Case study · 3D Animation Series
BP Batam Animated Series: A 3D animated series that tells the story of how Batam was built
Two 3D animated episodes explaining Batam's development, from 1971 to the city's next projects
- Client
- BP Batam (Badan Pengusahaan Batam)
- Year
- 2023-2024
- Sector
- Government · Public Communication
A two-episode 3D animated series for BP Batam, the authority that manages the Batam free trade zone. It explains the island's development to the public through characters, maps and real footage, with Indonesian dialogue and English subtitles. Episode 1 was published on BP Batam's official channel in October 2023 and Episode 2 in April 2024.
Context
BP Batam has led the development of Batam since 1971, turning a small island 20 km from Singapore into an industrial and trade hub. Its story covers decades of infrastructure, investment and free trade zone policy, and most of it lives in reports and press releases that ordinary residents, students and visitors rarely read.
The challenge
The agency needed a way to explain a long, technical development story to a broad audience, including young viewers, without turning it into a slide show of statistics. The videos also had to present real projects accurately, from roads and ports to special economic zones, and work for both Indonesian and international viewers.
- Explain policy through characters, not charts
- Mix animation with real footage of real projects
- Reach students and families as well as investors
- Serve Indonesian and English speakers in one video
Approach
How it came together.
- 01
Built the story around two characters
A curious child and a friendly figure who leads BP Batam carry every episode. The child asks the questions a viewer would ask, so each explanation feels like an answer, not a lecture.
- 02
Gave each episode a clear frame
Episode 1 is a tour of today's Batam: its position near Singapore and Malaysia, the agency's history and leaders, roads, industry, the airport, ports, the free trade zone, special economic zones, health, parks and food. Episode 2 uses a 'time dimension' machine on a boat to travel back to 1971 and move era by era to the projects being planned now.
- 03
Combined 3D scenes with real footage
Animated characters stand in front of holographic maps, timeline panels and screens that play real aerial and on-site footage, so viewers see the actual bridges, ports, mosque, airport and industrial estates being described.
- 04
Used maps and timelines to carry the facts
Distances, development eras, leaders and project names appear as glowing map markers and labelled panels, which keeps the information precise without overloading the dialogue.
- 05
Designed for a wide audience
Dialogue is in Indonesian with English subtitles throughout, and each episode closes with a Malay pantun, a local touch that ties the series to the culture of the Riau Islands.
Gallery
Watch the series
Both episodes as published on BP Batam's official YouTube channel.
Episode 1 scenes
A tour of today's Batam: location, the agency's leaders, industry, ports and special economic zones.
Episode 2 scenes
A time-travel boat ride from 1971 through each development era to today's flagship projects.
What was delivered
- Episode 1: Video Animasi Pembangunan Kota Batam
- Episode 2: Video Animasi Pembangunan Batam
- 3D character design
- Holographic map and timeline graphics
- Real footage integration
- Indonesian dialogue with English subtitles
What changed
- BP Batam has a public-friendly way to explain its development story
- The series runs on the agency's official channel and can be reused at events and in schools
- The format can carry new episodes as new projects are completed
