Diorama

An Image of a the main title card from the video series

This work was for a short video series by PBS Digital Studios, produced in New York at WNET / Thirteen about the dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. My role as a designer was to work with producer Tom McNamara in creating a comprehensive look and feel for the entire project and brand. Working on a tight deadline, I created typographic treatments, motion graphics, and custom illustrations.

Please enjoy first video about the moose diorama on youtube: See the entire series here: youtube.com/user/PBSDiorama The overall aesthetic of the video series drew heavily upon educational science videos from the 1950's and 60's.

An Image of a card from the video series
A card still-shot from the Why Moose Fight episode
An Image of a card from the video series
Static images were used as slides and segways between scenes
An Image of a card from the video series
Another still form the termite series
An Image of a card from the video series
A set of video cards from the termite episode

Much of my work on this project took place in Photoshop and Illustrator. Tom and I surveyed the diorama photography, searching for interesting points of departure for layouts, infographics, and interstitial cards for the videos.

An image of an infographic from the series
What is a Diorama infographic

In this infographic, we sought to create a compelling backdrop for bullet points covering the fundamentals of what a diorama is, especially in an age where dioramas could be considered an anachronistic. Our discussions centered around how we could create a dictionary-like poster that would resonate in this age of screen ubiquity.

An image of an infographic from the series
Another entry in our "dictionary"
An Image of a card from the video series
the rhino

Tom and I had a great time on this project. He and I visited the lower reaches of AMNH, where much of the research science takes place. From the giant Coelacanth preserved in a weird metal crate filled with stinky formaldehyde to the offices of the world's foremost expert on termites.