We partnered with The South Australian Deparment of Energy and Mining to create an accessible animated video explaining the South Australian electricity system and its ongoing changes to Indigenous communities. The animation aimed to simplify complex concepts, fostering understanding and engagement with the evolving power landscape. A key element of this project was its delivery in the Guarna language, ensuring cultural relevance and accessibility for the target audience.
Content Type:
Explainer Video
Client:
Government of South Australia
Challenges
Simplifying Complex Information: Translating intricate details about the electricity grid and its transformations into easily digestible visuals and narratives for a general audience.
Guarna Language Integration: Accurately translating technical and conceptual information into Guarna, ensuring both linguistic correctness and clarity of meaning. This required collaboration with a skilled translator to navigate potential nuances and ensure the message resonated culturally.
Visual Alignment with Language: Ensuring the on-screen visuals directly and effectively supported the Guarna narration, reinforcing understanding and avoiding any potential misinterpretations.
Culturally Sensitive Representation: Developing visuals and a narrative approach that were respectful and relevant to Indigenous communities in South Australia, avoiding any unintentional cultural insensitivity.
Voiceover Authenticity: Sourcing and working with a fluent Guarna speaker who could deliver the narration with clarity, appropriate tone, and cultural understanding. This involved careful direction to ensure the message was conveyed effectively.
Approach
Design
Visual Concept Development: We began by developing clear and straightforward visual metaphors and diagrams to represent the electricity system, its components, and the changes occurring. The focus was on simplicity and ease of comprehension.
Collaborative Translation and Script Adaptation: We worked closely with a Guarna language translator to accurately translate the script. This was an iterative process, ensuring that technical terms and concepts were conveyed meaningfully in Guarna while maintaining the intended message.
Storyboard Development with Linguistic Review: Detailed storyboards were created, visually outlining each stage of the explanation. These storyboards were reviewed by the translator and the voiceover artist to ensure visual and linguistic coherence.
Character and Icon Design: Characters and icons were used to aid understanding, their design was kept simple and universally relatable, avoiding any culturally specific imagery that might not resonate with all Indigenous communities.
Animation
Clear and Direct Animation: The animation style prioritized clarity and directness, using motion graphics and simple transitions to illustrate the flow of electricity and the changes being implemented. Complex animations were avoided in favor of easily understandable visual representations.
Iterative Feedback and Refinement: Throughout the animation process, we shared drafts with the translator and voiceover artist to ensure the visuals accurately reflected the Guarna narration and that the overall message remained clear and consistent.
Voiceover Recording and Integration: We recorded the voiceover with the chosen Guarna speaker, ensuring a clear and engaging delivery. The animation was then carefully synced with the audio to create a seamless and effective learning experience.
You can find more information about this project here: https://moneymob.org.au/pawa-atunmankunytjaku/
