In Fall 2014 MDes/MPS CD Studio, Professor Stacie Rohrbach challenged students to clearly explain a topic that is often abstract and difficult to grasp using visuals, sound, and motion. After understanding a topic of their choosing, students worked to convey their discoveries to others as a designed story that is concise, concrete, and cohesive. In this piece, Lorraine Shim brings clarity to the scientific process that creates the Aurora Borealis.

In the Fall 2014 Time Motion & Communication class, instructor Dan Boyarski asks students to create a video using a piece of music, and visualize its rhythm and its mood.

Created in Stacie Rohrbach's Graduate Design Studio I, this project assignment took a complex topic and distilled it into an easy-to-understand 3 minute (or less) video. Andrea Fineman used this project to explore storytelling specifically to teach an audience a complex subject.

I used the project to explore storytelling specially to teach an audience a complex subject. Our assignment was to take something abstract and make it concrete. I was also excited by the chance to learn AfterEffects! And make a cut-paper style project! Two kakpos, one stone.

I started making this video with the intention of talking about why the animals in New Zealand are so unique. But while I was drafting the story, I noticed that I was really interested in the kakapo. Like, really in love with them in fact. The more I learned the more I wanted to share their unique story. While they are wonderful for a myriad of reasons, I decided to focus on their very complicated mating ritual.

Story + Animation: Jacklynn Pham (jacklynn.com)

Narration: James Wagner
2013 | Carnegie Mellon University | School of Design

STEAM
CMU School of Design
Type III 2013

Credits:
Antonio Ono,
Joseph Oak
Kristin Hughes