For the past two years, we’ve been working with the dedicated folks at Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) on educational resources and training that magnify the impact of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Distressed Cities Technical Assistance (DCTA) Program.

Phew, that was a lot of acronyms, but this three-way collaboration has yielded some work we’re super proud to share.

Our first project was to create an educational video to support the Community Development Block Grant team at HUD. Our goal was to give them a resource that’s effective at scale in helping communities understand how they can take advantage of the Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program.

The concept we presented was to create the fictional “everytown” of Websterville, where Sally, the mayor, and Jorge, the town clerk, explore how they can improve two local properties in need of revitalization.

Discovery and Script

We had a lot to learn about housing policy, local government, and development finance, so research came first. Fortunately, the LISC and HUD teams were incredibly supportive. Our consultations with them resulted in a script that balanced the dense, complex subject matter with some levity and dialog designed to keep viewers engaged.

Storyboard

Once the LISC and HUD teams were happy with the script, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work on shot sequencing. Here’s a look at a small section of the storyboard, which ended up spanning about 70 panels.

Moodboard

To nail down the desired visual language of the project, our art director compiled a moodboard with several potential options. HUD had already produced some animated videos, but we worked with them to raise the production values of previous efforts. Below is the option that was ultimately chosen for production.

Production

Once all of our art assets were produced, we combined motion graphics and character animation to create the world of Websterville and tell an actual human story about the Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program. To date, the video has more than 6,000 views on the HUD Exchange, far outstripping the vast majority of videos living there.

It’s not a stretch to say that the team at HUD was super happy with it. One team member exclaimed, “We are all crazy about the video.”

We’re Just Getting Started

Our work with LISC and HUD is ongoing. We just wrapped a forthcoming, 8-episode series on financial management best practices that takes us back to Websterville. The series focuses on helping small towns get their financial houses in order so they can be better positioned to win grants and funding from HUD. Sally and Jorge have a lot of work to do as they continue their journey to building a stronger community for their constituents!