De-stigmatization Campaign: POV
BRIEF
Design a 30–90 second motion piece that challenges the stigma surrounding substance misuse. Using a combination of visual storytelling elements such as text, imagery, voiceover, audio, and illustration, the goal is to create a short film that communicates empathy, complexity, and humanity while raising awareness and encouraging reflection.
CHALLENGE
To craft a compelling and emotionally resonant story that avoids oversimplified narratives and centers lived experiences, using motion design to shift perspectives, foster empathy, and create space for dialogue around a complex and sensitive public health issue.
ROLE
Advertisement, Motion Design, Research
PLATFORMS
Television, IOS, Android, macOS, Microsoft Windows
DESIGN TOOLS
Adobe After Effects
Part One: Guest & Reflection
A recovery specialist, Jon Dance, shared his story and spoke about his passion for building community and breaking stigmas, especially those surrounding substance use disorder, mental health struggles, and seeking treatment. Hearing about his journey and how he navigated recovery was deeply inspiring and left a lasting impression on me, as it highlighted the complexity and difficulty of these experiences.
His perspective shifted the way I think about substance misuse and how it is often portrayed. In the past, much of the messaging I encountered framed addiction in a negative light, often with the intention to warn or discourage. However, Jon’s story offered a more nuanced and human perspective. While he struggled with addiction, his life did not fit common stereotypes; he maintained what appeared to be a stable, everyday life, though it was impacted by dependence.
This experience made me realize the importance of designing with empathy and acknowledging that substance misuse does not look the same for everyone. It reinforced my goal to create work that reflects these complexities and humanizes individual experiences. With this in mind, I developed a mind map to explore the direction I wanted to pursue and the message I hoped to communicate.
Part Two: Mood board
After reviewing several short films and PSAs to better understand the direction I wanted to take, I created a mood board to establish the visual aesthetic for the film.
Part Three: Storyboard
When developing the concept and storyboard, I chose to use a first-person perspective, placing the viewer in the position of someone experiencing substance use. Throughout the film, the viewer hears stereotypical advice and comments from others echoing in their mind as they move through daily life. This approach invites viewers to engage with the experience more directly, creating an emotional connection that helps convey the complexity and challenges individuals face.
Part Three: Filming & Gathering
After deciding to move forward with this concept, I filmed the first-person POV shot of someone waking up in the morning and sourced the remaining footage from Adobe Stock and freely licensed platforms. I then researched common stereotypical phrases and used a website that collects movie clips containing these phrases to create the audio that echoes inside the viewer’s mind, reinforcing the immersive first-person experience.
Part Four: Editing
Once I had all the materials, I uploaded everything into After Effects to begin editing and assembling the footage. I introduced a blinking transition between scenes to enhance the immersive first-person perspective. To increase accessibility, I incorporated captions, and to reinforce a sense of chaos, I layered text toward the end of the video to convey the feeling of someone overthinking and becoming overwhelmed by repeated phrases. I also applied slow motion and a blur effect to the final clip to intensify the emotional impact. Finally, I added an echo effect to each voiceover to create the sensation that the phrases are occurring inside the viewer’s mind.
Part Five: Final
After extensive iteration and editing, I finalized the MP4, bringing together all the visual, audio, and motion elements into a cohesive story.
Part Six: Final Thoughts
Overall, I was very satisfied with the final outcome and enjoyed experimenting with the POV concept. Ensuring that the content and style remained sensitive and non-offensive was challenging, as it required careful research, but it was an important lesson in designing responsibly and thoughtfully. Additionally, working extensively in After Effects sharpened my technical skills and increased my confidence in creating emotionally engaging, time-based work.