Following the ILO Jakarta’s one-minute video competition (Kompetisi Video Semenit/KOVID) to raise awareness on occupational safety and health (OSH) during the pandemic, the ILO’s Enhancing the Prevention of COVID-19 at and through Workplace project is delighted to introduce Meysha Fatmawati, a 24 years-old living in Gresik, East Java, the first winner of KOVID with her animation entry.

How do you come up with the inspiration for the story?

It started from the idea of one of our team members, Wisnu Bayu Aji whose mother is a seller in a traditional market. We acknowledge that occupational safety and health (OSH) principles are barely applied by market vendors due to jostling crowd and lack of cleanliness and hygiene in the area. So, we agree that setting up the story angle at the traditional market would be interesting and unique. It also conveys the message about culture of prevention that would be distinct to other participants who may grasps the story in a white-collar workplace. The story is also quite personal for us.

The video manages to point out the social and economic impact of COVID-19 especially towards informal working-class group, how was the process to produce the video?

As soon as we learned about the competition in December 2021, we formed a team of three including myself, Wisnu and Ulil Fuadah. We split up our tasks as three of us lives in different cities. Wisnu lives in Cilacap, Central Java, Ulil in Blitar and myself in Gresik in East Java. Thus, the pre- to post-production is done virtually.

Prior to story development, we did a brief field research in the traditional market while also educate ourselves about the fundamental principles of OSH. We observed the existed health protocols in the market and discussed with a few vendors about the challenges they faced and aspirations they had in this pandemic to obtain an original perspective and to be used in the campaign.

It took Wisnu, who is in charge for the animation, three weeks to complete the video and another week for Ulil and I to adjust the storyline, voice over and final editing. So, the process of making this video was approximately one month.

Producing an animation video required not only time but also extra efforts and skills, did your team ever compete in a video making competition?

Actually, no. It is our first time joining a video competition and glad we won the first place. This is very special for us and we are so happy to win.

What are you hoping to do next?

While still helping my mother’s business, I am hoping to pursue the world of writing particularly on novel writing.