The BLT combines our passion for visual thinking, the week’s news and our creative team to create a delicious visual treat for your feed every week!
Each week we try and weave disparate stories together into a conclusive image. Sometimes the script and voiceover will deliver this perfectly, however the beauty of using drawings and animation is that we can achieve much more! The images can help provide richer context in much shorter timeframes. Sometimes these connections will be obvious but at other times there will be links that may not be that easy to decipher.
Below is a breakdown of all the stories, easter eggs and things you may have missed. We’ve provided a link to the original story sources too. We hope you enjoy.
Untrained passenger lands Florida plane after pilot falls ill
A couple of high- flying stories to kick things off this week. Our opening image is of a plane that was successfully landed by a passenger after the pilot fell ill. Although this never made the script it was a good entry point into the narrative because we could link it nicely with an element from the next story…a flying parrakeet.
India: Dehydrated birds fall from sky as country's heatwave dries up water sources
Many birds are feeling the effects of climate-change and sadly dropping out of the air in Gujarat, India due to a massive heatwave. Here’s where our actual voiceover kicks opens – introducing the idea of hydration, something we’ll loop back to thematically at the end of the animation.
Dorset County Hall steps up security after 'granny' invasion
This sudden loss of altitude works in our advantage and allows us to move the viewer’s attention down the screen to the Houses of Parliament and a spot of climate change activism, linking to a story about ‘grannies for the future’, two older women gluing themselves to a table in Dorset County Hall.
Find the story here. This ‘locking on’ activity is precisely the sort of thing the UK government are keen to legislate against. The government introduced the Bill of Rights, which is expected to overhaul the human rights act. The act will make it harder for us to scrutinise the government and hold them to account. Also making a cameo appearance is Steve Bray, the anti-Brexit activist, a very visible and audible sign of protest and someone the government is keen on silencing.
A small consolation was being able to draw the gormless look on Dominic Raab’s face along with the spiteful mirth of Priti Patel.
Drunk parliament staff cause nine security incidents in a month
Sticking with the government for a bit, pardon the pun…we can go inside the hallowed halls of the Palace of Westminster and illustrate a story that highlights the hypocrisy of some MPs and their staff. It was reported that there were nine security incidents relating to alcohol in the building in March this year. With 30 bars in the house, the culture of work-based drinks rife. This culture surely led to the incidents that have driven Partygate.
Alligator breaks into garage and drinks Diet Cokes
It wouldn’t be news unless there is a Florida story peppering the papers. This week an alligator broke into a family’s garage and was caught necking their diet cokes. It was the obvious choice to use these thirsty reptiles in Houses of Parliament and dress them as ‘Party-gators’.
Michael and Emma are the most common names for prisoners
It was also reported this week that the most common names of prisoners in England and Wales are Michael and Emma. With the Fixed Penalty notices flying thick and fast, it was an obvious choice to dress one of our gator chums in a Johnson fright wig and call him ‘Michael’. No prizes for guessing who this might be. In another story this week, drones are being used by the Royal Mail to carry mail to rural communities.
Royal Mail wants a fleet of 500 drones to carry mail to remote UK communities
Although not rural exactly, the Palace of Westminster is probably a little out of touch, so drones might be useful to deliver the 100 fixed penalty notices that have been delivered.
Cold War Steve needs a drink
We are big fans of Cold War Steve artist, Christopher Spencer. The online satirical collagist holding the government to account on a daily basis with his searing assemblages. Often seen in Chris’s work and the reason for the Twitter handle is Steve McFadden, the Eastender’s actor, who went through a stage of alcoholism onscreen. Using Steve here in one of the thirty bars in Parliament was a no-brainer. Also, a tipping of my hat to Chris – Steve needs a bracing tonic to help get his mind off the bin-fire that is happening in the world today.
We love using visual thinking and visual storytelling to create connected and layered whiteboard animations like this. We’d love to talk to you about how your message could look as a whiteboard animation, contact us today!
Give us the week’s offbeat news stories, and we’ll sum them up in an image, bringing them into the same universe.