tRAINING VIDEO
Training videos are a captivating medium for effectively communicating fresh information to an audience. Whether it involves familiarizing new staff with procedures or delving into the advanced utilization of commonplace office programs, this format proves highly engaging and impactful.
01 brief
Training videos, inherently prone to being mundane and easily overlooked, required an introductory screen for a narrated video focusing on the publishing process. This strategic addition aims to captivate the viewer's attention right from the outset, ensuring alignment with the brand.
During the initial meeting, essential keywords were identified and documented for inspiration...
Fun
Engaging
Connection
Branded
02 storyboard
An initial iteration was crafted with a deliberate emphasis on a straightforward narrative depicting the transformation of content into a polished, published document. A low fidelity storyboard was created to visualise the idea, and to efficiently gain feedback from stakeholders.
The design centres around using objects, with the piece of paper personified as the protagonist navigating through various stages such as writing, proofreading, and ultimately undergoing typesetting for mass printing/digital upload.
03 review
The stakeholders' assessment of the storyboard yielded predominantly favourable feedback.
Nevertheless, in light of the company's recent rebranding, there was a request to infuse a more human touch into the company's image, fostering a connection between internal staff and the customer base.
Producing a live-action sequence with actors or models was deemed financially prohibitive. Static images, while an option, were considered less dynamic and not aligned with the original project brief.
I proposed integrating human elements into a cartoon style animation as a viable solution. Prior to full commitment, a preliminary test animation was developed to assess stakeholders' sentiments and ensure this direction resonated with their expectations.
TEST ANIMAION
04 DEVEOPMENT
The test animation footage proved successful, leading to the approval to proceed with the development of another storyboard incorporating animated characters. The initial storyboard was immediately approved.
05 Design
Moving into production, the initial step involved consulting the company's brand guidelines, with a particular focus on colours to establish a cohesive link between the design and the company's brand identity.
Although I had worked on character animations for previous projects such as web assets, the character styles were originally intended for static 'Clip-Art' style use. These worked well for animated web page loops but not for a story line to convey feeling.
The initial approach to character style began with a simplistic and realistic silhouette. This evolved into a harmonious blend, striking a balance between cartoon elements while maintaining proportions that closely resembled realism.
Then a fully cartoon style was developed which suddenly made the asset engaging.
The updated storyboard was immediately approved.
Through strong collaboration with stakeholders and the Branding team during production, minor tweaks were efficiently identified and implemented.
During the design and animation process, I conscientiously considered the company's emphasis on fostering connections with people and its commitment to diversity. Consequently, I ensured the representation of gender and race by introducing additional characters.
Furthermore, I made subtle adjustments to certain elements from the original concept, transitioning from traditional pen-and-paper writing to the utilisation of computers. This adjustment aligned with the company's positioning as a technologically advanced provider, a facet they were actively promoting.
CHANGES
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Advanced age of character.
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Race.
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Tech.
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Thought bubble.
CHANGES
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Visable disability.
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Different genders.
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Faith/Religious background.
Click hand to go back to top to see
final animation.