Thank you 2025

Another year has completely flown by and 2025 has been a super positive year for the DF team. This year we worked across an exciting mix of live-action and animated projects. From sleek and polished 2D explainers and dynamic 3D brand films, to jazzy event highlights and everything in between, it’s been a year full of creativity and collaboration.

We’ve travelled far and wide to bring our client’s stories to life; from Warsaw to Geneva, Detroit to Las Vegas (and plenty of places in between) we’ve captured content, met clients and delivered projects on a truly global scale. Shout out to all our incredible suppliers, voiceover artists, talent and clients. Your trust and support mean everything to us, and we couldn’t do it without you. Enjoy our Review of 2025 video below and here’s to an even bigger 2026!

Are you looking to jazz up your video content in 2026? We’d love to bring your visions to life. Get in touch!

DreamingFish x

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Christmas Message 2025

We always start our Christmas party with a slideshow of photos from the year, showing the team filming in locations across the UK and around the world, as well as reviewing the animations that we’ve created over the last 12 months. It’s always surprising how much we’ve achieved.

With a strong Q4, 2025 has been one of our most successful years ever; we worked on 200 different projects, creating over 300 videos, with 70 different clients from LA to Auckland, NZ. We also filmed in five different countries, including the US, Switzerland and Poland, taking our lifetime total to 26.

AI seems to be everywhere, and in everything, now, and we embraced AI video production this year for the first time, as we felt it had finally come of age. The changes across the year have been incredible; we can now do things with AI that we couldn’t do at the start of the year. AI video production is hit and miss, and can be massively frustrating, but the results can be amazing. However, I can now see that it will be just another tool in the marketer’s toolbox, and won’t be putting us out of business just yet, but I do expect there to be a whole bunch of AI content watering down our social media feeds in 2026. I also believe we can expect a consolidation in the AI offering, as businesses find out what works and what doesn’t, and how it fits into their processes and workflows. I’m not sure if it’ll be a bubble that’ll burst, but am sure we can expect a damp fizzle at the very least.

Another side of AI is search, and this has occupied much of our marketing conversations throughout the year; how much to stay reliant on advertising on Google and how much to optimise the website for generative search. Volumes are still low, but it cannot be ignored. The economy has been flat throughout 2025, and for some years preceding, but we have seen things picking up in Q4. With interest rates falling and inflation under control, let’s hope that 2026 is a bumper year for everyone!

Thank you

I want to say a massive thank you to all our clients for working with us this year. You are very much appreciated, and we never take you for granted. I’d also like to say a massive thank you to our network of suppliers and freelancers who have supported us so well this year. Finally, I want to say a big thank you to the team. There have been ups and downs through the year, but I’m always grateful that you turn up every day and give your all, whether it’s on an early flight to Detroit, in a wet and windy field in Cornwall, or your 4th round of amends on a storyboard. You are all very much appreciated and we are super grateful. Thank you all. Let’s make 2026 even more successful than 2025!

Phil x

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Funny on Thames!

Yesterday we celebrated the end of another successful year with our annual Christmas party! The day began with our end-of-year presentation, where we looked back on the highlights, achievements, and milestones that shaped the past twelve months. We tucked into a festive lunch and exchanged our Secret Santa gifts, before Ben graced us with his hilariously random quiz!

To round off the celebrations, we headed to the Cecil Hepworth Playhouse, in Walton-on-Thames, for an evening of comedy; “Funny on Thames”. The evening’s line-up consisted of MC Dominic McGovern, Eric Rushton, Lily Phillips and headliner, Ahir Shah. It was the best and most hilarious way to end the day! A huge thank you to Phil and Sam for such a festive day and evening.

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The countdown to Christmas has started…

Another year, another annual ranking of this year’s Christmas adverts. From heartfelt stories to cheeky humour, the 2025 entries are a mixed bag of festive cheer. Our favourite big time retailers like Waitrose, Tesco, John Lewis and Sainsbury’s (to name a few) battle it out to win the title of “Best Christmas Advert of the Year”. But who will take the crown? There’s plenty to talk about so let’s dig into part 1, shall we? Grab a drink or a mince pie, sit back and enjoy!

Where Love Lives | John Lewis & Partners

We kick things off with the Kings of Christmas adverts, John Lewis. Following on from their mixed reviewed 2024 entry, they’ve really stripped things back this year and focused on simplicity. Whereas last year’s entry was based on the relationship of two sisters, ‘Where Love Lives’ shares a heartfelt moment between a father and his teenage son. The son gifts his dad a vinyl of a 90s club classic ‘Where Love Lives‘ by Alison Limerick and as the dad plays the record, he’s transported back to his youth where he relives flashes of dancing in night clubs and early friendships. The upbeat dance anthem is then replaced with a slower, piano-led rendition of the song by Labrinth, as we see flashbacks of the dad’s early days of fatherhood.

Created by Saatchi & Saatchi, the advert is a classic case of ‘simple yet effective’ and resonates with thousands of people: “I’m not sure you realise just how important this advertisement is for men right now, both young and old. The entire team responsible for this deserve a serious Christmas bonus. Congratulations John Lewis and a very Merry Christmas.” and “A 40 year old dad with a teenage son, in floods of tears on Wednesday afternoon! Absolutely nailed it John Lewis!” John Lewis reminds us that the best gifts don’t have to be big or flashy; they’re the ones that help us say the things we don’t always have the words for. As John Lewis themselves said ”if you can’t find the words, find the gift.” 10/10 from me, well done!

The Perfect Gift | Waitrose

Following on from his 2024 ad appearance and recent UK Celebrity Traitors, Joe Wilkinson is back in Waitrose’s 2025 entry of ‘The Perfect Gift’. Whilst other retailers delivered a festive advert, Waitrose served up a circa 4 minute classically British romcom. And who says Christmas romcom more than the legend that is Keira Knightley? Joe and Keira meet at the Waitrose cheese counter when they both ask for a wedge of Sussex Charmer Mature Cheddar. And the rest is history. When asked about the ad, Keira Knightley comments: “I love food, and so when I received this script where I get to fall head over heels in love over a shared love of cheese, I couldn’t turn it down! I adored working on this silly, fun and delicious film with Joe and I hope those watching it fall in love too.”

Directed by BAFTA award winning filmmaker, Molly Manners, the romcom advert has gotten some very positive feedback since it’s release: “Now, thats how you do it. A cracking Christmas advert. Funny, heart warming and it felt like Christmas.” and “Waitrose, well done, for the wholesome advert, and for making Love Actually 2.” This unlikely duo serve a wonderfully festive ‘Love Actually’ ad and I’m here for it. And there was me thinking Waitrose couldn’t beat their 2024 entry ‘Sweet Suspicion’ but they certainly have. Another Waitrose; take a bow. *Adds Sussex Charmer Mature Cheddar to basket*.

The Unexpected Guest | Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s goes big (literally) again this year with their “The Unexpected Guest” advert. They’ve brought back The BFG and introduced a new character, Greedy Giant, who demolishes an entire Christmas food delivery (how rude!). The story is all about how the BFG and Sainsbury’s colleague, Annie, race to replace it all in time for Christmas. Unlike the previous entries, Sainsbury’s have used animation and CGI, resulting in a visually bright and bold video. Alice O’Brien, Head of Global Commercial Partnerships at Roald Dahl Story Company, said: “We know the BFG lives in the hearts of households around the country, and we’re excited for viewers to see him take on the ultimate foodie mission with Annie to save Christmas for all.” It definitely doesn’t tug on the heart strings but you could argue that it’s a playful alternative to this year’s more nostalgic ads. What do you think?

That’s What Makes It Christmas | Tesco

This year, Tesco has gone for a slightly different yet unique approach with their ‘That’s What Makes It Christmas‘ advert. Instead of portraying the Christmas holidays as ‘picture-perfect’, it nods to the reality of chaotic kitchens, family squabbles (which we can all relate to in some way!) and all the weirdly familiar things that make Christmas feel…real. Created in partnership with BBH London and directed by Jeff Low, the advert is narrated by Scouse comedian John Bishop. Felipe Serradourada Guimaraes, Executive CD at BBH says: “At BBH we say we haven’t had a truly great creative year until we’ve delivered a great Tesco Christmas campaign. This year, we’re reframing and revelling in the reality that Christmas isn’t made by those picture-perfect, frameable moments. It’s during the messy, weird and unscripted chaos where the Christmas spirit really kicks in, and that felt like a different take on the festive season.”

As expected, Tesco’s entry received some very mixed reviews. For some, the ad’s honesty is just what the season needs: “Great use of humour, love this advert, made me LOL.” and “Best Christmas advert in years. It is a real representation, not faked pretend happiness. Thats why it makes it heart warming and relatable.” For others, it felt like someone turned off the nostalgic glow we expect this time of year: “Doesn’t quite compare to the 2024 Christmas advert…does it? That was magical! How can you go from getting it so right to so wrong in a year! Oooh Tesco.” “Blimey! What a terrible advert.” After their last few tear-jerking festive ads, I can understand people’s frustration but, come on…it’s Christmas!

Gift Happily Ever After | Boots

Compared to their super controversial 2024 advert, Boots have opted for a fairy-tale “Gift Happily Ever After” video for this year’s version. The advert stars a whimsical ‘Puss in Boots’ (pardon the pun!) who gets invited to the Snow Queen’s Ball and has to dash out for some last minute Christmas shopping. He embarks on a magical journey from a snowy fairytale kingdom to a bustling UK high street on the hunt for beauty gifts for his beloved friends: Rapunz, Snowy, Cinders, and Prince Charming. Much like Sainsbury’s, Boots have gone down the CGI route to add some extra sparkle to their video and I like it! Interested in seeing how the magical advert came together? Check out the BTS video here.

Created by The Pharm (led by VML), ‘Gift Happily Ever After’ brings a fun and upbeat energy to the festivities. It may lack the emotional warmth of some other 2025 adverts, but it’s joyful and sweet! “At last a proper ‘Panto’ themed Christmas commercial!”, “As soon as I saw the cat I knew I would love this advert.” Just purrfect!” And if the advert didn’t fill you with festive cheer, did you know you can meet Puss himself? As part of their campaign, the Boots’ mascot will be visiting some stores around in the UK. Head over to their website for more info!

Stay tuned for part 2 coming soon!

And that’s a wrap on Part 1’s entries! These adverts show how there’s more than one way to capture the festive spirit. Heartfelt, funny or imaginative, all these campaigns remind us that Christmas isn’t just about the gifts; it’s about the stories and moments that make them truly memorable. Keep an eye out for part 2 and we’ll see you very soon!

Ana x

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Surrey Uncommon

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new monthly YouTube series, Surrey Uncommon! This passion project takes viewers deep into the extraordinary Surrey Heathlands, one of the UK’s most unique and ecologically important landscapes. From rare bird species and resilient heathland plants to fascinating insects, fungi, and everything in between, the series shines a spotlight on the remarkable wildlife that calls these habitats home.

Over the past year, we’ve found ourselves talking more and more with clients about the growing power of long-form video and the unique opportunity YouTube provides for building meaningful, engaged audiences. So, we decided to practice exactly what we preach. Surrey Uncommon is not only a creative venture, but a way of demonstrating how story-driven content can thrive on YouTube.

The subject matter is close to our MD, Phil’s heart, and the series also reflects our ‘We Care‘ company value by supporting and amplifying the work of local conservation organisations who protect these fragile landscapes. Phil also takes on the role of presenter!

Episode 1

Episode 1 is now live, and we’d love for you to join us on this journey. Don’t forget to like, subscribe and please share to help the series grow! We hope you enjoy discovering Surrey’s wild side as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it. Thank you! x

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The Chosen One…

Happy Halloween! This year, we’re throwing it back to our 2019 classic film “The Chosen One”. Hungry for more Halloween fun? Check out another epic Halloween video we created here. Wishing you all a wonderfully spooktacular day and night! Enjoy!

FAQs on social media video production

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Billie’s story

As September (blood cancer awareness month) comes to an end, we are proud to share our latest work with Leukaemia UK; Billie the Brave.

At just 21 months old, Billie was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Billie went through several rounds of treatment and received chemotherapy called vincristine. We sat down with Freyja, Billie’s mother, in Cambridge to listen to her story. “Billie is due to start school in September. When she was diagnosed at one, we weren’t sure she would ever make it to school. And she did, and she got through two and a half years of cancer treatment, and now is just thriving.”

Billie the Brave was shown at this year’s ‘Who’s Cooking Dinner’ charity event hosted by Leukaemia UK, and touched many people. Watch her story below:

A note from Leukaemia UK

“I just wanted to message to say a huge thank you to you for the wonderful film that you created for Who’s Cooking Dinner. It truly was a highlight of the evening and really perfectly told Billie and her family’s story. We’ve had so much wonderful feedback about how beautiful and poignant it was. It’s been so lovely working with you and thank you again for your incredible support on this.”

Eleanor Mather
Special Events Manager

Thank you x

As always, a big big thank you to Leukaemia UK for being such an incredible charity and for all the ground breaking work and research you continue to do. To Billie and her family, thank you for allowing us to share your story.

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9 years at DreamingFish

Today is Lucy’s 9th anniversary at DreamingFish! We literally can’t believe that she’s been with us this long, yet looks exactly the same as she did when she started with in 2016…

In that last 9 years, Lucy has filmed in locations from Las Vegas to Warsaw and just about everywhere in between. She’s worked on and produced hundreds of productions over the years and DreamingFish just wouldn’t be the same without her. Thank you, Lucy and a very happy anniversary!!

#WorkAnniversary #Happy9Years #Producer

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Who motivates the motivator? And where do your new ideas come from?

At DreamingFish we’ve always had an advisor or mentor, since our very early days, and I’m very grateful to all the lovely people we’ve worked with over the years, including Peter Landau, Stuart Mitchell and Keith Westcott. Thank you!

When I was approached by Rob May to join the monthly CEO and MD group RISE, I was sceptical, but having met and worked with Ben Wales and the rest of the group for the last 18 months, I’m officially convinced. Ben has proved to be an excellent coach and has spurred us to refocus on growing the business, and the support of the rest of the group has been invaluable on this journey. It takes time, it’s challenging, and it’s not always comfortable, but it’s influenced everything from our pricing to our plan for the next three years, and we are looking forward to launching our 2028 strategy over the next few months.

I can’t recommend Ben and Leader&Team enough. It’s been totally transformational to our business. Massive thanks to Ben and everyone at RISE for all your guidance and support over the last 18 months! I’m looking forward to our deep dive during the RISE retreat coming up in October in Lymington.

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On your marks, get set, go!

Nothing like a bit of go-karting to bring out everyone’s competitive side! Yesterday’s team day was a blast with @teamsportgosport  

#TeamDay #DreamingFish #GoKarting #TeamFun

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Welcome to the DF team!

Duncan is our latest recruit and joins the DreamingFish team as Videographer & Video Editor. Outside of work, Duncan plays rugby as a centre and loves the pizza & Pepsi Max combo. Fun fact, his initials are DF so we knew he was the right man for the job. Welcome, Duncan!

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Overview

This blog demonstrates DreamingFish’s expertise in AI animation and AI avatar creation. By leveraging various AI animation platforms and tools, we successfully delivered a complex project involving character animation, lip-syncing, and seamless integration of different AI-generated video segments. Our iterative approach and (now) deep understanding of AI animation software allowed us to overcome challenges and achieve high-quality results for our client. This project highlights the evolving capabilities of AI animation technology and our commitment to staying at the forefront of this rapidly advancing field.

The client and the brief

We were approached by a real estate company that was looking to create a virtual assistant for their office spaces, and wanted to create an avatar as the face of the company. They had a character that had been created on an AI platform (Muse AI) but they needed the character to be animated to train the AI platform that would be running the virtual assistant.

Our approach to AI avatar creation

The character

In order to train the software that would create the avatar, we need to create a two-minute animation of the character, both idling (silent) and speaking. Our first thought was to remodel the character in Cinema 4D, and that would then allow us to manipulate the character however we wanted. However, budget and time wouldn’t allow this, so we chose to use AI to animate the character instead.

AI character animation

DreamingFish has experience in creating and animating characters, but we are still (as is everyone!) relatively new to the world of AI animation. This is now possible as the platforms have progressed massively over the last year. We took the still image of the character, which was provided in a 9:16 format, and used Firefly, Adobe’s AI tool, to create the character in a 16:9 format and remove the background, replacing it with black. We experimented with animating the character within HeyGen Studio, a platform which was created to create and run AI avatars, but we found that the software wasn’t reliable, even though it was great at lip-syncing. It seemed impossible to get the character to idle without talking!

Instead, we took the still image into Runway. Runway was great at animating the character in a realistic way, and we used this to create the idling sections that were needed at the start and end of the video. We also tested Kling and Veo3, but found both of these lacking in realistic movement and prompt adherence. It took a number of attempts to get the quality of videos we needed, as there were still some odd things that the character did, and we learned a lot about how to prompt for exactly what we were looking for.

Lip-synching an animated AI character

Once we had our silent sections, we also needed to create 90 seconds of the character speaking. First, we needed a script, so we took the messages we’d been supplied by the client and ran them through Claude to create a 90-second script. We then took this script and recorded the voiceover using a voice that had been selected by the client on ElevenLabs, an AI voiceover platform.

We then tried HeyGen with this script, but it didn’t produce the quality that we were looking for. As Runway can’t lip-sync (yet!) we did some research and tried Hedra. Hedra is purely an AI for creating talking heads, so while it is not useful for animation per se, it is great at lip-syncing a character to a script. Using the audio we’d generated from ElevenLabs, and the final frame of the video we’d created of the character idling, we generated 90 seconds of lip-synced animation, which would then fit seamlessly into the middle video between the two idling sequences.

Final delivery

We did need to do some post-production grading work on the videos as the videos from the different platforms looked slightly different, but otherwise the workflow worked really well and we generated the 2 minutes of video needed and supplied this to our very happy client. Check out the test animation version of Amelia below:

**Note: It’s worth saying that all the AI video platforms are constantly changing and updating, and what might not have been possible a month ago may be possible today. Other platforms are constantly springing up too, and other AI tools are now offering video support. Some of the platforms used here are subscription-based, and we needed to subscribe to be able to access the volume of regenerations needed to get the videos exactly as we wanted them.

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