The cost of Australian housing is a polarising topic and core to many of the problems the nation faces today including the inter-generational wealth divide to massive accumulation of mortgage debt.

I was keen to tell the story in a different way, utilising symbolism and drawing on the analogy of gambling. I pitched a ruff script and renders to the Digital Lead @MikeJanda and we were off and running to bring this idea to life.

I utilised Blender 2.79 with it’s cycles render engine to create the animation. Blender’s physics engine was utilised extensively to give life to movement.

Icons and symbolism appearing on the cards was very well received, helping to make the story more accessible with the visual aids. Charts and facts appearing on the cards and in animated form also helped tell the story.

Australia's property market portrayed as a thinly balanced tower of cards on @abcnews. Here's the full video: https://t.co/ZrA7PhNWzz pic.twitter.com/7prJI1Kece

— Alistair Kroie (@AlistairKroie) July 23, 2019

The final imagery of a tall tower of cards toppling down is something that resonated with audiences at the time, with some signs Australia could see a significant downturn in it’s housing market. Given the COVID-19 crisis had the opposite effect, it appears the house of cards will stand strong for some time to come.

The animation was broadcast on The Business and had a good run throughout the network and as VOD. Within the ABC, the project is often referenced as a benchmark and guide for visual storytelling that could reach new audiences in the rapidly evolving news media space.