“We need an explanatory video that deals with the topic of death and dying. The target audience are people with special abilities, both mental and physical”. This initial breifing was the beginning of a wonderful collaboration with the Institute of Special Needs Education at the University of Leipzig and the PiCarDi project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Divided into three films, which we animated using 2D animation, the aim was to show how to deal with the passing of a loved one and also the subject matter of one’s own death. How do caregivers in institutions deal with the topic and, above all, with people who have special needs? They may not always understand everything in detail, but people with certain limitations grieve just like everyone else.
A great deal of attention was paid here to the development of the scripts, as the films are not only about people with special needs, but are also intended for them as a target audience.
Sinnema produced storyboards for the animated films according to the scripts. This allowed us to discuss with the client the film’s content and events sequence. It is vital to visualize the scripts beforehand to precisely determine the type of animated movie that will be produced.
With a mixture of classic 2D frame by frame animation and puppet/cut-out animation, we gain an insight into Luca’s moving emotional world
After creating the scripts, Sinnema proceeded to design styleframes, background visuals, and character designs. Our main character and protagonist is Luca, a girl who lives in the dormitory – serving as an identification figure and as a visual guide for the development of the remaining characters featured in this animation.
During the process of finding a suitable style, we tested various color palettes and character representations until we achieved a design that was more in line with ToGETHER’s corporate color scheme.
Detailed layouts and backgrounds based on the storyboard
Finally, our narrator Sara Hiruth Zewde adds a gentle narrator’s voice. The sound effects, atmospheres, roomtones and music create the world of Luca and her friends on an auditory level.
