A report figure may work well on a page that readers can study and fail when placed briefly in a video. The answer is not automatically to enlarge it or add movement. First identify the question the figure answers and the elements needed for a viewer to understand that answer.
Ask the report author to nominate one message for the sequence. If the figure contains several independent messages, consider separate scenes or a link to the full figure. A film cannot give every detail equal emphasis without asking the audience to pause and inspect it.
Preserve the analytical relationship
Before redesigning, list the labels, units, categories and qualifications that carry meaning. Some decorative elements may be removable; an apparently small axis label may be essential. The subject owner should approve the simplified version, not only the finished animation.
Do not redraw a chart from a screenshot if the underlying approved data is available. Ask for the appropriate source file and version. That reduces transcription errors and gives the reviewer a clearer basis for checking the adapted figure.
If the data cannot be supplied, agree a different treatment rather than guessing values from pixels. The film can explain a finding in words or use an approved conceptual illustration when a faithful chart adaptation is not feasible.
Plan the sequence of attention
Decide what appears first, what changes and what stays visible. A viewer may need to understand the categories before seeing the comparison. Revealing every element at once can be overwhelming; revealing elements in an order that changes their apparent relationship can be misleading.
The animation should serve the explanation. A rising bar is not inherently useful if the source is a static comparison rather than change over time. Have the author check whether movement introduces a temporal meaning that the original figure did not contain.
Give the figure enough viewing time
Read the narration while looking at the actual export size. Can the viewer absorb the labels and follow the spoken point together? If not, simplify or extend the sequence rather than merely speaking faster.
Also plan a text or document route for viewers who need the detailed information. The Australian Government Style Manual's video guidance is a useful background reference for matching time-based content to user needs and alternatives.
Hypothetical example
A fictional advisory report contains a multi-panel figure. The first video treatment places the whole page behind the speaker. The revised brief selects the panel relevant to the film's question, preserves its labels and uses a separate scene to explain the qualification.
The full figure remains available in the report. The film does not claim to reproduce every part; it makes one relationship understandable and points to the complete evidence.
Check the adapted figure independently
Review the source figure and final frame side by side. Confirm the data, labels, scale and meaning, then watch the animation for unintended implications. The commissioning worksheet should identify the original version, selected message, retained details, omitted material and approval owner. That makes adaptation a controlled editorial step rather than a decorative redesign.
Discuss the brief
For a proposed project film, contact Live Images with the audience, available evidence and intended use. The production approach and any specialist requirements need an agreed scope.
Source and editorial note
Australian Government Style Manual video and audio guidance provides background context, checked 30 October 2026. The film-planning guidance and hypothetical examples are original editorial analysis, not technical operating instructions or a claim about a completed Live Images project. Prepared with AI assistance.