Feb 2022
Shining a Light on Safe And Loving Families With Lumos
Projects that allow organisations to do good through the art of storytelling are of the highest order at Chrome.
Projects that allow organisations to do good through the art of storytelling are of the highest order at Chrome. We recently had the honour of working with Lumos, a charity founded and led by J.K. Rowling, that focuses on tackling the root causes of family separation in communities around the world through research, education, and effective social change within the many care systems around the world that take children away from their families and communities.
To support this important work, Lumos holds an annual high-profile fundraising gala, but with the pandemic still looming large, they knew they would need all wands at the ready. With this challenge in mind, they tasked Chrome with creating a virtual gala that retained the high production value their supporters have grown to expect, while also offering some new surprises.
The result? A 60-minute show hosted by Alec Baldwin and featuring special appearances and heartfelt testimonials by Bonnie Wright, Noma Dumezweni, Jason Isaacs, Evanna Lynch, Nihal Arthanayake and musical performances from Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Peter Bence. Lumos’ founder and life-president J.K. Rowling also appeared throughout the evening and led an inspirational session with her youth advisory team who joined the gala via a multi-location, multi-language, pre-taped interview.
“I have been producing multi-media events for Scholastic for more than 25 years now. Working with the extraordinary team at Chrome Productions on The Christmas Pig Virtual Event (The second time in a row that I have successfully collaborated with them) only solidified the fact that they are the best of the best and that I have no plans to work with anyone else in the future if I can help it.”
– Billy DiMichele, President of the Lumos USA Board of Directors
Chrome created the look and feel of the sets, which were then utilised in shoots across London, Edinburgh, and New York, allowing us to maintain an engaging and consistent aesthetic across all elements of the show. Working closely with the Lumos team, we built an exciting running order, which featured a plethora of musical performances, emotional Lumos stories, and additional segments featuring inspirational leaders who share Lumos’ journey and goals.
This show was streamed live using the ‘Virtual Tables’ platform and was a great success. As well as delivering high quality video and crisp audio, the platform allowed guests to communicate with other members within their pre-assigned tables and participate in other interactive features, which combined to create a virtual event that rivalled the atmosphere of live galas of the past.
“It was a great pleasure to work with Lumos on such an important project. Working so closely, you become part of a family and what an inspirational team they are. I’m really proud of this production and how the show turned out.” – Mark Wilson, Executive Producer at Chrome Productions
