Overview
Historica Canada, a well-known educational platform, approached Corex Creative to produce an animation that tells the story of the Blackburns—a couple whose remarkable legacy was rediscovered in 1985. Born into slavery in the United States, the Blackburns escaped to Canada and narrowly avoided extradition. They settled in Toronto, where they started the first taxi business in Upper Canada, amassing wealth to help other freedom seekers. Their legal case set a precedent that established Upper Canada as a key destination on the Underground Railroad. Their activism, resilience, and innovation helped shape the city of Toronto.
Objective
Historica Canada aimed to create an engaging and educational animated video to bring the Blackburns’ inspiring story to life. The video would target a broad audience, aiming to deepen understanding of Canada’s role in the Underground Railroad and highlight the contributions of Black Canadians.
What We Did
- Client Interaction:
- Historica Canada provided a comprehensive brief outlining the animation’s target audience, tone, length, and key themes. Corex Creative held an in-depth meeting with the client to align on style options and narrative approach. This collaboration resulted in an agreed-upon direction for the animation, script, and storyboard, ensuring all creative elements reflected the client’s educational mission.
- Script and Storyboard:
- Our team developed a historically accurate and compelling script, which was reviewed and approved by Historica Canada. The approved script was translated into a rough storyboard, allowing the client to visualize how the animation would flow. Feedback was incorporated to finalize the storyboard, ensuring the narrative’s pacing and visual storytelling met the client’s expectations.
- Animation Production:
- Once the script and storyboard were locked in, our animators began developing the characters, settings, and visual elements. Each detail, from the portrayal of the Blackburns to the backgrounds representing 19th-century Toronto, was designed to be historically accurate and visually appealing. The animatic sequence was refined through multiple stages until the final animation was complete.
- Voiceover:
- We collaborated with professional voiceover artists, offering several voice options to the client. After selecting the voice that best matched the tone of the animation, the recording was completed, further enhancing the storytelling aspect of the project.
- Final Touches and Delivery:
- Once the animation was finished, we incorporated music and sound effects to complement the narrative. After a final review from Historica Canada, minor adjustments were made to meet the client’s specific needs. The animation was then delivered in the required format, ready for use on Historica Canada’s educational platform.
Conclusion
The production of this animation was a collaborative effort, with close coordination between Corex Creative and Historica Canada. By understanding the client’s educational goals and historical focus, we were able to deliver an engaging and informative animation that highlighted the Blackburns’ legacy. Historica Canada was pleased with the final result, and the animation now serves as a powerful educational tool for audiences across Canada.