The Girl Effect

This intro video for The Girl Effect shows just how powerful concise writing and simple animation can be. It was created for agency W&K Portland and Nike by manvsmagnet (a.k.a. Matt Smithson) of Curious Pictures, whose background in painting, design and motion graphics are all at subtle work here. The variation in framing and layout, the pacing, the slightly mottled shades of white and gray, the decision to animate only a very few elements (but in clever ways)—all speak of a maturity and restraint that I find refreshing.

This is a study in visual perception and cognition as much as it is a study of design. I love that many words are on screen for only a fraction of a second, and yet they are entirely readable. Watching this feels like an internal monologue is being beamed into my head. It’s a pretty compelling experience.

EDIT: I omitted a sentence in the first paragraph after realizing it was unnecessary.

W+K Portland
Executive Creative Directors Jelly Helm and Steve Luker
Creative Directors Tyler Whisnand
Copywriter Jessica Vacek
Art Director Julia Blackburn
Interactive Art Director Paul Bjork
Interactive Producer Jeremy Lind
Content Producer (Broadcast) Melanie Fedunok
Content Producer (Art Buying) Krystle Mortimore
Interactive Studio Artist Rebecca Kading
Design & Development Grow Interactive

Production Company (main video) Curious Pictures
Director manvsmagnet
Head of Production John Cline
Executive Producer Mary Knox
Producer Nathan Jew
Creator Matt Atkins
Audio Post-Prod. company Elias Arts

Production Company (vignettes) Joint Editorial
Producer Melanie Fedunok
Editor Peter Wiedensmith and Katie Turinski
Post-Production company Joint Editorial