"Don’t lie. That isn’t your voice!”
I’m mid-way through discussing the prospects of a video project, after screening a proof-of-concept video. The voice in question, mine, has caused a stir because it is part way between the soulful sounds of Werner Herzog and the nasal groans of Kayvan Novak’s satirical art expert Brian Badonde. Meanwhile, in the real world, I’m speaking with my native Essex accent, busy waxing lyrical about how the video could be used to emote certain responses and be used in explicit ways.
“I had no idea. Honestly! That is so funny!”, they continue.
It is a common practice, using what is known as ‘scratch’ audio to lay down a voice track on a video during development. It gives a sense of what the finished article might look and sound like, without the cost or time of bringing in ‘final’ voicing. In this instance, the video’s aesthetic of striking vistas of ice capped mountains, dew dropped fields and golden desert sunsets is wrapped in an otherworldly electronic soundscape and my, frankly awful, scratch narration.
“It really reminds of that show on Netflix…’Dark’. Have you seen it?”, I am asked.
I have. But the comparisons, as they stand, are unintentional.
The proof of concept is a hit, and our pitch it accepted.
The Brief
When we were initially approached about what has become known as the Mountain Sky pitch, it was off the back of a project we had completed a few months prior. On both occasions, the client was hosting a virtual workshop and required a single video-based asset to depict a person or company to the delegates. On both occasions, the brief was rudimentary, the ask a simple one. But on both occasions, we saw an opportunity to flex our creative muscles and create not one, but a series of assets to help make for a more immersive and memorable learning experience.
For Mountain Sky, the course would be aimed at a sales force responsible for onboarding clients and providing an initial suite of services that might be beneficial to them. The predominant markets would be commercial, and it would often involve a global community. Their role usually involves researching a client to learn as much as they can, and often it is a skill that is not often ‘inherited’ rather than taught. For this workshop, the client in question would be a fictional outdoor clothing manufacturer called “Mountain Sky”. Delegates would need to be able to ‘research’ the client and garner some key facts about them. The task would need to be authentic and nuanced. The experience would need to lead them to an understanding about who Mountain Sky are, where they have come from, and what the future holds.
The Pitch
For us, the first port of call here was to brand Mountain Sky. For them to be a believable organisation they would need a footprint and an identity. So, as part of our pitch, we created an asset that discussed the project and our ideas but presented it in the guise of a Mountain Sky brochure. We wanted the client to enter this journey with us and be able to almost taste who Mountain Sky are. We devised a colour scheme, a logo, a tone of voice and a tagline.
To really immerse the learners in the project we proposed 3 crucial assets, not normally associated with learning.
- A news report to demonstrate the company’s move to America, and its penchant for sustainable practices and community outreach.
- An interactive asset to offer ‘research’ opportunities through the guise of mobile phone apps linking out to different sources such as websites, email, twitter, etc.
- The fateful promotional video designed as both an advert for the brand and a pre-course teaser to help introduce the client and get people excited about attending.
The Product
The trailer proved to be a relatively simple affair. It was more in line with the original brief in that it was a formal introduction to Mountain Sky. But we built in an extra layer for the client in that they wanted to somehow involve the company CEO in the assets. The solution was simple, make the video a mission statement and have the CEO narrate it. With some reworking of the concept video, we were able to produce something that felt high quality, bold and befitting of a global organisation.
Creating the news report required scripting, casting, location scouting, etc. But the trickiest part was substituting a primary school in Dagenham for a middle school in New York state. It would be a clever mix of selective coverage and stock footage that would allow us to give learners an authentic asset experience that they would be exposed to at a specific point in the course and learn a little more about Mountain Sky.
The interactive app proved to be the most impactful asset. Technically the bread-and-butter learning tool, it presented every single item of info the learner needed but did so in a way that felt organic. Nothing was overtly presented or falsely signposted. Designed to work like a mobile phone, the user could select any app they wanted and be taken through a kaleidoscope of high-quality design, peppered with easter eggs and a fully functioning ‘home’ button that would take them back to the main screen. Thanks to some minor creative tweaks, we were also able to get it fully compliant with accessibility needs without compromising aesthetic.
The Outcome
First draft delivery was met with very high praise, and the client remained completely sold invested in the idea for the entirety of the project. We ended up making two versions of the trailer to suit different tastes, and the assets have subsequently been labelled as “the gold standard for expectations going forward” on other virtual classrooms.
We may not have been the course designers or even a primary source of content, but our innovative approach to an otherwise straight forward request allowed us to not only elevate the learning experience, but provide the client with an opportunity to reach beyond their own expectations and deliver AAA standard work.
It’s learning, but not as you’ve traditionally known it. #keepingOnTrack
