In responce to the growing trend of 3D graphics being used in news I developed a strategy with the ABC News business team to create 3D graphical assets that could be shared between platforms.

The strategy involved the production of a core animation and assets that could be swiftly tweaked and re-purposed for different platforms.

A key benefit of 3D is the ability to quickly re-position and tweak imagery to keep it looking fresh. 3D assets created for a project can also be added to other projects and scenes.

A good example demonstrating the usage of this strategy is the ABC’s storytelling around money laundering in Australia. Provocative imagery of a house depicted as a washing machine spinning cash and a hills hoist with hundred dollar bills hanging off it were created. This imagery was utilised across the ABC’s platforms, delivering innovative visuals to viewers in a very efficient way.

ABC News YouTube

An animated video with imagery core to the money-laundering story was produced for the ABC’s YouTube channel. Developed to cater for audiences viewing on mobile and desktop the visuals were totally animated with a voice over guiding the viewer.

https://youtu.be/-A_lH4S3ufA

ABC News Television

Animation from the initial online video was re-purposed for broadcast, cut into a news story that was shown on ‘The Business’ and around the ABC News Network.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/programs/the-business/2019-06-07/australia-has-got-a-$9-billion-a-year-drug-problem./111923102

abc.net.au

The imagery was used in multiple ABC News articles and continues to draw a good audience to this important topic.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-16/state-street-hit-with-million-dollar-money-laundering-fine/12668092

Social Media

The strong imagery drew attention on twitter with a prominent MP (among others) tweeting one of the articles that utilised this imagery.

https://twitter.com/ALeighMP/status/1229917568430833664?s=20

The strategy was also used to cover topics such as immigration, the royal commission into banking, and the cost of housing.

With ultra fast rendering coming available with software such as Blender 2.80 we started to take a different approach in 2021.