Animated environmental messages

Real-world skills contribute to public good

During the Spring of 2020, Bowling Green State University digital arts students produced animated public service announcements for nonprofit organizations that focused on the environment. 

The ARTC 4410 Collaborative Digital Arts Development class taught by Bonnie Mitchell, professor of digital arts in the School of Art invited representatives (clients) from four organizations to lecture on important environmental issues and discuss their organization’s goals. The students brainstormed possible ideas and created storyboards which were sent to the clients for review. The organizations selected the storyboard that would best communicate their message and then the students formed teams and began animating. 

The goal of this class was to teach students real-world skills and how to work as a team to produce animations that had the potential to make a positive difference in the world. Mitchell believed that with climate change and environmental problems playing such a major role in defining the future these students will inherit, it was imperative that students became aware of the issues. She wanted to empower them to use their creativity and animation skills to help create a clean, livable world for everyone. This year’s projects included animated videos for Green Energy Ohio, Freshwater Future, Black Swamp Conservancy, BGSU Office of Campus Sustainability and Covid-19 Mask Usage.

The class was first offered in Spring 2019.