Follow My Lead: informing and supporting responses to domestic and family violence

Are you thinking about how you respond to someone you know who might be experiencing domestic and family violence? If so, check out this short video animation based on Follow My Lead – an Insight Exchange Foundation awareness-raising resource.

We were honoured to recently support the work of Insight Exchange by bringing to life this important resource as a short, impactful and engaging animation.

Follow My Lead speaks from the voice of people with lived experience of Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) who need the professionals and their social networks to be more prepared to respond effectively; more prepared to respond in ways that uphold dignity and build on safety. Follow My Lead is for any person who at some point may be listening to and responding to their friends, family members, colleagues, peers or to the people who use their service, who are experiencing DFV.

Insight Exchange has been established, developed and is governed by registered charity Domestic Violence Service Management (DVSM).

Helping business owners to seed, weed and lead!

Working closely with Brainbox Marketing, I recently created a short animation for Alan Green Business Coaching. The purpose of the animation was to connect with Alan’s prospective clients and help them better understand how and why he can help their business. Alan’s passion is to help business owners weed out bad practices, seed new growth and lead their teams to success. In only 60 seconds, we brought to life a short and sharp story packed with animation and effects. It was great collaborating with Brainbox Marketing who look after Alan Green’s marketing. Brainbox developed an engaging script with memorable messaging and organised the voiceover. Based in Melbourne, Brainbox works with businesses across Australia providing reliable and smart marketing services.

Commenting on the project, Michelle Le Cornu, Director, Brainbox Marketing, said: “Guy was a pleasure to work with. He quickly grasped what Alan was trying to say about his business and how I wanted to tell a story via the video from a marketing and comms perspective. In fact, he took our brief to the next level with his ideas and creativity. Guy delivered a high quality product on time, on budget and proactively communicated throughout the project. I thought his work was great but more importantly, my client was tickled pink with the result. I’ve already engaged Guy on another project and will continue to work with him.”

A race against time: an animation about cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease has been the leading cause of death in Australia for over 40 years – and yet most of these deaths are preventable. With rising chronic disease and obesity rates, heart disease is an increasingly urgent concern for Australians. It’s a race against time to prevent these unnecessary deaths. We must do things differently – but how? Dynamic simulation modelling can help.

This was another rewarding project that we worked on with Amgen and the Sax Institute to create a premium-style video scribe animation to share the story and outputs of their systems modelling work around the topic of cardiovascular disease in Australia.

Using a Sketch Speak visualisation process, we worked with their multi-disciplinary team and initially ran a Story Mapping Workshop that helped the team to articulate key messages in a short and engaging story arch. Using our facilitator, Jarrod Siegertsz, the workshop delivered a creative, rigorous and fast-paced half day shared team experiences where ideas could be shared and voices could be heard. Post workshop, our writer, Paul Armstrong, pulled together the voice over script and working closely with my film and production team, we crafted the video scribe animation based on my illustration and storyboard ideas.

The final animation included hand-drawing, voice over, digital and sound effects as well as sound tracks. To see the best results, view this animation on full screen with the volume turned up.

Mapping better health pathways for the population

Video scribe animations can be a great way to share detailed stories in a fast-paced and visually engaging manner. We recently did exactly this to help broadcast the important work being carried out by The Australian Geospatial Health Lab (AGeoH-L) in Australia and beyond.

AGeoH-L will map the way forward for a healthier population, drawing on a combination of geospatially-expressed environmental and health data to improve overall population health and wellness. The Lab’s ground-breaking approach will provide insight into and analysis of population health patterns, supporting healthier lifestyles and helping to prevent chronic illness – which will ultimately reduce demand on hospitals and the health system in the future. The Lab is the result of a partnership between the University of Canberra and Esri Australia, the global leader in the Geographic Information System (GIS) technology underpinning its work. For more information, please visit: canberra.edu.au/research/institutes/health-research-institute

In terms of the video scribe animation development, once the script and voice over had been created by the AGeoH-L team, we devised a series of hand drawn storyboards which in turn came to life as the final video scribe animation when we filmed live in the studio. One of the key aim’s of the animation was to drive curiosity and get viewers leaning forward so we used a selection of digital animation and sound effects in post production to help achieve this.

What if? An animation about Osteoporosis & Bone Health

Around 6.3 million Australians have poor bone health, and many don’t even realise it. Dealing with these fractures costs us $3 billion per year, and a lot of distress. So how can we help stop it before it happens? Systems modelling gives us a dynamic window to the future, so we can work out what strategies will have the best impact.

On this important project, we worked with Amgen and the Sax Institute to create a premium-style video scribe animation to share the story and outputs of their systems modelling around bone health in Australia. The animation included hand-drawing, voice over (supplied by the client), digital and sound effects as well as sound tracks. To see the best results, view this animation on full screen with the volume turned up.

Using a Sketch Speak visualisation process, we worked with their multi-disciplinary team and ran a Story Mapping Workshop that helped them to articulate key messages in a short and engaging story arch. Using our facilitator, Jarrod Siegertsz, the workshop delivered a creative, rigorous and fast-paced half day shared team experience where ideas could be shared and tested and voices could be heard. Post workshop, our writer, Paul Armstrong, pulled together the voice over script and working closely with my film and production team, we crafted the video scribe animation based on illustration and storyboard ideas.

Sharing an important story with school leaders

Leading a school can be a hectic, varied, unpredictable and rewarding role – so getting new information out to principals and other leaders can be a tough job. That’s why the NSW Department of Education’s EDConnect team turned to us recently to create a short and sharp video scribe animation to help connect their busy school leaders with some new developments. We worked closely with the EDConnect team to write the script, develop the final video scribe animation and provide the audio recording (‘voice over’). Working with the Department on such an important story was a highly rewarding experience.

The aim of the hand drawn video scribe animation was to grab the attention of school leaders and to raise their awareness of Scout – an online system that provides access to key data and reports that can help them with important school information about things like finance and human resources. These reports can help school leaders to navigate their operational environment, stay up-to-date and make decisions more quickly and effectively.

A vital ingredient for a great video scribe animation is a great script. We offer clients the opportunity to work with our scriptwriter, Paul Armstrong. Paul is an accomplished writer, actor and corporate facilitator with a fantastic ability to discover the critical elements of the story a client needs to tell, and then distil these into an engaging, relevant, digestible and creative story. His skills don’t end there – Paul also jumped into the recording studio to provide the voice over for this animation. For more information on Paul’s work, visit: www.paulmichaelarmstrong.net

What would make your world better?

Using our Sketch Speak approach, we recently created a short and engaging video scribe animation to help Gallagher Benefit Services share their unique Gallagher Better Works story.

The hand drawn video scribe animation helps their key audiences understand how Gallagher partners with businesses and individuals to design and deliver career, financial, physical and emotional wellbeing solutions with real outcomes. The video scribe animation is being used in meetings, workshops, presentations and conferences to raise understanding and spark richer conversations about wellbeing and the Gallagher Better Works offering.

Our Sketch Speak service can also include working closely with clients to help them develop the story that forms the foundation of the animation. For Gallagher, this involved running a creative, fun and rigorous half day Story Mapping Workshop that helped the team explore, crystallise and find alignment on an engaging and relevant story structure for the final video scribe animation script.

We use our Sketch Speak approach with all types of businesses across a wide range of sectors. In short, Sketch Speak helps people get from A to B quicker. We use visuals to drive deeper understanding of the things that matter most to our clients. We believe that pictures play a vital role in business communication and no more so than in situations related to people, performance and change. To find out more, please visit: www.sketchspeak.com.au

The importance of the capturing the nursing process in the digital environment

One of my latest video scribe animations is a premium product developed for a team from the Synergy Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre and Health Research Institute at the University of Canberra (ACT, Australia). Titled “The importance of the capturing the nursing process in the digital environment”, we worked closely with Dr. Kasia Bail, Associate Professor in Nursing, to create an engaging, fast paced premium style animation that involved significant planning and extensive filming and post production work to add relevant and compelling effects.

Launched at a recent Australian Association of Gerontology conference, this premium video scribe animation was designed as an educational tool to help nurses explain their practice and decision making in team discussions with project managers and IT teams designing health information systems. The video scribe animation might also be informative for nursing students, consumers, or anyone else interested in how to make health systems work more effectively for the needs of people who happen to be patients. This was an extremely rewarding project to work on and many thanks to Dr. Kasia Bail for picking up the phone and getting us involved.

The animation recently got a great write up in Nursing Review, which is Australia’s only independent nursing print and digital content provider. Titled “More than chit-chat: demystifying nurse-patient interactions” the articles gives a great explanation to the reasoning behind the animation. There’s also a really good 9 minute podcast within the article where Dr Kasia Bail describes how this project came about and how it’s being used. Here’s the link: nursingreview.com.au/2019/02/more-than-chit-chat-demystifying-nurse-patient-interactions/

Telling important stories in 30 seconds: exploring a new video scribe animation format

Working closely with Soji Learning & Change, we’ve been exploring a new, micro visual storytelling format, which we’re calling SNAP videos (Short Narrative And Picture). These 30 second bursts of sketched storytelling get to the point, but also have a twist in the tail.

This video example for Soji is a prototype. The idea is to create a structure that unfolds in two parts. Initially we hear the voiceover together with my hand sketching out a picture. Then the shot zooms out to reveal the key image positioned within a different or unexpected setting that amplifies the message or gives a twist to the story (helping people to get curious and thinking differently). The story and picture is then reinforced with wording, which appears on the screen at the very end.

Whether you are looking for a way to support a change or development initiative, highlight values and behaviours or reinforce elements of a new strategy, we think these short blasts will be a great way of keeping messages top of mind and could be used in face-to-face settings (large or small), online or across social media. To see more of my visualisation work with Soji Learning & Change, please visit: http://sketchspeak.com.au/#welcome

Video scribing the Futures Learning story

Working closely with the Department of Education NSW Futures Learning team, we recently created a video scribe animation to raise awareness and understanding how space and technology can support future focused pedagogies and deeply engage students in developing critical 21st century skills. The video scribe animation was brought to life using a compelling story of two teachers in different schools and how they went about navigating the opportunities and realities of a Futures Learning approach as well as the positive results that it delivered.

Action brings clarity

Working closely with my production team, we’ve recently developed a new style of product in our video scribe animation service line. The new slant is the ability for speakers/spokespeople to be integrated within the video scribe animation and next to my drawings using green screen technology and some clever post production techniques. This video scribe animation was created to profile the amazing story of Peter Baines and how he helps organisations around the world. For more information on Peter’s personal career journey and the difference he makes, visit here.

Drawing attention to the NDIS rollout in NSW

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a vital reform that will give people with disability choice and control over their lives and the supports they receive. Once fully rolled out around 140,000 people in NSW will receive support under the NDIS. When and how people enter the scheme can be a bit complicated so it was a privilege to work with the Nous Group to develop this simple and creative video scribe animation to help tell the story about the roll-out.

To view the video, visit the NDIS website.

Nous Group’s commitment to reconciliation

Nous Group, one of Australia’s leading management consultants, is committed to reconciliation and closing the gap because the firm believes reconciliation is critically important to their organisation, our society and Australia’s future. My 2 minute video scribe animation (with digital and sound effects) brings their story, philosophy and strategy in this area to life.

Nous Group was recently voted one of Australia’s Top 5 workplaces in the 2015 BRW Best Places to Work Awards and this award follows their clients voting them ‘Best management consulting firm, Australia‘, in the 2015 Australian Financial Review Client Choice Awards.

Helping those who help

The Growth Project is a non-profit organisation that supports small, successful charities to maximise their impact on the world. They do this through development programs for charity leaders that help grow their knowledge, skills and leadership potential.

The Growth Project turned to me to turn their story into a short and engaging 2 minute video scribe animation, which is now front and centre on their website homepage.

The Growth Project is supported by two founding partners (Commonwealth Bank and The Saunders Family) as well as being backed by many other leading organisations who provide valuable support.

Intel

Ingredients: How to choose your next tablet

This video scribe animation I created for Intel looks at how the ideal tablet needs the right ingredients to give people the performance they expect. Just as with food and cooking, we create recipes or choose meals to match our tastes and this video scribe animation focuses on the opportunity to do something similar – to choose technology that suits a person’s personality and tastes.

Sugrue Communications

Our Approach

Sugrue Communications is a B2B PR and communications consultancy in the UK. Specialising in technology brands, the founders and principal wanted a fresh and engaging way to tell their story and their approach. Here’s the result – a short and snappy video scribe animation describing what they do, how they do it and why brands should partner with them. The ‘drawing board’ video scribe animation includes sound and animation effects.

NUW

“Jobs You Can Count On”

This video scribe animation continued the NUW “Jobs You Can Count On” campaign and storyline on a topical issue in Australia: job security and the casualisation of the workforce. It was created with several elements within it. Firstly, the video scribe animation was developed as one whole story made up of three key sections, which could be edited in post production so each section could also be a ‘stand alone’ video scribe animation. Using a sketch book style approach with ‘page turns’ helped achieve this. Plus, this latest video scribe animation included props, sound tracks, sound effects and animation effects.

The Australian Charities Fund

Explaining Workplace Giving Programs

June is Workplace Giving month in Australia. I worked with The Australian Charities Fund to create a video scribe animation outlining the steps on how to set up a Workplace Giving program in Australian businesses. The short video scribe animation sets out to help charities, employers and employees understand how it can be one of the best ways for working Australians to support charity. The aim of the video scribe animation is to raise awareness of the program and it is being used in presentations, meetings, media events and on The Australian Charities Fund website.

Department of Family & Community Services NSW – Ageing, Disability and Home Care

The NGO Loans Financing Project

ADHC recently commissioned a project that examined the potential role of loans for service providers. The NGO Loans Financing Project was delivered in consultation with a variety of disability service providers, financial lenders and experts.

The project developed two main resources designed to assist service providers to understand and explore possible loan financing options. One of which was a video scribe animation that I helped create to introduce loan financing and provide high level information about loan products, financial providers and examples of how loans are currently being used by service providers.

Tamworth City Real Estate

“What, how and why – Tamworth City Real Estate”

Stories help companies of all sizes differentiate. And moving content can help stories stand out from the pack. Narrated by one of the co-founders, I created this 30 second video scribe animation to help lay out the “what, how and why” behind the approach at Tamworth City Real Estate. The unique animation with mixed media has been used as a local TV advert, on their website as well as in presentations and meetings to help align, educate and engage key audiences.