Our specialists will hold consultations with you and your team to understand your project or programme, as well as your intend or purpose, audience, and channel. They will study relevant materials, work with you to identify impact stories and change agents who will become story characters, develop interview questions, and prepare a few storylines for further development.

Identifying stories & story
characters, development of storylines, scripts, and interview questions

Informed consent,
field data collection,
interviews

We will obtain informed consent from all participants and sign consent forms (in case of minors, consent will be obtained from parents or guardians) prior to data collection. Our professionals will gather relevant data through interviews (written, recorded, or filmed) which will be transcribed and translated where applicable. The interviews will form the basis of a story or stories, and the focus will be on the story characters. Where relevant, a first-hand storytelling technique can be applied, giving the participants a chance to lead and define the narrative. Our professionals work in the field (preferred) and remotely. We work with interpreters where local languages are spoken.

Once all information is at hand, we will begin to draft a story which will be submitted for review and feedback. Additional inputs and feedback will be incorporated, and further drafts submitted until the story is finalised. We insist that story characters review and approve the story prior to publishing, therefore translation into their local language may be necessary.

Story drafting, review,
revision, finalisation

Photography, photo editing,
post-production,
captioning

Our photographers will engage from the start to understand the needs and visual requirements. They will travel to project location(s) to capture images of the identified story characters, their environment, and the broader context. The photographers will follow the character’s daily schedule, or routine, with minimal interruption, hence ensuring that the images convey the story as truthfully as possible. Where relevant, they may suggest the best time to photoshoot to capture beautiful lighting, and other technical aspects.

The photographers will perform basic editing of the photographs and submit for review, prior to making a selection in consultation with the client. They will proceed with further editing and post-production to deliver the highest quality images in the required formats, as well as captioning. Raw files will be submitted alongside final products.

If video is a desired output, our videographers will engage from the start to understand the needs and visual requirements, purpose, audience, and channels. They will follow the agreed storyline or a script, and travel to project location(s) to set up for filming. Where relevant, the videographers will capture footage of daily life of the identified story characters, their environment, and the broader context. As needed, the videographers will advise on any technical aspects and rely on the client to ensure access to people and locations should these be restricted.

The videographers will work with the footage to prepare a draft product as per the agreed length and format. All feedback will be incorporated, and subsequent versions submitted for review and approval. The subtitles will be added as requested, with translation into local languages or English as applicable. All raw footages will be submitted alongside the final product.

Filming, video editing,
post-production

Field-based or remote
training & mentoring

We are happy to work with you and your team to help capture stories and build capacities in storytelling and visuals. Whether you are a communications professional, storyteller, photographer and/or videographer, or none of these, we will design and deliver tailored training and mentoring to meet your needs. Training can take place in the field (preferred) during a mission, where our specialists will guide you while working alongside you. It can also take place remotely or in a hybrid format. Inquire to learn more.

Beyond Motherhood:
Birunda Young Mothers’ Initiative

It’s a hot April afternoon in Birunda, a village near the agricultural town of Kitale, Kenya. The sounds of daily life drift through the concrete and thatch room that serves as a church and a community space for young mothers. 

Mercy shifts the toddler on her lap as she recounts her story of growing up in Kitale. 

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Visual Storytelling: What, Why,
and For Whom?

Watch our first ‘Live with an Expert’ session led by our Creative Director and Visual Storyteller, Kelley Lynch. The session covers some amazing insights and tips around the topic of visual storytelling in the sector and from around the world.

Kelley brings more than 20 years of experience in visual storytelling having lived and worked in more than 30 countries across Africa and Asia, and supporting multiple development organisations and donor agencies, including USAID, Global Partnership for Education, the World Bank, Save the Children, CARE, World Vision, and more. Watch the recording here