it into a cinema advert. 😂
The film is based on a simple observation.
Back when going to Blockbuster on a Friday night was a thing, we all accepted that some things weren’t for children.
Today, children carry a device in their pocket with access to more content than every video shop that ever existed.
So we reimagined the video shop for the smartphone era and asked:
When did we start accepting things online that we’d never accept anywhere else?
For one day, an empty shop in Slough was transformed into a fully functioning 1990s video shop.
Not by AI.
By real people building a real thing.
Production designers, location managers, producers, set decorators, props masters, graphic designers, costume designers and tonnes of other creative specialists brought their expertise to create the world from scratch.
The shelves. The VHS boxes. The posters. The tiny nostalgic details hidden in every corner of the shop.
It really is worth a second watch to spot them.
Watching it come together was a humbling experience. Because many of the people involved are more accustomed to working on major advertising campaigns, Hollywood productions and global brands than grassroots movements.
Yet they brought exactly the same care, craft and attention to detail to this project.
Over the next few weeks, thanks to some top-level wangling from this same amazing team, this film will be playing in cinemas across the UK. 🎬
Which feels seriously surreal.
Because policies matter. But ultimately culture matters more.
And helping people see the status quo with fresh eyes has always been at the heart of what we're trying to do with SFC.
Gargantuan gratitude goes out to
Arts & Sciences and
James Bland – the production company that made this possible,
David Dearlove – the director who had the vision and
Charlie Orr – the SFC supporter slash producer extraordinaire who brought it all together. As well as a ludicrously long list of studios, specialists and crew who delivered to a ridiculous level.
Full credits on our site. It's a very long list. 🙏