I just recently received work from the Sinnwerkstatt in Berlin, Germany. Just to give you a bit of background; 'Werkstatt' means "workshop" in English. And 'Sinn' means "sense" or "meaning." Together it means "workshop of sense or meaning". It is a media production agency that is dedicated to supporting ethical and social organizations. The studio has a list of strict guidelines which determines who and what they want to produce media for. So NGOs, Non-profits, and other social organizations can submit themselves with a project/intent to us and then the Sinnwerkstatt decides together who they want to work for according to these standards. I think it is a really interesting way to do business. It is totally the opposite of what we creatives are used to. Usually it is the big companies that hire smaller ones to do work for them...or a small start-up will hire interns or freelancers...but now the media producer can choose who, in a sense, deserves support. It carries with it an awareness of art's role in society...to show the world as changing.
As someone who works at the Sinnwerkstatt I feel like I actually have an interest in the work that I do. It allows me to come up with fresh new ideas that can make a potential difference in the world around me. Now I can work in a way where I choose who and what I want to support directly....and help to make it better through my creativity.
.
Right now I am doing a 5 minute infomercial for Stiftung Weltbevölkerung (Foundation for the World), an organization dedicated to sexual education and women's liberation in Africa. They want to communicate the problems of sex and population booms due to rape in the countries south of the Sahara. I feel like it is an interesting project that is worth sharing with you.
In the post you will see a plant with three leaves which symbolizes the youth of the nation. The plant grows throughout the video to show that the youth can flourish if under the right conditions.
I have posted some storyboard ideas for the animation video to show. I have here some sketches, style sheets, and also some final storyboards. This is so you can see the process of what it takes to create such an animation. I alone am responsible for the look, feel, concept, action, and timing of the short film....from visual design and illustration to motion graphics and animation.
 |
| The short animation will use the growth of a plant as a symbol for the youth of Africa. If we nourish and cater to their needs then they can flourish in their own beautiful way. |
 |
| Page 1 Icons |
 |
| Page 2 Icons |
These icons will be used to visually communicate key points throughout the video describing the current conditions of Africa's young population and solutions to be offered regarding education and potential future.
 |
| This cute little plant will be the holder of information which will later blossom flowers! |
 |
| Here is a style sheet for the colors and mood proposal. In the end, the 4th image suited best. |
 |
| "Sense" |
And here are some storyboards for the beginning sequence.
 |
This is the proposed ending logo sequence which zooms out of a garden scene with a woman and her child playing under the tree. |
 |
| When there is an idea which is difficult to communicate than it is important to illustrate many different options to find what is best. |
 |
| Some of them turn out morbid...some of them turn out cute! All is ok for the process! |
I hope this post can give you an idea of the project nicely. I also hope that this can benefit some people like me who are looking to present themselves in a professional way but still do work they love.
Have a great life!
Remember this.
"In a decaying society, art, if it is truthful, must also reflect decay. And unless it wants to break faith with its social function, art must show the world as changeable. And help to change it."