Empathy is defined as the ability to understand another's perspective. It’s our attempt to experience somebody else’s point of view, and one of the most natural ways to do that is through storytelling. The best stories always leave the audience with a new sense of understanding. Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that the best storytellers have the unique ability to create a world that's empathetic to their audience. How do animators make imaginative characters and whimsical worlds so believable? Among the most important considerations are the sounds they carefully choose, and the environments they build for their characters to inhabit.  …

I’ve always been slightly envious of those with an exceptional taste for color. Maybe it’s because of my struggle to choose the right pairing for a brand identity. Or, more likely, perhaps it’s because color has always seemed so subjective. Even after spending countless hours picking Pantone chips, I’ll often feel like the various combinations I’ve selected are wrong. Of course, I always present my selections with purpose and intention, but I can’t help but think that a better combination exists. This painstaking process is the reason I so often resort to black. Reading & Writing  Animated Storytelling, by Liz …

We all have a story to tell. While some might have more adventurous experiences than others, everybody has the luxury, or burden, of communicating their personal narrative however they creatively choose. Hemingway, for example, had a way of getting straight to the point. Kerouac, on the other hand, wrote with a stream of consciousness. Substance matters, of course, but authors like these taught us that style does, too. How we tell our stories is arguable as important as the stories we tell.  Reading & Writing Animated Storytelling, by Liz Blazer  Chater 2: StorytellingIn Chapter 2 of Animated Storytelling, author Liz …

No doubt, we’re innately drawn to stories we can relate to. As with our relationships, both personal and professional, it’s only human nature to seek the familiar. But do we take the same approach with the products we buy and the brands we engage with? According to Donald Miller in, Building a StoryBrand 2.0, businesses don’t just understand our propensity for familiar storytelling, the best ones actually take advantage of it. In exacting detail, Miller explains how every successful story can be broken down into seven precise acts. I was a little disheartened to learn that storytelling is so sequential …