Storytelling

Zendesk Helpers

I always love it when a company decides to use a different marketing approach to subtly promote who they are. I recently discovered that CRM software manufacturer Zendesk has started producing a series of documentary shorts that have nothing to do with Zendesk. I came across the videos on Vimeo while actually looking for something related to their product and then discovered the link to Zendesk Helpers a microsite which has the purpose of being helpful and encouraging, and a little bit of software promotion.

One of the things that I love about the site and the videos, is the high quality production value that is presented. Especially the videos. These are not shoot it on your iPhone and edit in iMovie (although I have seen some videos done that way that look really amazing). All of these have a fairly large production crew and it shows.

Beyond the production however, is the quality of the content itself. Each video left me feeling good about humanity, something we all need these days. As of February there were a total of 5 video stories available on the microsite. I’m hoping they are in the process of producing even more, because these are great.

We set out to look for helpfulness in the world and were amazed at the stories we found. Because being helpful might sound simple, but it’s actually badass.
Zen Desk Helpers

Evermind Your Stress and Sleep Better with Device

Evermind is a science based approach to wellbeing for iOS and Android devices. It looks at things like stress and sleep deprivation and how they impact your mental health and physical wellbeing.

Usually when a company is promoting something like what Evermind provides they turn to typical visual strategies where you show a stressed out individual and the factors that got them to that point. Evermind took a different approach.

Teaming up with Device they created a storyline that uses abstract visuals and animation, paired with a calm voice over and some subtle sound design. The result is really, really well done, and very engaging. Both videos below held my attention and left me intrigued and wondering more about Evermind – which is exactly what they were supposed to do.

Acting as the main character in the story, the white sphere introduces us to the main causes of stress in working environments. Performing as the individual in society, our protagonist explains us the app’s main goal: overcoming stress by managing the factors which usually provoke it, the “stressors” (read: tight deadlines, excessive self-demand, traffic jams…). Travelling around a highly abstract universe, the white ball progressively collides with the “stressors”, identified with an anguishing curved-texture, the ones which block our protagonist’s movement and harm its inner balance. Depicting only synthetic shapes along with a colourful and warm graphic style, the story aims to symbolically convey the benefits that some specific stress-tackling techniques can bring to increase the individuals’ wellbeing.
From Device

The Time Shop for Chick-Fil-A

I’m probably going to be the odd man out here, but I’m not a fan of Chick-Fil-A. Not for politically correct reasons. I simply don’t like their fast food. Now, with that said it doesn’t mean the don’t have some great advertising. Marie Hyon, of Psyop has pulled out all the stops in her latest work for the chicken chain crafting “The Time Shop” which extends the message of “Together Time” that McCann put together for Chick-Fil-A this holiday season.

This is such a great example of excellent copy/script writing, high production value animation, and a well thought out concept being brought to fruition for the holiday season. The video below is the full two minute online version of the piece. I haven’t seen the 60, 30, and 15 edits. It’ll be interesting to see how they maintain the storyline through the broadcast versions, especially the 15 second cut.

Director: Marie Hyon
Executive Producer: Justin Booth-Clibborn
Senior Producer: Suzie Cimato
Assistant Producer: Simone Miller
Designer: Victorior Wanchana Intrasombat, Pedro Lavin, Samantha Ballardini, Felipe Hansen, Robin Joseph, Andrew Serkin, Dionisius Bangun, Marie Hyon
Storyboard Artist: Ben Chan
Lead Technical Director: Briana Franceschini
Previz Artist: Pat Porter, Nick Dubois, Doug Litos,
Modeler: Eric Cunha, David Soto,Anne Yang, Ieva Callender, Briana Franceschini, Brian Kim, Chris Santoianni, Pedro Conti, Kevin Ferrara, Ryan Kirkwood, Casey Reuter, Krista Albert
Additional Modeling: Aldrich Torres, Nitesh Nagda, Leonstudio, Basilic Fly
Look Dev/Lighter: Ieva Callender, Briana Franceschini, Matthias Bauerle, Eric Cunha, Brian Kim, Thao Dan Nguyen Phan, Anne Yang, Kwan Au, Susie Hong
Lead Animator: Pat Porter
3D Animator: Nick Dubois, Doug Litos
Lead Rigger: Zed Bennett
Rigger: Ohad Bracha, Daishi Takishima
Groom FX: Eric Cunha, Ieva Callender, Briana Franceschini, Chris Santoianni
VFX: Eban Byrne
Cloth/Hair Sim: Jordan Harvey, Scott Hubbard, Daishi Takishima
2D Lead: Matthias Bauerle
Compositor: Aaron Baker, Matthias Bauerle, Herculano Fernandes, Manu Gaulot, Lane Jolly, Tingting Li, Carl Mok
Compositor Assistant: Keigo Tanaka
Matte Painter: Felipe Hansen, Pedro Lavin, Marie Hyon
Editor: Loren Christiansen

Giant Ant for the “On Being” Podcast

One of my regular podcast listens is On Being and I have been listening quite a bit more in the last 6 months for a number of reasons I’m not going to go into here. If you have some free time give it a listen, I guarantee it’ll be worth your time.

Recently Giant Ant, one of my favorite motion graphics/video/design firms was given the opportunity to put together a short animated piece for On Being and results are wonderful.

Giant Ant was given a wide open brief to work with so they had plenty of room to explore and take some risks. What they produced is a 44 second animated short that moves from illustrative to abstract and back again balanced against O’Donohue’s narration. It’s really quite lovely and frankly, I’d love to see something like this done for the entire length of the podcast. (I know time and money…)