Sci Notes Educational Series

Across 4 days, we produced a five-part educational video series for the FSU Panama City Stem Institute. This project was funded by the Navy Base and was commissioned to replace a summer STEM camp that was cancelled due to the pandemic. The main inspiration for this series came from Bill Nye the Science Guy, utilizing comedic sound effects and animation to visually demonstrate topics. From the start, we knew that we would need good looking graphics so we enlisted the help of Tallahassee graphic designer, Carly Berry, who came up with a visual identity that created a cohesive look that elevated this project to the next level. We worked closely with the video hosts to create unique scripts for each video and spent countless hours planning and designing the look for the science set. Once production ended, we meticulously edited and created custom animation for each of the shows. The execution of this highly creative project couldn’t have been done without the help of all involved!

Director / Producer:
Vy Nguyen

Assistant Director / DP:
Ethan Caswell

Grip / Cam Op:
Malik Mitchell

Grip / Cam Op:
Ryan Rossy

Swing / Audio:
Phillip Bootsma

Client:
FSU Panama City Stem Institute / Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division

Client Producer:
Ginger Littleton

“Totally professional, very user friendly with a real desire to please and to produce the very best product possible. Vy works very well with both experienced and inexperienced clients. He puts everyone at ease and brings out the very best in everyone. The experience has been totally professional and positive. Getting the final product has been easy and fun!”

– Ginger Littleton

Director of FSU PC Stem Institute

Pre-Production Branding

From the start, we knew that this show would need to have personality and style, and that would need to be achieved through a uniform brand/style guide. We worked with Carly Berry, a talented graphic designer/illustrator based in Tallahassee, FL that helped us bring this show to life. These assets would also be used to guide our animation throughout the series.

Production Set Build Out

This show would need to have a fun and entertaining backdrops if it would be shown to students and so we planned out two different sets. We referenced vintage Bill Nye the science guy episodes and even reached out to set designers in LA for recommendations on how we can take bring this show to the next level with set design. One recommendation we got from Chloe Badner, a production designer from LA, was to source beaker holders so that we could get them into frame. This was invaluable advice that really increased our production value!

View Full Series

Post-Production The Edit

Editing five 30-minute shows full of sound effects and custom animation was no small feat. Post-production for this project took months and required careful coordination between Illustrator, After Effects, and Premiere Pro. This multi-faceted post-production workflow resulted in a robust series of videos that were entertaining and educational. Have you ever seen what five 30-minute shows look like on an editing timeline?