4/14/09 Update - Check out the early feedback from the CEO of Goodwill, the former CEO of the Gates Foundation, and Obama’s statewide Field Director!
The Los Angeles Parents Union contacted me to help them launch the Parent Revolution, a grass-roots campaign to transform the schools of Los Angeles within 3 years.
To jumpstart the campaign, LAPU wanted an online video that would get the message out to parents and start to spread virally. Working closely with LAPU, I decided that the video needed to incorporate the following strategy:
Purpose - To engage parents on both logical and emotional levels, ultimately inspiring them to: learn more, sign up for, and become further involved with the Parent Revolution.
Target Demographic - Los Angeles parents with children currently attending the LAUSD.
The video needed to be:
1) Accessible - LAPU’s complex and detailed strategy needed to be explained in a clear, easily digestible message.
2) In-Depth - The message also needed to be detailed enough to convince parents that this campaign had a viable plan and was a legitimate effort to reform education.
3) Emotional - Parents needed to connect with the message on an emotional level, to realize that this movement would directly affect their own children.
4) Shareable - To facilitate viral sharing between parents, the message needed to be presented creatively, stay under 3 minutes, and emphasize immediate action.
So with all that in mind, I decided to go with the ‘whiteboard and words’ approach, being heavily influenced by numerous dynamic typography videos online. Since the Parent Revolution needed a lot of explanation, I thought, what better tool than a classroom whiteboard to easily guide the audience?
I loved the idea of taking dynamic typography, which is always done digitally, and bringing it into the physical word. So I worked with artist Kassie Funcell, who brought a distinct hand-drawn approach, while simultaneously writing the script to make sure the visuals and the message were developed hand-in-hand.
I also felt it was crucial to have the visuals perfectly synced with the music, so I worked closely with composer Will Lam who created a custom-fit soundtrack in which every note matched the words and emotions being shown onscreen.
And after a month of intense preparation, a hectic 12-hour shoot, and a few long weeks of editing and motion graphics work, the video is done and ready to go. I hope you guys like it, and most importantly, I hope the parents of Los Angeles do.
Client: Los Angeles Parents Union
Title: ‘Parent Revolution’
Length: 2:57
Director/Writer/Editor: Chris Yi
Cinematographer: Matt Bass
Crew: Britt Brzoza, Kassie Funcell
Art Director: Kassie Funcell
Composer: Will Lam
The Parent Revolution is getting early feedback (from some awesome people) | Chris Jaemin Yi
April 14th, 2009
[...] FEATURED PROJECT: Parent Revolution +viral video [...]
James
April 14th, 2009
That’s a wonderful looking and wonderfully executed video.
Lee LeFever
April 14th, 2009
Really great whitebord-based video! I love the dynamic typography drawing effect. Wondering to myself if it was done by erasing and playing it backwards.
Sharon Elin
April 14th, 2009
Simple but engaging. I’d like to see a demonstration of how the animation was accomplished. It was filmed so smoothly as if an invisible hand was writing.
Darren
April 14th, 2009
Can I ask how you achieved that flowing whiteboard marker-without-the-marker effect?
Christian Nally
April 14th, 2009
Love the video… must be the ‘erase bits of line and play backwards’ trick.
Peter Men
April 14th, 2009
Wow, Chris, that was amazing. You surly are growing as an artist. When are you gonna apply that talent into a short film?
Jarell Perry
April 18th, 2009
well done, Chris. inspirational.
Jaemin Yi
April 18th, 2009
Hey guys, thank you all so much for the feedback!
So the way I did the marker effect was pretty tedious and took me a while, but I did it all in post with After Effects. Due to limited studio time, we just shot the whiteboards with the finished drawings on them and then I spent 3 straight weeks in After Effects, going nearly frame by frame and covering up the marker with white. It took a while, but it ended up looking pretty nice so I guess I can’t complain there haha.
@Peter, I’m actually writing a few shorts right now! Things are getting super busy on the freelancing end so it’s been hard to find time, but I try to squeeze in at least 10 min. of writing every night. I’m not gonna go into production until I have a script I’m really proud of, so hopefully that won’t take all year
The Parent Revolution is getting early feedback (from some awesome people) | Jaemin Yi
May 12th, 2009
[...] FEATURED PROJECT: Parent Revolution +viral video [...]
David Lopez
July 9th, 2009
Loved the commercial. Would love to see more of your work. It’s really inspirational to other filmmakers such as myself.
I tend to lack the advertising creativity sometimes
Yeyen
August 31st, 2009
great video Chris! you know I always love your work!!