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Daily aims to solve eight-year-old mystery with video launch

A regional daily has produced a video documentary in a bid to solve an eight-year-old mystery.

The Dundee Courier has released the 30-minute film called ‘A Short Walk Home: The Disappearance of Allan Bryant Jnr’, a “deep-dive examination” of how a Fife man came to vanish without trace.

The project has been led by the Courier’s impact investigations reporter Sean O’Neil and videographer Blair Dingwall, with the blessing of Mr Bryant’s family.

They were supported in the investigation by DC Thomson’s Steve Brown and Kenny Smith who filmed and edited the content.

Allan Bryant

Designer Roddie Reid and Group Head of Video Drew Farrell created graphics for the piece while Cheryl Livingstone supported as story designer.

The documentary has also been complemented by a number of stories in print.

It comes after the Courier’s DC Thomson sister title the Aberdeen Press & Journal created its own online documentary called ‘Missing from The Broch: The Disappearance of Shaun Ritchie’, which traced the last hours of another man who also vanished without trace.

Both films were commissioned by Richard Prest, head of content Development for DC Thomson’s news brands.

Richard said: “This type of investigation is another important example of the quality journalism being produced by DC Thomson titles with the aim of helping the communities we serve.

“We are also thankful to the Bryant family for their involvement in this documentary and can only hope it produced one single piece of new evidence that finally gives them the answers they deserve.”

Mark Asquith, head of audio visual for DC Thomson’s news brands, added: “A Short Walk Home is a beautifully shot piece of film that tells a powerful story with compassion and care for Allan Bryant Jnr and his family.

“As the latest documentary from the Audio Visual and Impact team at DC Thomson, I’m proud that it demonstrates how digital journalism is changing the way we reach and support our communities.”