What is video scribing? Video Doodle or Whiteboard Animation Video

Karin Berg was like teachers the world over – passionate about her students, desperate to give them the attention they deserved, but stretched to her very limits. Then her government in Sweden proposed changes to the education system – changes that would ramp up her workload and strip away what little time she did have. Karin was exhausted. But she was game for a fight. She made a short, quirky video expressing her frustration. A virtual placard. An online grrrr. It was no masterpiece, and Karin could never have guessed where it would take her

In no time, her protest went viral in Sweden. Karin was invited to debate the proposals with the Minister for Education – live on national television. She gave him both barrels.Later, in a 75-minute private meeting, they discussed the changes at length. Karin’s followup video was aimed directly at members of parliament in the Riksdag.You can find Karin’s videos on YouTube.

They are compelling viewing even if you don’t have a word of Swedish.
But why? And how did she make such a splash? What were Karin’s videos?
Not celebrity talking heads, slick slide presentations, or live films with famous actors.They were whiteboard animations.

Have we met before?
Also called scribes or scribed videos, whiteboard animations show images drawn onto a whiteboard before your very eyes. They unfold in sync with a voiceover to communicate your ideas in a clear, linear narrative.
Like cartoons, scribed videos tell a story. Unlike cartoons, they are not animated in the traditional sense and don’t need to be silly or end in a punchline.

Sound familiar?

That’s because you’ve seen them before. In the series finale of Weeds.In 2007, when UPS explained its USP using just a man, a pen and a whiteboard.In a series called RSA
Animate, where inspirational talks were made into scribe videos and went viral.
And on tech blog Mashable, to celebrate Facebook’s tenth birthday.
Karin Berg follows in a long line of audacious scribes, from prehistory to the present day.
Just how far back does scribing go?