I animated for Part 1 of a mini documentary series following Brenda Poku’s journey with Sickle Cell disease till now. I was one of three animators, to animate for one of the three parts to the documentary. My Part accompanies live action footage of Brenda talking through Part 1 of her story: 'Health and Connection to Genetiks'.
Below is a draft of my storyboarding for my animation:
It was an honour for me to be offered the opportunity to animate for this ‘Only Human’ project in the Summer of 2023. At the time my main creative focus was – and still is – authentically portraying and empowering the black diaspora through animation. Hence, to be a young black animator looking to build a portfolio of work true to my cultural heritage and lived experiences as a ‘minority’, this project was a Godsend!
It was my BFI-awarded, BBC-commissioned animated short Mental Roots that was discovered by RSA Films, which led to their invitation for collaboration. Whilst that animation was created and awaiting release (2020-2021), Mental Roots also birthed a multimedia brand with the same name, which delivers further works of animation, podcasting and more to creatively represent and engage black people in addressing issues affecting their mental health, wellbeing and identity. With this ‘Only Human’ project fitting thematically with the focus of Mental Roots, it made sense for me to make this project a client-based animation under the brand.
RSA Films believed my signature hand drawn, digital 2D style utilised in Mental Roots would lend itself well to conveying Brenda’s Ghanaian roots and perception of Sickle Cell within her family and community growing up. My illustrative style was utilised to convey her childhood, and the first-person perspective (another stylistic choice borrowed from the Mental Roots animation). Prior to starting my production, I was invited to the shooting day for the live action elements, in the RSA Studio in London. This gave me great perspective of the scale of the project, as well as a a golden opportunity to connect in person with Yasmin the Director, the other two animators and the hard-working film and production crew. It was an honour to meet the star of the project, Brenda Poku – I introduced myself as a fellow Ghanaian who was excited to hear her story more and animate some elements of her journey with Sickle Cell. Overall, this day grounded the whole project in a sense of warmth and humanity which inspired my creative process…
It was my BFI-awarded, BBC-commissioned animated short Mental Roots that was discovered by RSA Films, which led to their invitation for collaboration. Whilst that animation was created and awaiting release (2020-2021), Mental Roots also birthed a multimedia brand with the same name, which delivers further works of animation, podcasting and more to creatively represent and engage black people in addressing issues affecting their mental health, wellbeing and identity. With this ‘Only Human’ project fitting thematically with the focus of Mental Roots, it made sense for me to make this project a client-based animation under the brand.
RSA Films believed my signature hand drawn, digital 2D style utilised in Mental Roots would lend itself well to conveying Brenda’s Ghanaian roots and perception of Sickle Cell within her family and community growing up. My illustrative style was utilised to convey her childhood, and the first-person perspective (another stylistic choice borrowed from the Mental Roots animation). Prior to starting my production, I was invited to the shooting day for the live action elements, in the RSA Studio in London. This gave me great perspective of the scale of the project, as well as a a golden opportunity to connect in person with Yasmin the Director, the other two animators and the hard-working film and production crew. It was an honour to meet the star of the project, Brenda Poku – I introduced myself as a fellow Ghanaian who was excited to hear her story more and animate some elements of her journey with Sickle Cell. Overall, this day grounded the whole project in a sense of warmth and humanity which inspired my creative process…
Above: one of my style sheets/vis development designs.
In my character and scene design, it made sense to include Ghanaian art and Kente cloth textures, to give my animation a raw, organic feel. It was an opportunity to celebrate my Ghanaian roots as well, as I literally scanned some of my Ghanaian clothing to use as textures for the sky, ground and other elements in the animated scenes. The repeated imagery of the sickle cells as ‘seeds’ growing into ‘family trees’ was used as a strong motif representing the acceptance of Sickle Cell in hers and others’ families, and how the condition unites her community. The most fulfilling part of my creative process though was attempting visual effects and overlays I had never tried before. I always aim to try something new with each project. In this case, it was the roto brush affect in Adobe After Effects, to allow animated layers to be sandwiched in-between Brenda and the studio backgrounds. This did require frequent communication with Yasmin and the video production team, in terms of requesting which specific time segments of colour-graded footage I needed sent back to me, to add animated overlays and send back to them! Though the result of this experimentation is far from perfect in my view, it adds a unique charm to Part 1 that illustrates how much Brenda’s upbringing and condition is ‘engrained’ in her.
I find Brenda’s story and message hugely inspiring. I hope our efforts as a collective team of diverse creatives helps spark real change in how people and communities with Sickle Cell are seen, and in turn treated. Considering my busy schedule at the time balancing this project with a full-time job, I am proud of the outcome and who I became in the process. It has definitely sparked inspiration for more animated content and projects, especially under the Mental Roots brand which highlights multi-ethnic experiences of wellbeing and mental health.
I find Brenda’s story and message hugely inspiring. I hope our efforts as a collective team of diverse creatives helps spark real change in how people and communities with Sickle Cell are seen, and in turn treated. Considering my busy schedule at the time balancing this project with a full-time job, I am proud of the outcome and who I became in the process. It has definitely sparked inspiration for more animated content and projects, especially under the Mental Roots brand which highlights multi-ethnic experiences of wellbeing and mental health.
