OBJECTIVE:
Create a motion graphic video for middle school – high schoolers describing the concept of political Siloing. This video will accompany a series of Civility for Democracy videos and print educational content for the Portman Center.
The goal of this educational video was to describe how people can easily fall into caverns, or siloes, of similar ideas, reinforcing themselves. It emphasizes that when you're stuck on a side with no new information or a lack of information about whom you're opposing, you're in a wormhole of misinformation and negativity. To get out of those siloes, you need to rely on building and sustaining relationships with those who are different from you, allowing you to keep a clear and refreshed mind.
INSPIRATION AND RESEARCH:
The initial research behind the dialogue was inspired by Monica Guzman's book I Never Thought About It That Way, articles about political polarization, ideological siloing, and statistics from Pew Research Center, Business Insider, and American Survey Center. Using these sources, I created the script with the help of the Portman Center's Executive Director, Dr. Andrew Lewis, and the Center's program manager, Emily Bauman.
STORYBOARD ITERATIONS:
FINAL STORYBOARD AND STORYLINE:
The story showcases the purple main character (PMC) having a strong relationship with the neutral-colored character (NC). PMC eventually leaves NC to join more characters similar to her, building their own silo of ideas. The silo eventually gets overwhelming, trapping PMC in there until NC comes and saves her. Both of them are free and happy, having an open and respectful conversation with the rest of the characters.
FINAL VIDEO: