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.

Planet Nutshell seeks a talented 2D Animator/Designer to join our team full time. Founded in 2008, we’re an independent producer of short-form educational and explanatory animation.

Our team focuses on creating purpose-driven media for non-profits, educational broadcasters, technology companies, and healthcare organizations. Recent clients include The World Wildlife Fund, athenahealth, and Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Our ideal candidate will integrate with our team to storyboard, design, animate, and composite work that informs, educates, and inspires. Our work is primarily 2D, but we occasionally work with 3D elements.

Requirements:

Above all, our ideal candidate is highly creative and passionate. Other requirements include:

• Strong interpersonal/communication skills. Must be able to collaborate work with others in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong problem solving skills and the ability to think both conceptually and technically on projects from conception to execution and delivery

• Familiarity with latest trends and techniques in motion design. You’re always looking for the latest approaches, filters, and expressions that help keep our work world-class

• Demonstrated experience in a studio environment or as a freelancer

• Demonstrated ability to consistently meet project deadlines without compromising artistic vision

• Ability to multitask and juggle projects

• Openness to feedback and ability to give and receive constructive criticism

• A background in graphic design and illustration is a plus

Required technical skills:

• Advanced experience in Adobe After Effects

• Adobe Illustrator

• Adobe Animate (Flash!)

Preferred technical skills:

• Adobe Premiere

• Adobe Photoshop

• Maxon Cinema 4D

This is a three month contract position with the potential for a full time position after the initial trial period. Our studio is located in Boston’s Back Bay, steps from the Back Bay T station (commuter rail and subway), and three blocks from the Copley Green Line station.

Please submit your reel, resume, and a brief statement about why you’d be great for this position to jobs (at) planetnutshell (dot) com