(click on CC for English subtitles)
Frag den Staat (Ask the State) is a website for submitting, tracking and archiving Freedom Of Information requests in Germany- making it easier and more efficient for citizens to ask their public authorities for information.
Software:
Animated with Synfig, a vector-based 2D Free Software program. Initial vector illustrations were created in Inkscape, the video was assembled in Kdenlive, and audio was mixed in Audacity.
The project files are open source, available under a Creative Commons Attribution license, so that any other Freedom of Information site (such as those run on Alaveteli or FROIDE) can adapt, remix and improve the video for their own language and location.
Fork the project on Gitlab!

Example scene adapted to a British context – with colors adjusted to fit the palette of the site ‘WhatDoTheyKnow‘ and text, logos etc adapted to a British context.

Hungarian version – soon to be launched on KiMitTud – ‘inside government’ scene

Hungarian Version – Browser scene
Credits & Attribution
Video
CC-BY Open Knowledge Foundation Deutschland e.V
Concept, Illustration & Animation:
Sam Muirhead | @cameralibre
Additional Illustration:
Judith Carnaby | @judithcarnaby
Text:
Maria Reimer | @malienamadrina
Stefan Wehrmeyer | @stefanwehrmeyer
Stimme & Aufnahme / Voiceover & recording:
Fiona Krakenbürger | @arduina
Music:
XXV CC-BY Broke For Free | @brokeforfree
Toneffekte/Sound Effects:
The following sound effects can be found on FreeSound.org, a community of audio enthusiasts who create, share and remix sounds – the majority of these sounds are available under libre licenses such as Creative Commons Attribution, Attribution ShareAlike or the ‘no rights reserved’ public domain mark, CC0.
Check out the artists’ other sounds, or consider contributing yourself!
Sounds used under Creative Commons Attribution:
letter-box.flac CC-BY qubodup
peugot-206-car-exterior-engine-stationary-horn-claxon-reverb.wav CC-BY jorickhoofd
spring-door-stop.wav CC-BY liamq
deep-air-woosh.wav CC-BY cosmicmembers
whoosh.wav CC-BY ztrees1
envelope-handling-rustle-vtkproductions.wav CC-BY vtkproductions-com
chev-350-start-then-die.wav CC-BY lonemonk
flashlight-switch.wav CC-BY jesabat
stickwhoosh.wav CC-BY plingativator
vent-wind-1.wav CC-BY glaneur-de-sons
writing-with-pen.aif CC-BY jasonelrod
clock-fastticking.wav CC-BY firefreak
scanner-5.wav CC-BY the-bizness
woosh-02.wav CC-BY glaneur-de-sons
t-driveby-backin.mp3 CC-BY roscoetoon
Sounds used under Creative Commons Zero :
mouse-clicks.wav CC0 joebro10
swish5.wav CC0 alienxxx
rolling-office-chair.wav CC0 alpanaytekin
woosh slide-in 2(longer).wav CC0 xdwx
letter-box.mp3 CC-BY taira komori
demo-berlin.flac CC0 nikitralala
wien-demo.wav CC0 nikitralala
worn-engine-revving.flac CC0 kevaaq
engine-crank-and-start.wav CC0 chazznf
female-voice-cartoon-huh-question-aham.aiff CC0 andrutzab
letterbox-clang.mp3 CC0 jackdeb
engine-subaru-forester-1989.wav CC0 mario1298
sliding-doors.wav CC0 swagmuffinplus
ding-ding-small-bell.wav CC0 johnsonbrandediting
backfire.ogg CC0 ceebfrack
072510-distant-cheer.wav CC0 sagetyrtle
newspaper-9.wav CC0 waterboy920
three-passenger-jets-depart.wav CC0 digifishmusic
sliding-paper-on-table.wav CC0 123jorre456
dropping-and-sliding-paper.wav CC0 123jorre456
paper.wav CC0 stijn