At the International German Teachers’ Conference in Vienna in 2022, 11+1 theses on language policy were formulated, aimed at politicians and experts. A summary of the theses can be found here. (https://www.idt-2022.at/dl/mKnoJmoJKLLJqx4KJKJmMJnmL/Wiener_Thesen_zur_Sprachenpolitik_IDT2022_Kurzfassung_20220820_pdf)
At the International German Teachers’ Conference 2025 in Lübeck, the Vienna Theses will be further developed and discussed. A video visualising the theses will serve as the starting point for this discussion process. I was hired to ‘translate’ the text into images and animate it, which I enjoyed very much, especially because the topic affects me personally and is close to my heart. The long version of the video has been available on YouTube since October 2024:https://youtu.be/gAL8Yth2_to?si=wLAqi1vl3O4_wCk7 .
A neutral drawing style with stick figures was chosen for the video. The drawings were all created especially for the video, are kept in a relaxed and charming sketch note style and combined with handwritten text inserts. In developing the visual concept, I tried to incorporate the corporate design of the event (colours, logo), which ultimately led to the central role of the puzzle pieces in the video. 🙂
With regard to the question of voice over, it was ultimately decided to have different people who have a personal connection to the theses and to IDT record the text. Although this means that the audio quality is not perfect in all cases, the authenticity and breadth of linguistic variation is all the greater and fits perfectly with the basic message of the video, in which the appreciation of diversity plays a major role. The fact that the theses themselves were not developed by a single person, but rather incorporate the views of many different experts, is also represented by the multitude of voices. In general, I have the impression that overly professional voice recordings often do not fit well with hand-drawn videos, whose charm lies precisely in their spontaneous and imperfect drawings and animations. Instead, the personal approach of unprofessional voice actors often seems more authentic and harmonious.
For me, it was a really enjoyable and meaningful project, which was also completed very quickly thanks to the excellent cooperation with the clients! And now I’m already looking forward to the IDT in Lübeck in the summer of 2025! 🙂