Whenever our friends at Kentucky Educational Network (KET) call us with a new project, we know we’re in for a good time. I mean, just look at this music video we did for them back in 2017. Or how about this adorable throwback from 2015?

Their request this time did not disappoint. They wanted our help creating and launching a new web series for late middle and early high schoolers that taught them more about the various forms of art and (hopefully) inspired them to try one of these art forms for themselves. 

We pitched them several concepts, the winner of which was called “Artsville,” a town where anything and everything is possible, and creativity is celebrated each and every day.

The first episode of “Artsville” was all about the elements of dance, and our first challenge came in the scripting phase. KET had actually produced two live action videos on this exact subject in the past, but they wanted something that felt a little more engaging this time around. So not only did we have to condense the information delivered in those two videos — totaling nearly five minutes! — to just 150 words, we had to keep it interesting, digestible and fun. We were able to do this by thinking about how the VO and animation would work in tandem to deliver information through voice and supporting visuals or through visuals alone. 

Storyboard

With the script approved, it was time for storyboards, where we didn’t give the client one round of boards but three. We did this not in spite of the timeline or budget but because of it, making sure every part of a scene was to the client’s liking so we could save them time and money in the final and most labor-intensive phase of the project — animating the dang thing.

Style Frames

For the illustration style, we went with something that felt whimsical and portrayed the magic of our fictional town, while still being appropriate for our slightly older audience of late middle to early high school students.

Animation

And the end result? See for yourself:

Stay tuned for more! We’ve already got two more episodes in the works, and not to give too much away, but one involves dogs. Lots of dogs.

As always, a huge thanks to the team that made this one possible. You know what they say, it takes a planet, er, village.

Creative Director: Joshua Gunn
Scriptwriter: Liz Breen
Art Director: Jennifer Sanchez
Storyboard: Mollie Davis
Production Coordinator: Kharma Jones
Illustration: Ethan Barnowsky
Animation: Mollie Davis
Character Animation: Brad Schwab and Jennifer Sanchez
Sound Design: Taiko Sound

And also a big thanks to our client, KET, for partnering with us yet again. Check out their website — especially if you’re a teacher — because they have amazing resources for learners of all ages.