Most organisations in complex situations don't need better content.
They need better thinking about what to say and why it matters.
The Bakery is a strategic communications studio and documentary production house. We work upstream of briefs, in the middle of situations, helping organisations turn complexity into stories that build genuine trust.
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Situation Readiness Score
Free. Five minutes. A clear picture of where you actually are.
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Narrative Brief Session
A half-day session to find the right narrative before production begins.
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Flagship Production
Documentary films made with craft and strategic intent.
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Footage Stewardship
Your footage as a managed, reusable asset.
Strategic Guidance
Most production starts with the script. We start with the situation.
Before a camera is switched on, we need to understand who you're speaking to, what they're carrying, and what kind of story will earn their trust. This is the work that happens before the brief is written, and it's often the work that determines whether everything downstream is worth doing.
PRIMARY ENTRY POINT
Narrative Brief Session
You bring the situation. We bring documentary-trained thinking. Over half a day, we work through your stakeholders, your stakes, and the story that needs to be told. You leave with a Narrative Brief document: a clear narrative direction, a rationale, and something you can take back to your leadership team with confidence.
$3,500 + GST, paid upfront. Payment confirms your session date.
If you proceed to production within 60 days, the Narrative Brief investment is recognised within the production engagement.
Flagship Production
The films we make are not the product. The outcome is the product. We measure our work by whether communities feel genuinely informed, whether stakeholders shift from resistance to understanding, whether funders can see the full arc of what was achieved. The film is how we get there.
Stakeholder Engagement Films
For organisations managing complex projects where communities need to understand before they can accept.
When facts alone aren't enough.
Community Story Series
For organisations whose credibility depends on the communities they serve speaking for themselves.
Not a spokesperson. The people.
Impact Documentaries
For the moment when a program needs to account for itself honestly to funders, boards, or the public.
Not a highlight reel. Evidence.
Internal Culture Films
For leadership teams navigating change, and the people on the floor who need to understand why it's happening and believe it matters.
Footage Stewardship
Every shoot generates footage that could be worth something for years. Most organisations lose it, or lose track of it. The consent documents go missing. The hard drive gets handed over when someone leaves. Three years later, a comms manager needs a clip and nobody can tell them where to look. Stewardship is how you stop that from happening.
Footage Discovery
A paid engagement that tells you what you have, what's at risk, and what's a hidden asset. We go through your existing archive and come back with a clear picture: what's organised, what's exposed, and what could be doing more work than it currently is.
Most organisations are surprised by what they find. Some of it is urgent. Some of it is more valuable than the original production. Learn more.
Stewardship Retainer
Three tiers of ongoing archive management, consent and rights tracking, strategic reuse advisory, and editorial planning. From basic archive protection through to embedded editorial intelligence for organisations in complex, ongoing situations.
We also offer in-house video training for communications teams who want to build their own authentic content capability, and advisory for organisations setting up internal studios or workflows. This work suits teams who want to reduce their dependency on external production for day-to-day content, while keeping a strategic partner available for the work that needs a documentary filmmaker's eye.
If that sounds like where you are, get in touch.
Not sure what you need yet?
The Situation Readiness Score takes 5 minutes.
It gives you a clear picture of where you are, what's working in your communications, and what's getting in the way. No call required. No commitment. Just clarity.
“The Bakery take the time to really understand a project, as well as the people that will be involved. In our experience, their attention to detail and ability to produce incredibly high quality and professional content is unsurpassed."
Marnie Craig
CEO - Business Events Tasmania
We work with the people navigating situations that matter.
If the situation is real and the story is complicated, that's the work we do.
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Managing community relationships on projects that affect people's lives.
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Dealing with landowners, residents, and advocacy groups who need to understand what's coming.
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Making the case for programs to funders, boards, and the communities they serve.
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Building trust through transparency when stakes are personal.
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Whose credibility depends on representing their people well.
Not sure where your organisation stands?
Before the right production can begin, the right narrative has to be found. Most organisations know this in principle. Fewer have a clear picture of where their gaps actually are.
When the Situation Is Ahead of the Story is a free guide for communications, stakeholder engagement, and external affairs professionals navigating complex situations. It works through the three dimensions that determine whether an organisation is ready to use authentic storytelling effectively: narrative clarity, story assets, and organisational readiness.
It also includes a link to The Situation Readiness Score, a ten-minute diagnostic that gives you a personalised assessment and a specific recommendation for where to focus first.
Free. Practical. No production conversation required.
Need clarity before you commit?
The Narrative Brief
The starting point for most client relationships is the Narrative Brief, a structured half-day session where we go deep on your situation before anything is commissioned. You leave with a clear narrative direction and a written document your leadership team can act on.
Ready to get started?
Book a Discovery Call to see if we’re the right partner.
We’ll talk through your goals, timelines, and scope - and help you figure out the best next step.