Financial Planning movie screens for first time this morning
A new documentary about retirement filmed by a Financial Planer is being screened for the first time this morning.
Martin Bamford CFPCM has produced Boom, which is screening in just over an hour's time at the IFP annual conference.
The project took about a year from the first idea to finishing the editing process. The final cut is 64 minutes long.
Mr Bamford spent last autumn and the start of this year in 'pre-production' - researching themes and approaching experts to arrange interviews on camera, and learning about the filmmaking process. There were 15 interviews filmed over four months.
Mr Bamford said: "All of the expert interviews were a real eye opener, particularly learning about the various non-financial issues facing Baby Boomers, such as dementia and dying. "Carrying out the research required to conduct these interviews, and the interviews themselves, has definitely helped me develop a deep understanding of the issues faced by the post-war generation as they enter retirement.
"I've been applying this learning in client meetings recently and feel it has helped to take my client relationships to a much deeper level."
Asked if the film taught him new things about Financial Planning or rather just confirmed opinions he already had, he said: "Before I started making Boom, I had a rough idea of the issues faced by the Baby Boomer generation in retirement from a Financial Planning perspective.
"The film has taught me a huge amount about the challenges this generation faces in later life and how we are uniquely positioned as Financial Planners to assist them with these challenges.
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"The retiring Baby Boomer generation is the single biggest opportunity Financial Planners will have in their professional lives to make a real and lasting difference to individuals and their families."
As to his aims for the project, he said: "I've got very modest goals for the film in terms of distribution; I would be delighted if it is watched by at least 1,000 people – Financial Planners and retiring Baby Boomers alike – and helped to start conversations about the issues this generation will face in retirement.
"The act of making the movie and learning from the various experts has been more important to me than seeing it on the big screen, although of course that will also be nice."
He said: "Producing the movie has only been possible thanks to the kind contributions of a lot of people; too many to thank each one individually, but it would not have been possible with the support of the experts I interviewed and the Kickstarter backers, particularly Justin King CFP, VouchedFor, The Adviser Lounge, Dori Holyoak and Jamie Gordon.
"I'm also indebted to Paul Lewis (of BBC Radio 4) who not only narrated the movie but acted as an excellent script consultant in the final stages, helping me refine the messages and make the movie appealing to consumers."
Parts of the film that didn't make the final cut may be featured in a book being written by Mr Bamford and Justin King on the same subject.
A second film could be in the pipeline, he added, though not for some time.