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Age UK, in partnership with the Malnutrition Task Force, commissioned an animated explainer video to raise awareness about malnutrition in older adults and highlight the preventable causes of undernutrition.

The video, designed to be calm, engaging, and informative, was released online via YouTube to reach caregivers, older individuals, and healthcare professionals.

Having previously worked together on a project for PositiveNegative, illustrator Gabrielle Froden reached out to Jarbrain for this animation, appreciating the workflow efficiency, attention to detail, and how her artwork was brought to life through movement.

The animation featured subtle, emotive movements, ensuring the interactions between characters felt natural and relatable. Scenes included hand gestures while conversing, small environmental details like pigeons pecking at food, a cat's tail subtly moving, and expressive lip-syncing to bring conversations to life. Additional atmospheric elements, such as leaves gently blowing in the wind and flowing wind lines, were used to create a sense of movement and direction, enhancing the overall mood of each scene.

The storyboarding phase was a collaborative effort, with Gabi developing the initial panels while Jarbrain contributed to scene refinements and visual direction where needed. Once the final structure was in place, Jarbrain rigged the characters and props in Adobe After Effects using Duik Bassel, ensuring they were ready for animation.

Beyond animation, Jarbrain handled the entire voiceover production process—from sourcing and selecting talent to casting, interviewing, negotiating costs, and directing recordings.

After finalizing the voiceovers, Jarbrain also managed post-production, including cleaning, pacing, and mastering the audio to integrate it into the animation seamlessly. To further enhance immersion, sound effects were carefully added, including gentle and subtle background noise, to bring life to the world and complement the storytelling.

By combining detailed character animation, subtle environmental movement, carefully curated voice performances, and immersive sound design, the video effectively communicated the importance of nutrition in later life while offering practical solutions to caregivers and individuals facing these challenges.

Credits
Character Animation, Rigging & Storyboarding Support: Jarbrain
Illustration & Storyboards: Gabrielle Froden
Client: Age UK / Malnutrition Task Force
Voiceover Casting & Audio Post-Production: Jarbrain
Animation Software: Adobe After Effects (Duik Bassel for rigging)