The charity Guide Dogs has teamed up with award-winning agency Don’t Panic and paralympian Libby Clegg to create a detailed soundscape film – one that lets the viewer experience what it might be like to grow up with sight loss and a burning ambition.
The inspiring short film helps the viewer understand the challenges faced by blind and partially sighted people and how, with the help of Guide Dogs, they can realise their dreams. The emphasis on the audio helps sighted individuals to understand what it might be like for blind and partially sighted people growing up.
We hear a dramatisation of Libby’s childhood, both the good – her supportive family, loyal friends and inspiring coaches, and the bad – the school bullies, discouraging teachers and constant naysayers. The binaural experience asks viewers to put on their headphones, close their eyes and get a feel for Libby’s world, from her difficult start to her incredible finish.
The film ends with visuals of Libby’s 2014 Commonwealth Games 100m and of her and her guide dog Hattie, who she thanks for giving her the confidence to achieve her dreams.
“Having my guide dog Hattie gives me the confidence to train and compete, and live my life how I want. The film mimics some of the experiences I had as a child through to adulthood and I hope it gives those without sight loss an insight into mine and other blind or partially sighted people’s lives and the obstacles we face, and an understanding of how Guide Dogs as a charity can help us to overcome them.”
Nick Hodder, head of digital at Guide Dogs said: “This is the first time we’ve created a video that tries to put the viewer directly into the world of someone with sight loss. It’s a really engaging emotional and sensory experience where we’re asking the viewer to challenge themselves to see how they would feel facing the world as a blind child.
“We want to increase understanding of the challenges that people with sight loss face, but also tackle preconceptions about what they can achieve. It’s a fantastic story of determination and ambition.”
Credits
Production: AngellSound
Talent: Libby Clegg and Hattie the dog
Don’t Panic
Account Manager: Chloe Cross
Account Executive: Gabriel Mathews
Creative Director: Richard Beer
Creative: George McCallum
Guide Dogs
Project Manager: James Kell