In 2021, Joshua Miele was selected as one of the MacArthur fellows. Under Reuben Lara’s art direction, I designed and animated this explainer video that showcases Youdescribe. A concept developed by Joshua Miele to aid visually impaired people and give them access to more Youtube videos.

Joshua develops technologies and digital tools to enable the blind and the visually impaired. Learn more about Joshua and watch the full mini-documentary here.

The storyboards aim to create a blueprint for the animation phase. Therefore, basic drawings, callouts, and simple shapes are the simplest way to communicate the idea. If the story works in storyboard format, it’ll work in the final video. The storyboard was incredibly helpful when creating the styleframes.

When building the styleframes, I focus on creating the key moments in the story and building a cohesive world. I start by designing the hero, creating a color palette, and any supporting elements. Lastly, I make animation rigs, so I can freely animate everything.