LGBTQ+ people of all genders and sexualities experience sexual violence, yet many never seek formal support. More often, people turn to friends, partners, and loved ones. How we respond in those moments can make a real difference.

Knuckles Animation Studio partnered with Say It Out Loud and ACON Health to create Strengthening LGBTQ+ Community Responses to Disclosures of Sexual Violence, a seven-part video resource designed in consultation with community, for community, to help upskill people in how to respond to disclosures of sexual violence in compassionate and person-centred ways.

The Approach

One of the core challenges of this project was designing a visual system that could swap between multiple storytelling modes; live action, animation, first-person experiences and scenarios, while remaining cohesive and accessible.

Our team delivered the project end-to-end, leading concept development, animation, and full live-action production, including casting, direction, and post-production.

Because of the subject matter, duty of care was treated as a core part of the production methodology. The crew was intentionally assembled with lived experience and care in mind, and wellbeing was prioritised throughout the process.

On set, in addition to a qualified social worker and First Nations support person, we also had a support animal, a kitten named Bean, who was available to help with decompression and emotional regulation while working with such a heavy topic.

Visual Style

We developed an overarching visual system designed to hold every element of the series together. A considered colour palette, expanded from existing brand colours, and a consistent graphic language formed the foundation. This system was applied across title cards, lower thirds, supers, and transitions to support accessibility and consistency.

As part of the visual system, we created a bespoke animated Say It Out Loud logo designed to sit comfortably alone or alongside existing ACON Health animated logo. The animation was developed to feel integrated rather than bolted on, helping visually unify their partnership.

Live-action sets and wardrobe colour choices were designed to complement this graphic system, creating a strong visual relationship between filmed and animated content. Animated characters, used for first-person experiences and scenarios, were built from the same visual foundation, with subtle shifts in texture to support different emotional tones while maintaining cohesion.

By grounding all elements in a shared design system, the visuals are able to move smoothly between presenters, formats, and narrative modes without feeling disjointed.

The Result

The series is unified by a shared design system that allows the visuals to move smoothly between formats, supporting a calm and accessible intake of information. The videos are publicly available on the Say It Out Loud website, were they have been watched and shared thousands of times, and feature in Navigating Disclosures, a workshop designed by the Say It Out Loud team to better support community members in responding to disclosures with care and confidence.