Animation director/illustrator Camille Bovey goes deep into the effects of “What Happens to Your Brain Without Any Social Contact?” for TED-Ed in this explainer linking a familiar feeling with a complex human rights issue.

Camille Bovey: “The project was based on the research of psychiatrist Dr. Terry Kupers and explores the psychological effects of solitary confinement, connecting the experience of forced isolation with something many people have felt in more everyday circumstances.
 

“One of the main challenges was visualizing abstract concepts (such as disconnection, time distortion, or mental overload) in a way that was both creative and faithful to the research.”

 
“One of the main challenges was visualizing abstract concepts (such as disconnection, time distortion, or mental overload) in a way that was both creative and faithful to the research. It was also important to represent statistics and visual metaphors clearly and responsibly, without sacrificing emotional depth.

“I experimented with a visual language based on paper textures, folds, and boxes to evoke confinement. I also explored new techniques, like using animated gradients for skin tones, a process that allowed the colors to move independently of the character drawings.”
 

 
 

 
Client: TED‑Ed
Script/research: Dr. Terry Kupers
Script/editorial: TED‑Ed team
Production coordinator: Sazia Afrin

Director/animator: Camille Bovey

Music: Stephen LaRosa
Sound Design/mix: Amanda P. H. Bennett
Narrator: Addison Anderson