Crisis Training Content | Anna Freud Centre
A series of three short dramas to help train crisis workers, as they interact with young people and their families.
Using video to highlight best clinical practice
Chocolate Films were delighted to be commissioned again by a returning client, The Anna Freud Centre to produce a series of training films. The charity helps children and young people, ensuring that they get the right support to develop their emotional and mental health, and we have worked. We conducted thorough research with our client to understand their goals and how to best represent sensitive issues. Our writer then met with the training lead and crisis workers, before writing three compelling scripts. Throughout pre-production we worked closely with the Anna Freud Centre to ensure the stories were factually accurate and tonally appropriate.
We’ve worked with Anna Freud on animations in the past, but this time, the brief was to produce three live action films to train the crisis workforce for children and young people in the UK.
The films were to be dramatised situations adapted from real stories about clinical practices, showing the thinking process that goes on in a clinicians’ mind whilst they are working with young people.
Creative approaches to achieve high production value
The parameters for the project allowed us to come up with creative solutions which ensured they were visually cinematic. Chocolate Films was founded by filmmakers with experience in working in indie films, so we have always had the ethos of using what we have to up the production value.
Our directors, Vlad Muko and Philippe Thuery, used a wide range of locations. Our talented filmmaker Ruth Gardiner even managed to turn our office and studio spaces at Nine Elms into hospital corridors and call centres for the shoot days. They even included our staff as background actors in the film, we created a range of locations in just the one space. This ensured that we spent the available time and budget focusing on visuals and imaginative stylistic choices.
Our director and DOP made suggestions of how to represent key moments in the films. After brainstorming with the client, the team decided to visualise the thought processes of the characters in the film: freeze-frames and accelerated the footage to indicate key decision points in the conversation between the workers. At times, the characters break the fourth wall and speak directly to camera, inspired by well-loved shows like Fleabag. These moments heighten the emotion and help build a connection with the audience.
Creative motion graphics to reinforce learning
The team incorporated overlaid graphics in some of the scenes. These provided key information and insights into the thought processes of the characters. Chocolate Films has an experienced team of animators and motion graphics artists who are skilled in utilising kinetic typography and icons to illustrate information. These can be a brilliant tool to focus an audience’s attention, give a film visual appeal and reinforce a brand’s identity. We have used similar motion graphics in other recent films such as this Animated and Live Action film for Blip Insurance and this Brand film for Taylor Hopkinson to raise awareness of their sustainability goals.
Using video to achieve lasting impact
Through an innovative approach to storytelling we created a balance between engaging dramatic scenes, with educational information. We love working closely with our clients to think of how to best approach a story and execute it to the highest standard. We are keen to hear from new clients to understand who you are and what your goals are. We love brainstorming to tailor a film to specific requirements, and get truly excited producing ambitious, imaginative and thought-provoking films. We’ll inspire your audience to take action through impactful visual storytelling. Get in touch to hear what we can do for you and your brand.
Dramatised content that helps you reach your goals
At Chocolate Films our team love working with actors to produce dramatised content. Over the years we’ve worked with both emerging actors and established screen names such as Imelda Staunton, Bill Nighy, Daniel Radcliffe and Simon Callow to create impactful films. This film, created for Brunel, was produced in 2023 and, like the Anna Freud content, was shot in a range of locations across South London. If you’d like to see how dramatised content can help your training, promotional or recruitment needs, just get in touch.
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