Designing digital teaching: Insights into the teaching practice at BASA-online

• Service: Animated explainer video
• Client: BASA-online University Network
• Voice-over: Oliver Brod
• Text: Prof. Dr. Hedwig Rosa Griesehop, Ulrike Kollmann
• Style: 2D, flat
• Length: approx. 2 minutes

This explainer video is aimed at anyone interested in teaching at BASA-online. It highlights what makes teaching within the network unique, from the combination of face-to-face and online formats to the evolving role of lecturers as learning coaches.

The film provides insights into key quality standards, introduces the diverse student body, and offers a glimpse into working within a supportive and digitally driven educational environment. Its goal is to spark curiosity and encourage both new and experienced lecturers to engage with this distinctive study concept.

Language makes visible: Explainer video on gender-sensitive writing

• Service: Animated explainer video
• Client: BASA-online University Network
• Voice-over: Oliver Brod
• Text: Prof. Dr. Hedwig Rosa Griesehop
• Style: 2D, flat
• Length: approx. 3 minutes

On behalf of the BASA-online university network, we developed an explainer video that offers students an accessible introduction to gender-sensitive writing.

Building on the idea that “you cannot not use gendered language,” the film explains different writing approaches, makes their relevance for inclusion and visibility tangible, and shows why the discussion reaches far beyond questions of orthography. Using a clear and lightly humorous narrative, complex academic perspectives are translated into an understandable visual format. The video supports a reflective and conscious approach to language in academic studies and beyond.

Unite To Fight: The world’s largest Long COVID and ME/CFS conference, organized by patients

• Services: Visual identity, video and print production, live direction, project management
• Client: Unite To Fight
• Role: Co organization and design
• Media: Livestream, social media, print
• Style: 2D and 3D assets, clear and accessible visual language
• Scope: 22 hour conference across 2 days
• Reach: More than 10,000 registered participants
• Accreditation: Up to 17 CME credits for healthcare professionals

Unite To Fight 2024 was the world’s largest conference on Long COVID and ME/CFS organized by patients. The project was developed as a long-term pro bono commitment with the aim of bringing together scientific expertise, patient perspectives and the work of international organizations, while drawing attention to the dramatic gaps in care and treatment.

The conference took place in May 2024 and featured 22 hours of programming across two days, with more than 10,000 participants from around the world. It brought together leading international experts in Long COVID and ME/CFS research. Renowned scientists presented the latest findings on post-acute infection syndromes. The program also included high level political and institutional voices, among them Prof. Karl Lauterbach and representatives of the World Health Organization, including WHO Director Maria van Kerkhove. Patient perspectives and advocacy organizations were an integral part of the program. The conference was CME accredited, allowing healthcare professionals to earn up to 17 CME credits.

Claus Ernst co-organized the conference and was responsible for the visual identity as well as the design and production of all video and print materials. This included animated content, visual frameworks for presentations and communication assets for social media. The goal was to create a clear and internationally accessible visual language that communicates complex content in a respectful and understandable way. In addition, he directed the live program via OBS. The international setup across multiple time zones required precise planning and close coordination within the team.

Unite To Fight 2024 received very positive feedback worldwide from researchers, patients, organizations and media outlets. The conference was widely covered nationally and internationally, including reporting by WDR, n tv, Radio Eins, Die Zeit, Süddeutsche Zeitung and other media.

Animated product demo video: Smart IoT elevator maintenance explained

• Service: Animated explainer video
• Client: Aufzughelden
• Voice: Silke Haas
• Script: Claus Ernst
• Style: Detailed 2D animation
• Length: 1 minute

For the startup Aufzughelden, we produced an animated B2B explainer video for the Aufzughelden IoT Box and its AI-powered functionality – from initial concept to final delivery. Using smooth camera movements and detailed vector illustrations, the explainer video demonstrates how AI-based elevator monitoring works as a digital solution and helps prevent breakdowns at an early stage. Visualized real-time data and the connection to the dashboard make the technology easy to understand for operators and maintenance teams.

DNS:NET: Copper vs. fiber optics in everyday internet use

• Service: Animated explainer video
• Client: DNS:NET
• Voice-over: François Smesny
• Script: Claus Ernst
• Style: 2D animation, motion graphics
• Length: approx. 1.5 minutes

In this humorous and informative explainer video, we show how modern fiber-optic internet makes everyday life easier while delivering maximum speed. The story follows two neighboring families and their very different internet experiences.

While one family struggles with choppy video streaming and slow loading times, we highlight the underlying causes, such as the limitations of sensitive VDSL copper lines. In contrast, the family with a fiber-optic connection enjoys stable, ultra-fast internet, ideal for gaming, video calls, and internet TV all at the same time.

7 good reasons to study part-time at BASA-online

• Service: Animated explainer video
• Client: BASA-online University Network
• Voice-over: Oliver Brod
• Text: Prof. Dr. Hedwig Rosa Griesehop, Ulrike Kollmann
• Style: 2D, comic
• Length: approx. 3 minutes

The BASA-online university network commissioned us to produce an explainer video for the BASA-online degree program. The goal was to present the benefits of part-time study in a playful and easy-to-understand way.

The online degree program is designed for professionals in social work who want to earn a bachelor’s degree alongside their career. Combining online-based learning with selected in-person sessions, the program is currently offered at seven universities across Germany.

New paths for sustainable mobility: Climate protection on the road

• Service: Animated explainer video
• Client: Öko-Institut, BMU
• Commissioned by: I LIKE VISUALS
• Voice-over: Silke Haas
• Style: 2D, flat
• Length: approx. 2 minutes

How will we get around in the future, and how can greenhouse gas emissions be reduced? These questions are at the core of this explainer video on mobility transition.

On behalf of I LIKE VISUALS, we produced an animated explainer video for the Öko-Institut, one of Europe’s leading independent research and consulting institutions for a sustainable future. The film was created under the auspices of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety and is published, among other platforms, on the Ministry’s YouTube channel.

A children’s book universe magically brought to life

• Service: Instagram book trailers, multiple formats
• Client: Bastei Lübbe Verlag
• Style: Motion design, animation

For the popular children’s book series Petronella Apfelmus, we produced a colorful and cheerful book trailer for Bastei Lübbe Verlag.

Based on a storyboard provided by the publisher and using the original illustrations, we brought Petronella and her friends to life through lovingly crafted animations and sound design. The 30-second trailer was produced in three different formats for use on social media and is aimed at parents with children aged 4 to 9.

With lively movement, magical sparkle, and rich visual details, the enchanting world of the apple witch is captured with warmth and charm. The result is a playful glimpse into a children’s book universe full of adventure and small magical moments.

Herpes simplex virus explained in detail in an e-learning film

• Service: Two explainer videos in German, English, and French
• Client: El Pato Medien GmbH
• Voice-over (German/English): Marianne Graffam
• Voice-over (French): Cécile Coiffard
• Style: Medical illustrations, clean
• Length: approx. 4 minutes

El Pato Medien GmbH commissioned us to produce two educational explainer films on herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2. The films are primarily aimed at pharmacists and pharmaceutical technical assistants, but also address people affected by the condition.

Around 90 percent of the population in Germany carries the herpes simplex virus. The films explain the differences between type 1 and type 2, including genital herpes, and provide clear information on prevalence, transmission pathways, and appropriate measures in the event of an outbreak. Complex medical content is translated into clear visual explanations designed for professional training and patient education alike.

Trailer for the bestseller Babel: Language, power, and colonialism

• Service: Instagram book trailers, multiple formats
• Client: Eichborn Verlag
• Style: Motion design

“Can four students stand up to the power of the entire British Empire?”
We designed the Instagram book trailer for the international bestseller Babel by R. F. Kuang.

Using the graphic elements of the book, we combined dynamic camera movements, dramatic music, and animated character introductions to capture the dense and powerful atmosphere of the novel. The result is a visually striking trailer that brings the themes of language, power, and colonialism to life for a new German-speaking audience.

Animated infographics for freight transport: CargoBeamer

• Service: Motion design
• Client: Workingfilms
• Style: Technical

On behalf of Workingfilms, we developed animated infographics for an image film for the logistics service provider CargoBeamer. The result was around 60 seconds of motion graphics, which were integrated into drone footage.
Key figures, facts, and core messages were visually embedded to clearly communicate the advantages of the CargoBeamer system, such as CO₂ savings and logistical efficiency. The combination of live action footage and motion graphics creates a fresh visual narrative with a clear focus on content and style.

The European Water Framework Directive simply explained

• Service: Animated explainer video
• Client: Märkisch Blau, Land Brandenburg
• Commissioned by: Sinnwerkstatt
• Voice-over: Oliver Brod
• Style: 2D, illustrative
• Length: approx. 3 minutes

Why do we need to protect our waterways, and how can they return to a near-natural state? These questions are at the heart of the explainer video Mit Märkisch Blau zu neuen Ufern, which illustrates the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive in Brandenburg.

Through detailed and colorful illustrations, cohesive sound design and voice recordings, as well as simple yet effective animations, we clearly visualized both the challenges and solutions involved in the renaturation of waterways. The video shows how targeted measures, such as restoring natural river courses, not only enhance biodiversity but also improve the quality of life for people in Brandenburg.