When it comes to crafting a compelling story, it’s easy to focus on the words — what are we saying to deliver this message effectively? But being in the animation business, we know what’s being seen is just as important as what’s being said, and choosing the right illustration style is a crucial part of every production here at Planet Nutshell.

Here are a few questions we ask ourselves and our clients to make sure we always land on the right one:

1. What existing brand elements can we work with? 

If clients come to us with an existing brand (think: logo, brand colors, etc.) we definitely want to use that as a starting point so our work can exist harmoniously alongside any other creative work that may have been done. 

Sometimes, though, our clients aren’t quite there yet. And that’s no problem! We can help anyone find the right visual language for their video. Firstly, we think about the type of marketing we’re being asked to do and the audience we’re looking to connect with: B2B vs consumers, industry experts vs everyday folks. From there, we move on to:

2. What is the subject matter, and what’s the tone?

General design and illustration style are often dictated by what we’re talking about and what we want people to feel. 

If we’re talking about a life science company’s latest drug discovery platform and want to evoke a high-end feel, we may opt for a general design that’s sleek, minimal and modern. If we are explaining something that can’t actually be seen — like the infrastructure of an IT network — we may opt for a design style that’s more abstract. And if we are hoping to get kids excited about learning, we might skew the overall design more whimsical. 

3. How much (or how little) character is appropriate?

Most stories are about people, and people connect with other people. Meaning character design plays a huge role in helping your audience connect with your overall message. And while illustration style informs character design, it doesn’t decide it outright. There are still a few details to parse out. 

How representational should the characters be? If you want to speak to a wider group of people demographically, that’s a good reason to consider less representational characters. But if you are looking to speak to a highly targeted, very specific group of people, or if diversity is important to your message, there’s a stronger case to go representational. 

But what if you don’t want your audience to focus on the characters but on other elements within the scene? What if you’re one of those stories that isn’t about people, necessarily, but about the larger environment or a scientific process? In those instances, we consider how emotive we want our characters to be. Do they express a little or a lot? And how does each enhance or detract from our overall message?

4. What is the role of color?

Colors can be used to convey all kinds of nuanced emotions. Red can convey anger or passion. Orange is often associated with fun. Yellow can depict illness or caution. Blue can mean calm or sadness. 

But that’s just scratching the surface. The same colors can feel different depending on the hue or the saturation level. For example, if everything is bright and super saturated, the piece has a super energetic, juvenile feel. But if you mute those same colors, the piece suddenly feels more subdued and mature. 

But that’s STILL not all. Color tones can play a huge role as well! Cooler tones tend to feel sleek, modern, and in some cases, sterile (which may or may not be a good thing). Warmer tones skew a bit more cozy and sincere. 

While illustration is a lot of fun, it’s certainly not all fun and games. At Planet Nutshell, we take it very seriously because we know, when done right, it is one of the most effective storytelling tools there is. 

We love it when our friends at WGBH, the local PBS station, come to us with a project, and their latest was a doozy… in the best way possible. They asked us to help them localize 60 (as in 6-0) short science videos to Spanish.

What is localization? It’s when you dub, subtitle, and reanimate the onscreen text of an existing video into another language. It was a big job, to say the least, but as always, we were up for the challenge, especially since it meant we not only got to work with WGBH, but with NASA(!), who is funding this initiative as part of the Bringing the Universe to America’s Classrooms program. Plus we got to brush up on our Spanish while learning some really cool science. We call that a win-win-win-win.

With so many videos to keep track of, we knew the key to success would be setting up a clever production pipeline right from the jump. Here’s how we did it: 

Step 1: Script Translation

The client provided us with time-coded scripts for all of the episodes in English. We then filled in the corresponding Spanish. This process depended on the commenting feature in Google Docs so everyone could weigh in on the edits and approvals.

Step 2: Voiceover

The second step, recording the new Spanish voiceover, actually was made of several sub-steps. Firstly, casting the right voice. Or rather, the right voices, seeing as we had to cast for over 100 voice parts across the 60 videos. Luckily, a talented group of 10 voice actors were able to read for all 100 parts. Next came the actual recording. Since we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we made sure to cast talent that has their own home recording studios. We edited the voiceovers in Premiere, roughly timing them out with the videos with the English voiceovers as a guide. After that, we uploaded the voiceovers to Vimeo Review so the client could make timecode specific notes and request voiceover pickups. Once the client approved the pickups, we could move onto editing.

Step 3: Editing

With the approved voiceovers in hand, we dove back into Premiere to sync the Spanish voiceover with the English video footage. This involved a lot of tweaking as the Spanish voiceover would frequently be shorter or longer than the English voiceover. To make it sync, we’d cut or slow down footage as needed. With the synced audio and tweaked video, we could layer on the music and sound effects and send the videos along for client approval.

Step 4: Text on Screen

Armed with a time-coded list of English text on screen in English as well as its Spanish translation, we opened up the footage in After Effects to mask and replace that English text with Spanish. To accomplish this required a lot of creative problem solving, figuring out the best ways to match existing texts, fonts, movements, colors and textures. Thanks to the wonder that is Adobe, our After Effects files linked directly back into Premiere for a seamless import of new Spanish graphics over the existing video.

Step 5: Video Client Review

We exported the full videos (with the brand-new, totally synced Spanish voiceover… and music… and sound effects… and shiny new Spanish text-on-screen… ) and posted to Vimeo Review so the client could again provide timecode specific notes. Then we made any necessary changes and locked the video!

Step 6: Subtitles & Captions

To ensure accessibility for all students, we used the final scripts and final videos to create the subtitle and caption files. We quality checked them in VLC and sent them along for client approval.

Step 7: Final Delivery

It took 6 months of hard and careful work, but we were able to provide the Client with the final videos localized to Spanish, along with the subtitle and caption files. And of course, the PN team (remotely) celebrated a job well done.

Here is one of our favorites, Himalayan Earthquake: Future Earthquake Potential. Just click on the link and it will bring you to the PBS Learning Media page. Toggle from English to Spanish and enjoy!

Media Credits:

Excerpted from NOVA: Himalayan Megaquake.

Third Party Materials: AP Archive, Paul Devaney, ESRI World Imagery, Getty Images, ITN Source, Kathmandu Today, Daniel Lins, NBC Universal, Nepal Police, Newsflare, Pond5, Kishor Rana, RYOT News, Storyful, Teton Gravity Research, Viral Hog. © 2016 Educational Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

Source: NOVA | Himalayan Megaquake. Visit the program page here.

We’re happy to welcome our fall intern to the team and are excited to have him on our planet. We can’t wait to see what he creates!

Hi! My name is Sean Harman and I am a recent graduate of Ringling College of Art and Design with a BFA in Motion Design. I enjoy creating 3D and 2D animations with Cinema 4D and After Effects. Besides design I also enjoy art history, record collecting, cooking, and anything related to the ocean. When I am not in the studio or in font of my computer you can find me training for half marathons, sailing, or dancing.

This July 4th, we need each other more than ever. The fights for public health and racial, social and economic equality can’t be won alone. So instead of Independence Day, this year, let’s celebrate Interdependence Day, and take a moment to acknowledge the ways we can further support each other and work to improve not just individual lives, but entire societies.

We have compiled a list of groups and organizations we believe are promoting a positive, interconnected and just world. We will continue to update this page in the coming weeks and months. So please, if there are resources we missed that you think should be included, let us know.

Black Lives Matter

These groups provide tangible ways to help advance the movement, including amplifying the demands of the movement, letter writing, talking to your loved ones about racism, boycotts/being smarter with your wallet, joining an organization, signing petitions, educating yourself and taking political action.

Black Lives Matter – “#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.”

Black Lives Matter – A guide to Allyship.

Poor People’s Campaign – “In 1968, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and many others called for a “revolution of values” in America. They sought to build a broad, fusion movement that could unite poor and impacted communities across the country. Their name was a direct cry from the underside of history: The Poor People’s Campaign. Today, the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival has picked up this unfinished work. From Alaska to Arkansas, the Bronx to the border, people are coming together to confront the interlocking evils of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism and the war economy, and the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism. We understand that as a nation we are at a critical juncture — that we need a movement that will shift the moral narrative, impact policies and elections at every level of government, and build lasting power for poor and impacted people.”

Demanding Justice List – A list of petitions and places to donate, call and email to demand justice.

Anti-Racism Resource List – “This document is intended to serve as a resource to white people and parents to deepen our anti-racism work. If you haven’t engaged in anti-racism work in the past, start now. Feel free to circulate this document on social media and with your friends, family, and colleagues.”

New York Times – Anti-Racism Reading List – “Ibram X. Kendi on books to help America transcend its racist heritage.”

GLAD – Racial justice resources from the Legal Advocates and Defenders for LGBTQ+ rights.

Letters For Black Lives – “Letters for Black Lives is a set of crowdsourced, multilingual, and culturally-aware resources aimed at creating a space for open and honest conversations about racial justice, police violence, and anti-Blackness in our families and communities. We began as a group of Asian Americans and Canadians writing an intergenerational letter to voice our concerns and support for the Black community. We have since grown to include other immigrant groups and communities of color. Our goal is to listen, support, and amplify the message of Black Lives Matter within our communities. We encourage people from all communities to adapt and build off of these resources.”

Protest Safety Guide – Tips for protesting safely by Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County including COVID-19 precautions and other physical and emotional safety, privacy, filming tips, police interaction, community support and group dynamics.

Protest Resources – “As a protester participating in direct action during COVID-19, how can you help to ensure that you don’t spread the virus to vulnerable communities? And mutually, how can the chronically ill/disabled community aid you from home? COVID-19 has forced us all to face the systems that were designed to fail us. Now we must protect each other from not only the virus, but the system as well. In this document we have attempted to collect resources that will help not only those participating in direct action, but also those who cannot participate in direct action, including the disabled and chronically ill community, as well as those who are unable to for any other reason.”

Mapping Police Violence – A dynamic and powerful map showing locations of police violence in the USA in 2019 and updates for 2020, as well as some staggering statistics and ways to get involved.

National Lawyer’s Guild – “For 80 years, the National Lawyers Guild has led the fight to protect the people’s rights. By helping [donating to] the Guild, you directly aid our legal support in labor struggles, international rights monitoring, mass defense of political speech, rebuffing attacks on immigrants, women, people of color, LGBTQ persons, prisoners, and others facing government and institutional oppression.”

Support Black-Owned Businesses – A list of 181 Black-owned businesses across the United States in many different categories.

10 Reasons You Should Support Black Lives Matter – Why we need to support the Black Lives Matter movement and how to get involved from DNA Weekly.

COVID-19

Doctors Without Borders – “An independent, global movement providing lifesaving medical humanitarian care where it’s needed most– independent, neutral, impartial.”

Charity Navigator – “Highly-rated nonprofits providing relief and recovery to communities impacted by the pandemic.”

New York Times – How You Can Help Victims of the Coronavirus Pandemic – “From charities that support children to organizations that feed families, there is no shortage of ways to get involved.”

Oxfam – “Oxfam is working with partners in nearly 50 countries and here in the US to meet the needs of those who are suffering the worst impacts from the Coronavirus crisis.”

Mutual Aid – “Across the country Americans are organizing Mutual Aid Networks to support their neighbors in need. Find community support efforts near you.”

World Health Organization – When and how to use masks.

Direct Relief – “Direct Relief is working in overdrive to get protective gear and critical care medications to as many health workers as possible, as quickly as possible, with emergency deliveries leaving daily for medical facilities across the U.S. Since January, Direct Relief has delivered more than 6 million N95 and surgical masks, more than 2 million gloves, and tens of thousands of protective suits and other items to help safeguard health workers. Direct Relief is coordinating with public health authorities, nonprofit organizations and businesses in the U.S. and globally to provide personal protective equipment and essential medical items to health workers responding to coronavirus (COVID-19).”

Bankrate – Learn how to donate towards humanitarian efforts, coronavirus relief and charitable organizations, especially during the holiday season, including donating credit card rewards as well as other options for giving back.

Facts about Face Masks – Answers to some of the most common questions about face masks and face protection. 

Voting

For this category, AltaMed.org says it best: “Help make a difference in your community, our country, and the world. Elections have consequences and voting is your chance to stand up for the issues you care about. Not voting is giving up your voice. Voting is your chance to choose how your tax dollars are spent. Some in our communities may not know how important voting is, while others don’t have the privilege. Make the decision to vote for yourself and those around you. Make your voice heard in these elections.”

Register to vote here, or here, or here!

Volunteer as a Poll Worker

Team Blue – “Take action. The way we win is by organizing. The place we start is right here. Explore our centralized hub for grassroots volunteer opportunities to take action on your own time.”

Indivisible – “We’re a grassroots movement of thousands of local Indivisible groups with a mission to elect progressive leaders, rebuild our democracy, and defeat the Trump agenda.”

Swing Left – “Find effective ways to help defeat Trump and the GOP in 2020.”

Vote Forward – Vote Forward volunteers send heartfelt handwritten letters to unregistered and low-propensity voters encouraging them to participate in our democracy. The letters have been shown to significantly boost voter turnout.

When We All Vote – “When We All Vote is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization that is on a mission to increase participation in every election and close the race and age voting gap by changing the culture around voting, harnessing grassroots energy, and through strategic partnerships to reach every American. Launched in 2018 by co-chairs Michelle Obama, Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monae, Chris Paul, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, When We All Vote is changing the culture around voting using a data-driven and multifaceted approach to increase participation in elections.”

Fair Fight – “Fair Fight Action engages in voter mobilization and education activities [especially among voters of color and young voters] and advocates for progressive issues; in addition Fair Fight Action has mounted significant programs to combat voter suppression in Georgia and nationally.”

All On The Line – “All On The Line is a national campaign to restore fairness to our democracy and ensure every American has an equal say in our government. Whether you care about making sure everyone has access to quality, affordable health care, achieving equal pay, reducing the gun violence that plagues our schools and communities, protecting voting rights, or dealing with the urgent threat of climate change, there is a fundamental structural barrier that prevents progress: manipulated electoral maps drawn with surgical precision by politicians to preserve their party’s political power and silence the will of the people. This practice—gerrymandering—is when politicians pick their voters instead of voters picking their elected officials and it impacts communities across the nation. The All On The Line campaign will fight against gerrymandering and push for fair maps in the next round of redistricting.”

LGBTQ

GLAD – “Through strategic litigation, public policy advocacy, and education, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders works in New England and nationally to create a just society free of discrimination based on gender identity and expression, HIV status, and sexual orientation.”

Out & Equal – “Out & Equal is the premier organization working exclusively on LGBTQ workplace equality. Through our worldwide programs, Fortune 500 partnerships and our annual Workplace Summit conference, we help LGBTQ people thrive and support organizations creating a culture of belonging for all.”

Lambda Legal – “Founded in 1973, Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest national legal organization whose mission is to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, we do not charge our clients for legal representation or advocacy, and we receive no government funding. We depend on contributions from supporters around the country.”

Transgender Law Center – “Transgender Law Center changes law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression. Transgender Law Center (TLC) is the largest national trans-led organization advocating for a world in which all people are free to define themselves and their futures. Grounded in legal expertise and committed to racial justice, TLC employs a variety of community-driven strategies to keep transgender and gender nonconforming people alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation.”

The Trevor Project – “Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.”

Trans Lifeline – “Trans Lifeline is a trans-led grassroots hotline organization that connects trans people to the community, support, and resources they need to survive and thrive by offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis. Trans Lifeline is the only service in the country in which all operators are transgender.”GLSEN – “GLSEN works to ensure that LGBTQ students are able to learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment. Together, we can transform our nation’s K-12 schools into the safe and affirming environment all youth deserve.”