The Power Of Film And Storytelling In Architecture Ft. Khizr Studio

In this Architecture Social conversation, Stephen Drew is joined by Mohammed Khizr, founder of Khizr Studio, to explore how film and storytelling can sit at the heart of architectural communication. The discussion runs to around 51 minutes and looks at film as an alternative and complement to traditional drawings, its use across the RIBA work stages, and the rise of short-form video. Listen to the full episode below.

Who this is for

Architects, architectural designers, students and practice marketers who want to communicate projects more clearly, plus anyone curious about using film and animation in the design and presentation of architecture.

Learning outcomes

1. You will be able to explain why film can convey the spatial and emotive qualities of a design that traditional drawings alone may not.
2. You will be able to identify where film and animation can support the RIBA work stages, from site analysis to handover.
3. You will be able to distinguish between post-project marketing films and film used within the design process.
4. You will be able to describe how short-form content such as reels can extend the reach of a single film.
5. You will be able to recognise why storytelling and editing matter more than expensive equipment when starting out.
6. You will be able to plan a simple, low-barrier approach to capturing and editing your own architectural film.

Film as a representation tool

Mohammed describes film as a representation tool that sits alongside drawings and models. Where a plan or section communicates technical intent, film can express materiality, habitation and movement, giving a fuller sense of how a space is used and experienced.

Communicating beyond the profession

A recurring theme is that architects design for non-architects. Film can translate technical and urban design principles into something a wider audience understands, carrying emotion and atmosphere rather than leaving the narrative locked inside specialist drawings.

Film through the RIBA work stages

The conversation maps film across the work stages, from capturing site analysis footage at the outset, through concept and previsualisation, to technical design and handover. Communicating ideas on film can speed up client decisions and reduce time spent producing multiple drawn options.

Marketing films versus design-process film

Mohammed separates two broad uses: completed project and practice-profile films aimed at marketing, and film used within the design process itself, such as animations and previsualisations that help clients and authorities grasp a proposal quickly.

Studio culture and the experience of space

Film is also a powerful way to convey the character of a practice. Rather than stating values explicitly, a well-made film can leave the viewer with a feeling for a studio's approach to context, landscape and the people who use its buildings.

Short-form video and reels

Short-form content is here to stay. Mohammed explains how a single commissioned film can be broken into a dozen or more reels, allowing a practice to maximise reach and keep posting consistently over months from one production.

Getting started: a low barrier to entry

With capable cameras now in most phones, the barrier to entry has fallen sharply. His advice is to focus on the story and the edit rather than chasing production quality, and simply to practise: capture everything, then learn through editing.

Teaching storytelling at university

As a visiting tutor at the University of Sheffield, Mohammed teaches storytelling, film and animation, and notes growing appetite among students for submitting film and animation as part of how they present their projects.

Key terms

• Previsualisation (previz): using rough film or animation early to test ideas and support decisions before detailed work.
• RIBA work stages: the framework structuring a project from preparation and concept through to technical design and handover.
• Short-form content: brief edited clips, such as reels, suited to social platforms.
• Architectural narrative: the story behind a design, including its context, materiality and intended experience.

Reflective prompts for your CPD record

1. Where in your current projects could a short film or animation communicate an idea more clearly than a drawing?
2. How might you capture richer site analysis footage at the start of your next project?
3. What is one low-cost step you could take this month to begin telling your project stories through film?

About the guest

Mohammed Khizr is the founder of Khizr Studio, an architectural film and storytelling studio. A Part II architectural designer who studied at the University of Sheffield, he set up the in-house film unit at Squire & Partners before founding his own studio, and is a visiting tutor at the University of Sheffield teaching storytelling, film and animation.