Posted by Guy Downes on September 20, 2010 under Video Scribing | 
The Nous Group’s mantra is bold ideas, engaging people and influential and enduring solutions. They recently approached me to help deliver on this mantra by creating a video scribing animation for one of their key clients.
Video scribing is the art of translating audio content, such as a speech or presentation, into a hand drawn video animation. In this case, I visually translated and interpreted a 6 minute speech from one of their client’s most senior executives into a cartoon.
Lights, camera, draw! Video scribing in action
Working closely with The Nous Group and a film director/editor, we spent a couple of days pulling this together. The animation is drawn by hand (my role), filmed and then the film is edited and sped up to match the pace of the audio. The final video is a great way of sharing thought leadership content online or at an event or conference.
The final video was recently shown at the client’s strategy and planning conference to help educate and inform employees about a new approach the company would be taking. The feedback was very positive with many comments about how this fresh, creative and compelling medium was a great way to tell a story or share a crucial company message. The original cartoon poster (all 5-6 metres of it) was also on display at the conference, acting as a communication tool and a unique piece of corporate artwork.
(As the content is internal, the video is still under wraps but when I can show it, I will definitely post it up).
My storyboard frames: each A4 page represents one paragraph of the speech
Pre-filming preparations: discussion over coffee
Editing the filmed cartoon to match the speed of the speech audio
The completed video scribe cartoon (approx 5-6m): a good day's work and a lot of fun.
Conference delegates watch the finished article: my hand is in shot!
Posted by Guy Downes on September 16, 2010 under Illustration |
I’ve just come back from a great two days graphic recording at a strategy and planning event in Melbourne. While heading back to the airport, I stopped for about 20 minutes and drew this over a quick coffee.
View from Cafe L'Incontro
The view from the cafe was a great one: the tables and chairs of the cafe in the foreground leading the eye down to a beautiful old-fashioned flower stall and letterbox. Behind this little oasis of colour and calm was the ’hustle and bustle’ of Melbourne: trams rattling and screeching, people walking with purpose in their stride and traffic nosing its way through the city. Melbourne is a great place (and one that reminds me very much of being in Amsterdam – trams, great cafe society, art, architecture, fashion and good food). I look forward to my next visit and opportunity to throw open my sketch pad.
Posted by Guy Downes on under Illustration |
…you will no doubt know that fairies like to do a ‘dance’ when a thunderstorm has passed, the puddles dry up and the sunshine re-appears from behind the clouds.
The Fairy Dance
This is my latest illustration forLondon Mums magazine. It’s great to be given a kid’s story to illustrate and let the imagination open up. And here is my illustration in the next issue:
Posted by Guy Downes on September 10, 2010 under Graphic Recording, Infographics |
- Anittel uses graphic recording to draw out business ideas
- Shares its vision with key stakeholders using a company ‘Journey Map’
Introduction:
I’ve recently been working with Anittel, a national IT and Telecommunications company, using visual communication to help them create a common language and catalyst for both internal and external business communication.
Following a period of expansion and acquisitions, which brought together new team members, skills and cultures, Anittel’s CEO, Ilkka Tales, and senior management team were keen to visualise their collective thinking to help identify key opportunities, focus areas and ideas that could drive the business forward.
The work:
As a visual communication consultant, I was brought in to work on two specific phases.
- Phase one – graphic recording: firstly, to graphic record a senior leadership workshop where the new company leaders gathered to discuss ideas and thinking around the company priorities, opportunities and challenges.
My graphic recording posters in the background of the leadership team workshop
- Phase two – Journey Map creation: secondly, to use the most important ideas from the graphic recording content as the foundation for developing a Journey Map, which uses a themed picture (full of visual language, metaphors and images) to highlight the direction, priorities, values and vision of the company in a quick, engaging and compelling manner.
The Anittel Journey Map in full colour
An express train and journey theme was chosen as the creative concept for Anittel’s map. Key elements along the track and dotted throughout the landscape acted as visual metaphors for the most important elements that must be acted upon and remembered if the company is to achieve its objectives.
The Journey Map was coloured in phases, moving from B&W to full colour in stages, to help focus the map’s ‘story teller’ on key initiatives and in their order of importance. The coloured phasing also helped to ‘build’ the company story as the Journey Map was explained and re-told.
The Anittel Journey Map in simple black & white: the point where the storytelling starts
The first phase of colour appears on the Journey Map and sparks the story and picture into life
The second phase of colour appears and shifts focus to the next key company initiative
The story continues as the picture begins to fill with more colour and the story moves to a new section
The Journey Map picture and story continues to unfold, helping the viewer/audience get a visual snapshot of the organisation's priorities
The Journey Map's visual language helps to build a common communication platform for engagement, understanding and sharing the company vision
The Journey Map act as a daily reminder of the company vision and how to get there in a creative, easy-to-understand and engaging manner
The results:
How Anittel used the graphic recording posters:
- The posters were on display at a Board Meeting to build a better understanding among Board members of the senior team’s views on the company, key initiatives, issues and opportunities.
- The posters were digitally photographed and included in a Powerpoint presentation so that the ideas and discussion captured at the senior leadership workshop could ‘live on’ in the business well after the event.
Graphic recording helps capture conversations as they happen so people can stand back and 'see what they mean' as well as the discussion 'bigger picture'
How Anittel has been using the company Journey Map:
- The senior leadership team presented the Journey Maps to their teams nationally and shared the ‘story within the picture’ to introduce a common platform on the business’s main objectives, challenges, priorities and how they would navigate its future journey.
- All employees have been given the Journey Map either as a screen saver or as a desk-side poster to act as a daily reminder of the company vision and how to travel towards success.
- The senior leadership team has regularly used the Journey Map in meetings with external stakeholders to share the ‘big picture’ of Anittel’s vision in a quick, engaging and creative way.
“Guy has really helped us develop a common communication platform that lets us share our company story with all types of people. The Journey Map has been fantastic for employees to picture our approach and journey ahead. We also use the Map when talking to key external stakeholders, such as partners, investors, suppliers, to introduce them to the ‘who, what, how and why’ behind the company. The project has been invaluable for us as a communications tool for staff and customers.”
Ilkka Tales, CEO, Anittel
Posted by Guy Downes on September 1, 2010 under Cartoons |
Is your life squeezed to fit within your work or is your work simply a small part within your life?
