Social Studies Documentary (FX Networks)

'Social Studies' is a five-part documentary series created and directed by Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Lauren Greenfield for FX Networks. Filmed over the course of a school year in Los Angeles, the series offers an intimate, character-driven exploration of the first generation raised entirely on social media. Greenfield follows a diverse group of teenagers from public and private schools, granting viewers unprecedented access to their lives and, crucially, their phones. When director Lauren Greenfield and Institute Pictures embarked on the groundbreaking FX documentary series Social Studies, they recognized the need for a visual language that could authentically capture the immersive, tech-driven lives of Gen-Z. The series explores the damages and dangers that social media can pose to the children of today's children. To achieve their unique approach to diving into the world of adolescent social media, they approached award-winning creative director Eric Jordan to lead the design and animation of the series’ social media motion graphic sequences and title elements. Greenfield and her team specifically sought out Jordan’s expertise to craft not only the look and feel of the show’s animated assets, but also to establish the overall creative direction for all digital interfaces—spanning phone screens, icons, SMS bubbles, and text conversations—ensuring every detail resonated with the realities of today’s digital youth. Eric helped the director and production team to explore a series of potential conceptual treatments, and then ultimately streamlined and simplified the overall visual language to embody the feeling of social media interfaces and UI screen interaction. Eric helped the director and production team to explore a series of potential conceptual treatment, and then ultimately helped to streamline and simplify the visual language to embody the feeling of social media interfaces and UI screen interaction.

Jordan’s role extended far beyond technical execution. He collaborated closely with Greenfield and the production team on a daily basis for over eighteen months, shaping the animation style, color language, 3D transition effects, and kinetic energy of the series’ visual storytelling. This deep partnership resulted in hundreds of meticulously animated VFX shots, seamlessly woven into over five hours of episodic content. The outcome is a documentary experience where motion graphics don’t just illustrate, but actively narrate the complex interplay between teens’ online and offline worlds—making Social Studies a visually dynamic and culturally resonant series.

LINKS & PRESS Wikipedia: Social Studies (2024 TV series) The Daily Show: Lauren Greenfield - “Social Studies” & Coming of Age in a Social Media World KTLA Lifestyle Television Spot: "Docuseries "Social Studies" Explores Impact of Social Media on Digital Natives" WGN News Television Spot & Interview: "Social Studies" FX Networks: "Social Studies" - The first generation raised on the internet. SHOOT: “Social Studies” Gains Emmy Momentum With Recent Gotham TV Award As The Year’s Breakthrough Nonfiction Series Forbes: The First Generation To Grow Up Documenting Their Lives Online Speak Out In ‘Social Studies’ Los Angeles Times: The disturbing new after-school special that parents of teenagers need to see Variety: FX’s ‘Social Studies’ Is a Devastating Exploration of Teenhood in the Age of Social Media: TV Review Town & Country: How Dangerous is Social Media to Teens? A New Documentary Asks Some L.A. Kids to Explain Chicago Sun Times: 'Social Studies': Teens open up their phones for doc that's often alarming ​​​​​​​ Watch Social Studies on HULU Network