The Brief
Personal safety is an important part of any trip to the seaside or the coastal cliffs of Dorset and beyond. The hazards are numerous and are not limited to the potential dangers presented by the sea. To illustrate the wide range of potential issues that could arise for children and parents who either live near, or who are visiting the coast, Dorset Coastal Forum and Coastwise commissioned LoveLove Films to create an educational and entertaining animated film designed to instill in viewers an appreciation for staying safe on the coast.
The Process
After being commissioned by Dorset Coastal Forum, LoveLove Films set to work creating an animation that would convey 20 key objectives relating to coastal safety and began a process of storyboarding and working with focus groups of children to ascertain the most effective way to deliver the message of safety awareness. After testing a number of ideas, it was decided that a quirky and humorous animation with accompanying music would be the most effective way to engage children and instill the notion of being safe by the sea.
Working closely with local Dorset musician Timo Peach, LoveLove Films devised the idea of a group of sea creatures who would get into various situations by the coast, and through visual cues and song explain to the audience what they should do in the event of each type of emergency. Timo Peach is a local Dorset-based musician who also goes by the stage name Momo:Tempo, and he created all of the lyrics and used his wide vocal talents to voice all of the characters in the song.
The Result
The animated film will be shown as a learning and educational resource at coastal visitor centers, schools and as part of educational packages. Through the use of brightly coloured, memorable characters and engaging music and lyrics, it is anticipated that through this project safety at the coast will hopefully become as integral a part of visiting the beach as a bucket and spade!
Lead animator Sunny Clarke states:
“It was really fun creating the different characters. They all have their own personalities and individuality. Creating different animations for them all was really interesting – so the lobster moves differently to the dog and the seagull is always getting into scrapes before finding a way out of trouble by following the advice of the song.”
Rhiannon Jones from the Dorset Coast Forum said:
“We LOVE it!!! It’s sooooo good – really brilliant work. It’s so catchy and the animation is really funny. I can’t wait to get it out there.”
Visit Dorset, the official tourism site for Dorset, are helping to promote safety on the coast and they have created a dedicated CoastWise page where the film can be viewed and people can learn more about how to get the most out of their visit and stay safe. The Dorset Coast Forum coordinated the project, working with organisations including, National Trust, RLNI, Litter Free Coast and Sea, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, The Jurassic Coast Trust, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Visit Dorset and SafeWise.
We really hope you enjoy the film (available at: https://www.visit-dorset.com/coastwise)