The latest episode of Filmtalkz brought us the Everyman Cinema, where Chris Grubb, Creative Director at Whisper, shared his journey in the ever-evolving world of sports documentaries and live broadcasting.
Chris has had an impressive career, with stints at the BBC and ITV before joining Whisper, a company co-founded by Sunil Patel alongside F1 legends David Coulthard and Jake Humphrey. What started as a small team producing branded Formula 1 content has grown into a global powerhouse creating documentaries, entertainment, and sports broadcasting “Sport and sports broadcasting is in our DNA.”
The magic of Sports Documentaries
While Whisper’s work spans genres, Chris has a clear passion for storytelling through documentaries. Projects like Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes (2022) and Sven (2024) have showcased his talent for balancing the public and personal sides of athletes.
With Phoenix from the Ashes, Chris delved into Ben Stokes’ extraordinary career while also highlighting his struggles with mental health, all filmed during the pandemic. “What’s crucial is finding stories that resonate beyond just sports fans,” Chris explained. “With Ben, it wasn’t just about cricket. His personal challenges, like stepping away from the game during COVID and losing his father, made it a story that everyone could connect with.”
Then there’s Sven, a documentary about football icon Sven-Göran Eriksson that recently won Sports Documentary of the Year (Over 60 minutes) at the 2024 Broadcast Sport Awards. It’s a story filled with archival brilliance and raw honesty. “Sven wanted the full story told,” Chris revealed. “He didn’t shy away from the tough parts, and that honesty really connected with audiences. At one point, we had to tackle some controversial topics head-on, and Sven was completely open about addressing them.”
The Power of Archive Footage
For Chris, archive footage isn’t just a trip down memory lane—it’s a storytelling tool. It can be used to recreate pivotal moments, like England’s equalizer against Greece in Sven. “It wasn’t just about the goal,” he said. “It was about showing how the whole nation held its breath, from fans in pubs to Sven’s reaction on the pitch. The challenge is to take something people think they know and show it in a way that feels fresh and emotional.”
The Changing Landscape of Sports Media
Chris also reflected on how sports media is shifting. While live events remain a cornerstone of sports broadcasting, long form sport content like Drive to Survive (2019 – 2024) have carved out a new space, bringing sports to wider audiences combining the feel of live sport with sport documentaries.
“It’s a whole new genre,” he said. “Documentaries like that don’t just entertain—they introduce people to sports they’d never have considered before. That’s exciting to see.” He believes the key to making compelling documentaries is trust. “With Ben Stokes, I sat with him and his wife in a cinema in Newcastle to watch the final cut. That was nerve-wracking—showing someone their life, warts and all. But he loved it and didn’t ask for a single change. It’s moments like that when you know you’ve done justice to their story.”
What’s Next?
As for the future, Chris thinks it’s heading in a more personal direction. “I see a shift towards stories that dig deeper into individuals, rather than following a whole team” he shared. ‘There are still so many stories to be told”
At Whisper, entertainment is everything, and their latest productions, Saudi Pro League: Kickoff (2024) gives us an insight into the high-stakes world of Saudi football while delving into the historic 48th season that has seen high profile signings and the ambitious vision to transform the league into one of the best globally. Watch the action unfold in this gripping football documentary series, where global icons join local stars to reshape the league in its 2023/2024 season. Documentaries like this continue to offer fans and newcomers alike a fresh perspective on the highs and lows of these beloved sports.