My panel on video production for nonprofits, titled “How to Create On-screen Magic in Your Fundraising Videos,” at the 2019 Classy Collaborative turned out great. I moderated as my panel-mates, Martin Quessenberry, Daniel Lovering, and Susan Hughes shared insights about video production — when to use it, when not to use it, how to hire creatives, how to tell a compelling story, and more — from their perspectives.

Marty, who is director of digital projects and innovation at Shriners Hospitals, had much to say about how to deploy video across multiple platforms (web, fundraising, social media, and more). Meanwhile, Susan, who is senior director of communications at Thread, discussed using video at a smaller organization with fewer resources. And Dan, who is a documentary filmmaker, and I discussed the production process, storytelling basics, and other nuts and bolts of working with creatives.

Want to learn more? I created a handy Google Doc that walks through many of the details of our discussion.

We’re delighted to have a new member of the team. Mollie Davis comes to us with a strong background in motion graphics, frame-by-frame animation, and art history. Already, she’s been helping us immensely with storyboarding, motion graphics, and general wonderfulness. Learn more about Mollie at her website.

Mollie graduated with a BFA in Studio Art from Northeastern University in a joint program with the School of Museum of Fine Arts. In her free time she co-organizes events for the local animation community, AniMAtic Boston, and her short film “Ellen” was released online in 2018.

We just wrapped up a video for our new friends at Thread, a Baltimore-based non-profit with an ambitious mission: Help weave a new social fabric by bringing together young people and volunteers to reimagine and reaffirm the notion of family.

Storyboard

Style Frames

A huge thanks to the whole team that worked on this project!

Writer and Creative Director: Joshua Gunn
Art Director and Storyboard: Jennifer Sanchez
Production Coordinator: Kharma Jones
Illustration: Zara Magumyan
Cleanup & Final Animation: Jennifer Sanchez

Learn more about Thread at thread.org.

We’re super passionate about serving educational institutions. So, it was an honor to create a series of educational animated videos for MIT students. The videos, which are part of a complete online edX course, offer students an overview of validity in qualitative research.

We were asked to animate several of the more abstract learning topics, two of which you can watch below.

Descriptive Validity

Test of Descriptive Validity

Check out The full MIT course and see more animated segments on edX.

Want to gain professional experience in a production studio? Planet Nutshell is looking for a stellar intern to join our team.

At Planet Nutshell we’re all about telling great stories and creating animation with impact. We’re looking for someone who wants to learn and assist with our production process, from concept and storyboarding to designs and animation. Under the guidance of our team, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with other designers and animators while honing your artistic skill.

What you need:

• Positive attitude and willingness to learn
• A willingness to look at your own work with a critical eye, listen to feedback, and make changes accordingly
• Availability to commit five hours a day, four days a week for two months.
• You must have basic-level skill with After Effects and Adobe Illustrator, and you must be entering your Junior or Senior year in college.

What we offer:

• A casual and cozy atmosphere in Back Bay Boston, steps from the Orange Line.
• Guidance and mentorship to help you build your portfolio and professional work experience.
• A flexible schedule
• Current students can earn credit, or if you’re just out of school you are eligible, as well.

To apply, please complete the Planet Nutshell Intern Questionnaire here.