NHS South West London
Appraisals animations
The phrase ‘staff appraisals’ is one that may cause people a little trepidation – both staff and managers alike! However, the team at NHS South West London are on a mission to change that and to help all of their colleagues see how their Ongoing Appraisal Process can lead to great things, both for the team as a whole and for each team member’s individual career goals and progression.
With this in mind, we were tasked with making two animations, one aimed at staff and the other at managers.
Animation 1: Appraisals for Staff
Solid foundations: the script
While animation is a highly visual format, the foundation of every explainer film we make is the script – the foundation of every script we write is our Pre-scripting Worksheet.
With this document, we ask our clients a series of carefully thought-out questions to help define and refine the heart of the message they want to convey. It also helps us get to know the target audience and sets the tone for how we want to deliver that message.
The message
When it comes to appraisals, two of the key questions that informed the production of this animation were ‘What are the audience afraid of?’ and ‘What are they hoping for?’ A big fear regarding appraisals is that they will be punitive and aimed at pointing out weaknesses. The hope, on the other hand, is that they will be supportive and inspiring.
The explainer animation
With this in mind, we set out to make an animation that was engaging on a human level, using custom props and humour within the visuals to create an experience that would be friendly, reassuring and engaging (as well as educational!). In doing so, we hope to set the scene for the appraisals themselves to be something that staff are engaged with and will look forward to knowing they are well prepared, rather than something they feel they need to worry about.
This film is an example of a hybrid animation in that it has filmed sections – a ‘desktop’ setting where real hands manipulate props – and also digital elements. Our editing team use their skills to combine these two styles – this forms a way to punctuate the different sections of the animation, which can be watched as one continuous film, or as separate sections.
Artist: Sam Church
Animation 2: Appraisals for Managers
Creating the animation
For the second animation, our team was already well-versed in the world of the Ongoing Appraisal Process but, with a different target audience in mind we approached the subject in a different manner.
While the playful feel of the first animation was right for what we wanted to achieve in the staff animation, for the manager's film, we wanted to speak to their hopes and appeal to their sense of professionalism and their desire to grow as a manager and mentor.
Taking this into account, we chose an art style that had more realism and drew characters and workplace settings to reflect this. The colour palate is slightly more muted, and even the desk space is designed to reflect what a real NHS South West London manager's desk would look like!
Artist: Jo Mac
Getting your message across
In every element of artwork production and design for every animation we create, we take into account how the animation will speak to your target audience and make sure that the foundational message of the script is complimented and added to appropriately.
Testimonials
Quotes from NHS SWL staff members:
“I have had numerous appraisals in my career, and after watching this video, it is the first time I have actually looked forward to having one. Very inspiring, the video itself made me feel valued, and I wanted to have exactly that type of appraisal.”
“Despite working since I was 18 (in other companies), this is the first appraisal I have ever had. Initially, I was nervous, but this was more from a lack of knowledge of the process. The video resources reassured me that the purpose of an appraisal was not to be scrutinised but to support my growth and ability to support my team. My appraisal ended up being a really positive experience because I used your videos and support documents to get the most out of my session. I know that my manager also found them extremely helpful.”