Case Study: Ashley's Story for Better Connect

The Vision

Emotion was the aim of the game; we needed to capture an emotional and sensitive journey. Animation offered a solution for portraying the emotionally challenging aspects of Ashley’s journey, where capturing live footage wouldn’t achieve the desired impact. Animation provided the creative freedom to depict these scenes powerfully, ultimately delivering a more impactful story.

The animation would seamlessly weave together with interviews featuring the beneficiary and key worker, capturing their perspectives on Ashley’s journey. Additionally, B-roll footage showcasing their work environment would further enrich the narrative

First Steps

To ensure we delivered a film that exceeded Better Connect’s expectations and maximised our team’s efficiency, we prioritized a smooth workflow and meeting Better Connect’s vision. We began by:

• Discussing the project goals in detail with Hannah from Better Connect. This ensured a clear understanding of their expectations and Ashley’s story.
• Arranging a mutually convenient shoot date and location in Scarborough that accommodated all parties involved: Better Connect, the delivery partner, the beneficiary (Ashley), and our team.
• Proactively requesting an overview of Ashley’s journey from the delivery partner. This allowed us to begin storyboarding the animation even before the interview, maximising efficiency and ensuring timely delivery of the finished film.

First Steps

To ensure we delivered a film that exceeded Better Connect’s expectations and maximised our team’s efficiency, we prioritized a smooth workflow and meeting Better Connect’s vision. We began by:

• Discussing the project goals in detail with Hannah from Better Connect. This ensured a clear understanding of their expectations and Ashley’s story.
• Arranging a mutually convenient shoot date and location in Scarborough that accommodated all parties involved: Better Connect, the delivery partner, the beneficiary (Ashley), and our team.
• Proactively requesting an overview of Ashley’s journey from the delivery partner. This allowed us to begin storyboarding the animation even before the interview, maximising efficiency and ensuring timely delivery of the finished film.

From Brief to Build

This project demanded a highly collaborative approach between our animator, videographer, editor, and the client. Our collective focus was ensuring the story resonated with the audience, adhered to the brief, and delivered within a tight timeframe.

A common challenge in projects like this is transforming an hour of interview footage into a compelling narrative of only a few minutes. We overcame this by working closely with the stakeholders to truly understand the people involved, and identify the key turning points in the participant’s journey. This ensured the final film focused on the most impactful moments.

Integrating animation into the video presented a unique challenge. The voiceover wasn’t recorded until after the animation began, so we didn’t have the final script to guide the animation’s pacing. Despite this tight deadline, our team thrived in a highly collaborative environment. We worked closely with the client to ensure the animation seamlessly flowed with the final voiceover. Through continuous communication and revisions, we meticulously matched the video cuts to the animation’s pace, resulting in a cohesive final product.

Delivery & Impact

Showcased at the Thriving at Work celebration event, the film’s emotional impact resonated deeply with the audience. Funders, participants, partners, and key workers were all moved to tears, a testament to our success in capturing the power of Ashley’s story.

Case study videos like ours are a powerful tool for Better Connect; They showcase the real-life impact of their work, and help them secure funding for new projects such as the new Rise2Thrive project which builds on the past successes of Thriving at Work and has secured a further £2million in funding for community works!