THE PROJECT

It’s fair to say that the recent rules and guidelines on how to keep safe during COVID-19 were anything but clear.

So when the management at Countryside Properties were planning the safe return to work for their employees, they needed to make sure that the rules were explained simply so that members of staff could implement them effectively. This is where we came in.

As we were already working on an animation for health and safety on work sites, Countryside Properties asked if we could produce two animations for their safe return to work induction, explaining the rules and visually showing them in practice on site and in the office.

With the workers returning in just over a month, it was a tight deadline, but we were confident we could deliver.

THE WORK

We worked with the client to establish the key rules that needed to be addressed in the animation. From this, we were able to write a script, which was tweaked and confirmed by the client.

We then animated the two videos, using same style and characters from previous animations we had done to keep continuity within the brand.

We used Vyond for the main character animation, but as the video required specific elements and needed to accurately reflect the Countryside Properties office and site, many elements were drawn from scratch. Branding and coloured clothing were also added in After Effects.

Working from home provided some challenges, with no access to the site for reference photos and limited contact with the client. However, thanks to Microsoft Teams, we were able to keep in touch regularly to discuss the project.

While working on the animation, we also had to keep up with the rules and regulations that the government were constantly updating. This meant that the script and storyboard had to be revised, but as each scene was saved in its own composition, it was easy for us to update just the sections that needed changing.

THE RESULTS

The animations were delivered on time and used to educate the returning clients on the new operating procedures. Countryside have had positive feedback regarding the animations and have since commissioned further animations from us to educate on site health and safety.