Video storytelling is essential in sharing the important work of any organization. Below are my favorite Salk videos that I had a role in helping shape creatively. Credits to Aaron Howard, AV Manager (editor) and Mike Jeffs, Multimedia Producer, under the direction of Director of Scientific Communications Kristina Griffantini.
Harnessing Plants Initiative: About
A mix of video, animation, and powerful narration, this video illustrates the scientific theory behind the Salk Institute’s Harnessing Plants Initiative (HPI); a pioneering research effort to increase the capacity of crop plants to absorb carbon from the atmosphere and store it in their roots, helping mitigate the atmospheric carbon imbalance that is causing our planet’s warming. You can learn more about HPI at Salk.edu/harnessing-plants.
TOGETHER
Jonas Salk’s legacy continues today in the hearts and minds of those who follow in his footsteps. This video captures Salk’s bold approach to remedy some of the most challenging problems of our time – be it cancer or climate change - through scientific discovery.
HOPE
Scripted to flow like a poem, this video tops my favorites list. In my view, the best videos create an emotional feeling and connection to a cause (or brand), inspiring the viewer to take action (join, donate, buy). This video captures the spirit of Jonas Salk’s development of the first safe and effective vaccine for polio through a narration and script that is poetic in structure and sound. Credit: Aaron Howard, Salk Institute. (Aaron is a natural storyteller, skilled videographer, narrator, and creator.)
Fruit Flies & Computer Science
The illustrated/animated video below was inspired by an email from a Salk faculty member sharing a research finding involving fruit flies and computers being published to be published in an upcoming scientific journal. Using the email as the video script, I enlisted the faculty member to record the audio for the video. Working with an illustrator, we matched the visual look and feel with the tone and personality conveyed in the script. It was a fun and rewarding collaboration.