Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Can you sum up the pilot in a sentence?

It’s a digital comic that allows the audience to explore a serious current affairs issue like education, in a fun and entertaining way.

What happens in the comic?

The comic covers a day in the life of a school filmed for a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TWO series “Are Our Kids Tough Enough? Chinese School”. It guides users through the different elements of an unforgiving daily schedule.

What’s the most exciting thing about it?

Personally, I think it’s having a comic book format that you can look at on desktop, tablet and mobile  to present a current affairs topic in an irreverent way.

The illustrations meant that we were free to use our imagination and create more abstract and humorous ways to communicate some of the key events. With a comic the story is told by far more than words – everything that you see is communicating the story, from how things are drawn to how the panels are arranged.

What did you want to achieve?

We wanted to explore how we could bring a younger audience to a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two Current Affairs series.

We know that the content of Are Our Kids Tough Enough? Chinese School is relevant to a younger, non-traditional Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two audience - the challenge is hooking them in.  We hope that our slightly cheeky and colourful approach available on mobile and tablet will get it in front of more young people.

How did you make Are Our Kids Tough Enough? Chinese School?

We used PULP, which is openly available online and was also used in the Taster pilot, Hooked.

The versatility of the tech allowed us to experiment with various prototypes. Not being constrained in this way allowed us to be more innovative and change course without too much difficulty when we realised we were heading in the wrong direction.

Working with other teams across the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ with different backgrounds and skills enabled us to be more open in our thinking. Coming from a more traditional Current Affairs background, it was a real eye opener to work with illustrators and experts in digital technology - it made me think about how my department could do things differently.

What do you think the Taster audience will make of it?

It's hard to say, I think they'll find the tech easy to use and navigate but I also hope they find it an enjoyable and enriching experience. Despite the fun style and humorous tone of the comic, there is still a definite informative element.