Both. We can join a project at the very beginning, developing the concept, story, format and production approach, or step in once a script or creative direction is already in place.

Depending on the project, we can manage development, casting, pre-production, production, post-production and final delivery.

We prefer being involved early because good creative decisions and good production decisions usually need to happen together.

Yes, and this is one of the areas we are particularly interested in.

We don’t believe the best branded stories start by asking, “Where can we place the product?” We start by understanding what the brand means to its audience and what role the product naturally plays in people’s lives.

From there, we build the product into the story itself. It might become a clue, a ritual, a gift, a source of transformation or something that drives a relationship between characters.

The goal is for the brand to feel essential to the story rather than added on top of it.

De Bono Pictures is UK-based, with production experience and relationships across the UK, Europe, North America, South America and China.

The right location depends on the creative, budget, cast, schedule and production requirements, so we look at each project individually.

For international productions, we can build the appropriate local team while keeping creative and production oversight consistent from beginning to end.

Absolutely. In many cases, we actually recommend it.

A pilot gives everyone the opportunity to test the creative direction, understand how the product or story is working on screen and learn from the audience before committing to a larger series.

For branded projects, for example, a pilot might include a small group of short episodes together with trailers, cutdowns, stills and launch assets.

We can then review what worked, what needs adjusting and whether it makes sense to scale.

It makes the first step much more manageable.

We build approvals into the production process from the beginning.

Before filming, we agree on the key creative stages and who needs to approve them. Depending on the project, this can include the creative direction, scripts, product integration, legal considerations, casting and final edits.

Our aim is to give brand, agency and legal teams the control they need without making the creative process unnecessarily complicated.

Clear decisions early usually mean a much smoother production later.

There isn’t one structure that works for every project.

Depending on what we are creating together, rights can be structured around full brand ownership, an exclusive licence, shared IP or defined usage rights.

We discuss this at the beginning of the project so everyone understands how the content can be used, where it can appear and for how long.

For original entertainment projects, the structure may be different from a commissioned branded campaign, so we approach rights on a project-by-project basis.

There isn’t a useful one-size-fits-all number because the budget depends on what we are actually making.

Episode count and length, cast, locations, shooting days, production design, post-production, music, usage rights and delivery requirements can all significantly change the cost.

We normally start by understanding the objective and the creative ambition, and then design a production approach that makes sense for the available budget.

If the project is still at an early stage, we can also help define what is realistically achievable before building a full production estimate.

Usually with a conversation.

Tell us what you’re trying to achieve, who you want to reach and what you already have, whether that’s a finished script, a product, a campaign brief or simply the beginning of an idea.

From there, we can recommend the right creative and production approach and identify the clearest next step.

You don’t need to arrive with everything figured out. That’s part of what we’re here to help with.