Animated FILM about how hoarding has impacted a woman’s life - and her road to recovery.
CLIENT
BBC Ideas creates short, factual films for curious minds, covering everything from psychology to current affairs. Their goal is to offer enriching, high-quality content that offers new perspectives.
BRIEF
BBC Ideas, in partnership with The Open University, commissioned us to produce a 5-minute film based on a powerful first-person script. The story followed a woman’s journey through hoarding behaviour and her road to recovery.
Because this was a deeply personal story, the team worked with the charity Hoarding UK to ensure the narrative was handled with the utmost care and sensitivity. We needed to visualise this journey with empathy, creating an animation that allowed viewers to truly connect with the person sharing their story.
RESULTS
Animation was the ideal medium for this project. It allowed the contributor to share her story honestly while remaining completely anonymous. It gave us the freedom to visualise her internal feelings and memories without the need for intrusive filming in her home.
To support a gentle approach, we used a soft visual style that avoided typical "shock factor" visuals. This created a non-judgmental space for the viewer to focus on the narrator’s emotional journey and gain a deeper understanding of the story.
The response has been incredible. The film has already surpassed 40k+ views on YouTube, with positive comments from viewers who are effected by hoarding. Beyond the numbers, the film is making a real-world impact. We are proud to hear that it is now being used by professionals within the mental health and housing sectors as part of their education and training services.
THE PROCESS
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