ICAP Charity Day
Kevin Bacon takes a call in the New York office
We have collaborated with GNA Films and ICAP for nearly a decade, seeking innovative ways to convey the message of ICAP’s annual ‘Charity Day’ to the public, the press, celebrity partners, and other stakeholders. ICAP, also known as, TP ICAP, is a global firm and a key player in the London Stock Exchange Financial Institute. They host an annual charity event called ‘ICAP Charity Day,’ headquartered in London, UK, with participation from over 20 other offices worldwide.
ICAP Charity Day is a remarkable fundraising initiative where financial professionals contribute their skills, and ICAP donates 100% of one day’s revenue. Over the past 30 years, this event has raised more than £165 million, supporting over 2,900 charitable causes and directly benefiting more than 7.7 million people globally.
Each year, we lead the production teams for London and New York. In previous years, we expanded to include Sydney, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Our role involves assisting with direction and post-production processes. Our work begins in the lead-up to Charity Day, where we create social media assets based on previous years’ material. These assets—short 10-15 second clips from previous events and animated graphical content—help generate hype and awareness for the upcoming event.
Several weeks before Charity Day, we book the necessary team members and prepare our overseas teams. In London, we operate four camera teams: three cover the action on the trading floors, capturing interactions between celebrities and ICAP staff, while the fourth is set up in a back office for interviews. Throughout the day, we follow a pre-prepared schedule of staff and celebrities for these interviews.
On-site, we have two post-production teams. The first team edits a 60-second promo of the day’s events, which is distributed across social channels after the day concludes. Meanwhile, the second team collects and prepares assets to be sent to media and press organisations for broadcasting throughout the day. Our setup ensures that we can produce content with extremely tight deadlines, even within minutes during the event. The material is of high interest to the press due to the involvement of many A-list celebrities on charity day. Additionally, the royal family usually attends in some capacity. For instance, in 2017, we captured Prince William and Kate Middleton as they supported the event in London. In other cities where TP ICAP operates, we’ve interviewed countless celebrities, including Tom Hardy, Lewis Hamilton, Gillian Anderson, Bill Clinton, Bradley Cooper, and Drew Barrymore. The list of supportive celebrities is extensive. Without a seamless production team organised and prepared to capture these moments as they unfold, it would be impossible to do justice to these significant events.
With all the material safely stored and backed up, the editing process begins. International teams upload their footage to servers, allowing us to receive it on the day of the event. Post-production is handled by the editing team at GNA Films. We also provide support in VFX, including adding animated graphics, colour grading, and any necessary finishing touches.
Our unwavering focus on capturing emotions drives meticulous planning and flawless execution. A robust crew plays a pivotal role, working in harmony to globally capture the day’s events. This winning formula of precision and efficiency has propelled TP ICAP to amass a substantial following and earn an outstanding international reputation for best practices in corporate social responsibility (CSR) across various industries. We take pride in selecting talent for this event, recognising that skills alone are insufficient; this occasion demands more. The professionals I’ve recruited share a strong team spirit, cooperative mindset, and essential agility, fostering synergy on the event floor. It’s not a typical day for media film industry professionals; it’s a day where people from all walks of life—viewers, givers, brokers, directors, crew members—unite to create a positive impact. Together, we channel our expertise toward incredible causes, standing as one.