Ethical Standards Commissioner
How to Make a Complaint
Testimonial
“Matthew created an animation for us that was clear, engaging, and accessible for the public. He listened carefully to our needs and helped identify our video branding and style. At several points we requested tweaks and he gave us useful ideas and suggestions for improvement. Matthew completed the animation work promptly and delivered on schedule. His communication throughout the project was professional and helpful.”
Nikolas Thomsen – Corporate Support Officer
Brief:
The Ethical Standards Commissioner investigates complaints about the behaviour of local authority councillors, MSPs, board members of public bodies and lobbyists.
The purpose of the video is to distill the process into a quick and informative resource to use on their website, providing an overview of the complaints investigation procedure – particularly a glimpse of the online application form and what happens next.
This was also their first time using animation for the brand, so they were looking for guidance on how to make their brand work for Motion.
Solution:
From Initial conversations, we agreed on a video of approximately 90s duration.
Because of the sensitive and serious subject matter, it was important to reflect that in the style and tone of voice, which meant no crazy or over-the-top designs/animations. It was important that the video comes across as caring, compassionate and informative.
The Process
The Process:
The project started with the ESC team sending a draft script which covered all the information they wanted to convey for the animation.
I worked closely with the team to fine-tune and humanise the script – ultimately trying to make a dry subject a bit livelier.
Due to the serious nature of the subject matter, the wording was carefully crafted to explain the process and their exact involvement. Eg. ESC investigates, but does not pass judgment on the complaints.
As I went into Storyboarding it brought new ideas to the script. The storyboard below is what was signed off for production, but later as we saw it in motion, new elements were added to make it punchier and clearer.
Storyboard Page 1
Storyboard Page 2
Storyboard Page 3
Voiceover
As ESC are a Scottish organisation, naturally a Scottish Voiceover was requested.
I presented a few options, and it was Blanche Anderson who won the client over with her delivery.
As with the script, the client was particular about the tone of the delivery, asking for a
“serious, but kind and emphatic tone as people often come to us upset so we’d like to welcome them with a compassionate and calming voice”.
I met with Blanche for a live recording session on Google Meet, where we ran through the script a number of times and worked together to find the right tone and delivery. She absolutely smashed it and was a delight to work with.
The Result
A caring and informative, minimalistic explainer video that provides an overview of the whole process in about 1min 43s
Additionally, the Logo animation and Call to Action were supplied as separate videos to use for future content.
Final Files
- Explainer.mp4 – with and without subtitles embedded
- .srt file – subtitle file for YouTube
- 3x Thumbnail .png options
- Logo animation.mov
- Call To Action.mov
Year: 2026
Project Type: Animated Explainer
Skills: Scripting, Storyboarding, Design, Animation, Sound Design.
Credits:
Client: Ethical Standards Commissioner
Production: Matthew Creed
Voiceover: Blanche Anderson