OVERVIEW
Clear the Air Michigan is a coalition working to ensure that all people in Michigan have access to clean air and a healthy environment. One of the key ideas behind their work is cumulative impact; the understanding that pollution doesn’t happen in isolation, but builds up across multiple sources and over time. I worked with the team to create an animated video that could help make this idea more visible and accessible to a broader public.
CHALLENGE
Cumulative impact is not an easy concept to explain. It involves overlapping environmental, health, and social factors that don’t always feel visible or immediate. Together, we had to find a way to make these layers understandable without oversimplifying them.
Process
We started by exploring different directions for the story. I developed three distinct concepts for the script, each offering a different way to approach cumulative impact, from more policy-driven to more narrative-driven. Together, we selected the direction that felt most clear and engaging, and moved into the scriptwriting process, refining the story to balance accuracy, clarity, and emotional resonance.
Final
Storyline
Storyline
A father gains an unexpected lesson about Cumulative Impact when he finds a comic book created by his daughter at school. As Carlos flips through the vibrant pages, the comic’s animated superhero, Air Guardian, explains how pollution from various sources combines to harm the environment and people’s health. Reflecting on his own experiences, Carlos connects the dots between cumulative impact and his community’s struggles. Inspired by Leo’s work, father and son team up to take action. Together, they learn that small actions can create a big difference.
storyboard
Let’s work together!
If you’re working on something meaningful, I’d love to connect.