Spring 2015

CT Innovations introduced ATION to SeeClickFix, a company that provides the ability for citizens who find public issues in their local communities to connect directly with the city government. This allows issues to be efficiently dealt with and also creates a medium where the process of the resolution can be well communicated to the citizen. Our task was to create a concise, one minute video for the company that presented the product’s unique benefits on their website, as well as a tool they can use to pitch to city officials. The guideline provided was that they wanted the video to be a mix of live action and animation.

We dove headfirst into this project, as we all went straight into brainstorming the look and feel that we wanted this video to have. We scoured the internet for anything from TV shows or other companies’ marketing videos that met our vision of the project. The team very quickly was able to come to a unified understanding of the tone and feel wanted.

When we pitched our proposals to our clients, we found that we had the luxury of working with youthful invigorated members of the company who were very much on the same page with our plans for video development. They chose their favorite of the three narrative tones that we pitched, and it was time to get to work.

Our video narrative focused on the process of how local governments solve issues in their community. Our focus was on two perspectives, “the user” and “the city”. It begins with the user walking down the street and tripping on a pothole. It takes the viewer through the current model of reporting issues in the community, and highlights the inefficiency and lack of communication. The video then introduces the same exact scenario with the user tripping on a pothole, and then introduces what the reporting model would look like with SeeClickFix implemented, highlighting the improvement on efficiency, as well as citizen satisfaction.

When we began preproduction, our clients wanted to have a very active part in our process. We would come up with the script, and they would write the narration. When we storyboarded out the script, the clients also delivered us a storyboard of how they envisioned it. This dynamic continued into production, as about half of the video was filmed with actors and locations chosen by us, while the other half was filmed with actors and locations they had in mind. We actually found this process extremely desirable and effective. We were able to meet the needs of the client, while still providing our creative and design understanding which they were very open to implement.

Fall 2015

C8 Sciences was introduced to ATION as a part of CT Innovations. Their company created and sells Activate, a computer game that helps children with ADHD improve their concentration, focus, memory, and self-control.  Our main goal for this project was to create a video that reaches out and explains Activate to parents of homeschooled ADHD children.  In addition, we also analyzed C8 Sciences’ website and social media profiles and gave suggestions on how to improve their presence and outreach in the ADHD community.

After discussing with our client about how their product worked and what specifically they were expecting from ATION, we did extensive research into ADHD, the homeschooling system, and different ADHD forums and thought-leading organizations. We used this research to create different personas of those who would benefit from purchasing Activate.

With our client’s approval, we started ideating the different styles and narratives that the video could embody. After much deliberation with our client, we decided on an animated video that utilized kinetic typography elements.  The script revolved around our narrative that focused on how our persona, Carol, bought Activate for her son and how it has improved his focus and memory, thus improving how he was performing in his schoolwork. Lastly, we created all graphics in Adobe Illustrator that we later brought into Adobe After Effects to animate and bring the story together.  

Spring 2015

Our ATION team was tasked with creating a video to be used for marketing PCC’s Cenuity Business One Stop software to state officials. Cenuity Business One Stop is a software platform that allows business owners to communicate with state and federal agencies, easing the process of running a business.

The driving factor behind many of our creative decisions was the ultimate target audience: Secretaries of State. The video’s purpose is to focus on the benefits Cenuity Business One Stop offers and how they facilitate overall business processes.

Our script was directed by two main ideas: that businesses are good, and they are difficult to start. Analyzing the specific benefits of the Business One Stop software, we created video segments highlighting the software’s features. Once we finished a preliminary draft of the script, we sent it to PCC for feedback and made changes accordingly. The finalized script was sent to our selected voiceover artist.

The next step in the process was to film and animate the video. Our live-action scenes highlight the desktop and mobile applications included in the Business One Stop software. The animation portion of the video was designed to portray the features of the One Stop software while adhering to PCC’s brand identity. For instance, incorporating a blue-centric color palette and aiming for more polished animation styles.

Every aspect of the video production process, from selecting voice talent to the animation style was chosen with respect to the audience. Ultimately, we produced a quick video that effectively and elegantly summarized the benefits of PCC’s Cenuity Business One Stop software to our target.