Client: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Director: Vassi Slavova
Design: Lauren Kiser, Vassi Slavova
Motion Graphics / Animation: Erik Holman, Giedre Elliott, Lauren Kiser
Cel Animation: Julian Leo
Produced by: Vassi Slavova / Assistant Producer: Lora Daskalska
Sound Effects: Blackbox
We worked together with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to create a video series on Mental Health Literacy. This series intends to explain the fundamentals of childhood mental health to educators and lawmakers to craft better policies and classroom environments in the US, which in turn benefits us all. This project had two video concepts - one was all character based and the second was text heavy + character based concept.
For these videos we went with a fun, friendly style that conveys these, sometimes heavy topics with sensitivity. A combination of digital rigs, and hand drawn 2d animation for standout moments brought these characters to life.
Character Exploration / Style Frames
We explored several stylistic approaches for this project. These informational videos were to be used in classrooms, training, and for lawmakers. Designs had to be appealing to both school age children and adults. We chose an approachable style using soft, rounded forms and omitted extraneous details to feel friendly and inviting. The use of oversized environments captured how vulnerable children and young adults are in the world. We also chose this to help audiences understand how challenges can feel overwhelmingly large if you're a child.
Final Character Design
The development of the characters was influenced by several factors. First was taking into account the design of pre-existing characters. Blackbox worked to update the designs to be more aligned with the new vision of the project, while still using the originals as a starting point. The characters represent a diverse combination of genders, ethnicities, and age ranges from toddlers to young pre-teen children. Their designs are simple and easy to understand, but include enough detail to show a wide variety of expressions and emotions. In the end, we went with a friendly approachable style that used soft shapes and bright colors.
Storyboard and Storytelling
Childhood mental health is a serious subject matter which can be uncomfortable, upsetting, or even frightening. Part of the challenge of serious topics is treating the content with sensitivity and care, especially when the audience includes children. Our approach was to use visual metaphors and symbolic representations to convey the point without being overly distressing. We also played with the scale of objects and characters to further visualize the emotional weight of certain feelings.
Designs
The compositions take place in the middle of the screen like little vignettes, and are built to have relevant supporting elements around the characters. The colors are vibrant and fresh, representing what the world looks like through children's eyes. With just enough detail, each scene illustrates an environment where children play, learn, explore and can thrive.
Animation Process
Here is a scene breakdown that offers a glimpse of the animation process. Hand-drawn frame by frame animation is worked up in a few passes. The first pass focuses on capturing the movement and placement of big shapes. The second pass refines the motion and introduces clean line work and detail. Finally the color is applied and the character is added to the final layout to fit the complete animation scene. Hand drawn elements like these work to keep the viewer's attention and make the piece more fun and memorable while simultaneously educating them.
Final Animation
Finally, all the animated characters are combined with the background and scene animation, and all the scenes are edited into the final video. This is then combined with the voice over, production music, and sound effects.
The Result
Five colorful, educational and engaging videos that can relate important knowledge for the better future of the youth in the US. The finished pieces will go on to help teachers and lawmakers craft policies that take childhood mental health into account, in turn helping us all! The process and creation of this project was so fun for our team and we put a lot of details and attention to the beautiful animations. It was absolute pleasure working with the WDPI client to craft their vision and end up with project that everyone can be proud of.
