Genexpressions

CLIENT

Substanz Magazin

RESEARCH FIELD

Medicine

TYPE

Animation, Web

YEAR

2015

LINK

→ substanzmagazin.de/krebsgentest/

DESCRIPTION

For years, cancer researchers have known: There are many more types of cancer than we thought. We can recognize tumors at their genetic profile – and find the individual treatment for everyone. For many patients even the chemotherapy can be dispensed. Biotech companies have offered such genetic testing for some years, but the health insurance companies do not paybecause experts, officials and manufacturers argue about whether the new procedures are suitable – and what the test can detect at all. Moralizing at the expense of the patient? The story is about searching for clues among the actors.

This multimedia storytelling was created as part of the Master Class “Future of Science Journalism” of the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Reporter Forum, and published in the digital science magazine Substanz.

CREDITS

Text: Christiane Löll
Chief Editor and Project Management: Georg Dahm

Software: Torben Ratzlaff, Stefan Alexander Wimmer
Voice: Margit Sander
Audio: Fabian Heinitz
Final Editing: Dagny Hildebrandt, Kirsten Milhahn
Video: David Klammer
Cut: Georg Dahm

Photography: Maurice Weiss/Ostkreuz, Stephan Rumpf/SZ Foto/Picture Alliance, Imago/Ipon, Klinikum St. Marien Amberg, David Klammer, Olaf Rößler, Brandon Thibodeaux/The New York/Redux/laif

Interactive Storytelling

The cooperation with science journalists was quite new to us. Also new how diverse and detailed the various aspects of the topic were researched by the journalists. It was quite investigative and gave much suspense to the production and the story. For us it was a perfect combination, because we were able to focus on the appropriate format and aesthetics for this content. It was not so much playing with the latest technical possibilities as to the choice of an authentic medium. So we came to the original audio tracks from the interviews, which characterizes the various protagonists and their positions.

The experience in this new team constellation – scientist, journalist and designer was very inspiring and a perfect base for a high-quality production, as regards to both- content and form. For us this cooperation was an initial experience how to narrate scientific and complex topics exciting as a thriller- interactive storytelling at its best.