In collaboration with children's charity NSPCC, we were commissioned to update an existing animation titled ‘Guy’s Story’. This short film is a core part of their Speak out Stay safe school workshop, designed for children aged 5 to 11 to help them understand:

• The different forms of abuse and how to recognise them
• That abuse is never a child’s fault and every child has the right to feel safe
• Where to go for help, including how to access the Childline service

The programme aligns with the school curriculum and reinforces key messages around abuse and neglect. It includes lesson plans, workshops, and virtual assemblies.

The goal was to ensure this updated film resonated with today’s young audiences in an authentic and relevant way.

Bringing Guy's Story up to date

The schools team had been using an earlier version of Guy’s story in workshops. But as the visuals and tech began to feel outdated, they risked distracting from the narrative. Adding our own creative touch, our challenge was to reimagine the story with a fresh, modern update to bring out the emotion at its core. First steps included removing outdated elements, such as landline telephones, to modernise the setting.

We were also careful to avoid any visuals that could unintentionally be percieved as poverty shaming. These thoughtful updates ensure our new animation feels relevant and respectful.

Illustration and Animation

With the updated framework in place, we seamlessly moved into collaboration with the incredible creative duo FAB to bring the new visual concept to life. Here they speak about their process:

"From the outset, we knew the story would be told entirely through visuals—without a voiceover. This meant developing a strong visual language was essential.

We focused on using subtle facial expressions, body language, and carefully designed environments to communicate Guy’s emotions and his world.

To support the emotional arc of the story, we used exaggerated perspectives—especially in the first half—to heighten the sense of drama and isolation. A muted colour palette helped reinforce that atmosphere.

As the story progresses, Guy discovers he can reach out for help through Childline. The visuals shift; the colours become brighter and more vibrant, marking a clear emotional turning point.

We also incorporated soft gradients and textures throughout the piece to ground the illustrations and make them feel more tactile and real.

To begin with, our workflow started with storyboarding in Procreate. From there, we moved on to developing the artwork in Illustrator. We brought everything to life through a combination of After Effects and Procreate Dreams, using subtle frame-by-frame touches to add nuance and movement where it mattered most.”

Animation with purpose

With carefully selected music and poignant sound design, the end result is a powerful piece of animation. The team at NSPCC have long awaited this update - Guy's story is a really important tool in their workshop.

The updated film was split into two parts, with a pause halfway through for teachers to guide classroom discussions. We’re confident the animation will spark meaningful classroom conversations and highlight the vital support children can access by speaking to trusted adults or by contacting Childline.