20988896_10154933800338325_8339933719649082868_o.jpg

A banner year for FableVision! 2017 had us look to the stars as FableVisionaries reached new heights across our industry and our community. Let’s turn back time and take a look back at the year with our Top 10 highlights of 2017.


1. Building A Dedicated Community
FableVision fans, friends, and staff unite! 2017 was a year for community building within and outside of the studio. Our annual Building Learning Communities (BLC) event brought over 200 creative educators to our studio, a passion for science took the team outside to witness the stunning phenomenon of the eclipse, artists and admirers came together for an incredible Creative Juices Art Show centered around the theme of time, and our chorus of “Game On!” resounded as we took on our fifth annual Extra Life gameathon event and beat our goal of raising $6,000 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.


2. An Award-Winning Year!
Make room in the awards case because FableVision brought home the gold! We’re honored to share these highlights:

In addition to the publication of Happy Dreamer, Sydney and Simon: To the Moon!, and the announcement of a new book series from Scholastic, FableVision Founder Peter H. Reynolds was awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from The Boy Scouts of America and National Eagle Scout Association!


FableVision's Tone Thyne with Nina Hunter at the Make-A-Wish Gala in New York City. 

FableVision's Tone Thyne with Nina Hunter at the Make-A-Wish Gala in New York City. 

3. FableVision on the Red Carpet
Butter up that popcorn because FableVision Studios is coming to a theater near you! Marc Colagiovanni’s The Reflection in Me screened at Mill Valley Film Festival, Great Lakes International Film Festival, Skyline Indie Film Fest, Auburn International Film Festival for Children and Young Adults (AIFF),and Boston Kids International Film Festival! What a perfectly perfect year for this inspiring animated short.

Our work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York and Western New York flourished this year as we saw Neshama Ryman’s The Klumz screen at Milwaukee Film Festival, HollyShorts Film Festival, and TIFF Kids International Film Festival. FableVision and Nina Hunter took to the stage at the Make-A-Wish Gala, where we premiered The Adventures of the Blue Cowgirl starring Nina Hunter. The film brings to life Nina’s trip to a ranch in Texas where she was able to fulfill her wish of becoming a blue cowgirl.

Global Tinker’s The Paper Girls is also lighting up the children’s media stage! Along with the launch of their new YouTube page, the series went home as a winner of the 2017 MIPTV Digital Short Form Series Pitch, competing against the industry’s top series developers, and it was awarded Best TV Series Animated Short at the 2017 Palm Springs International Animation Festival.

Stay tuned as we announce more FableVision film festival happenings in 2018!


4. New Partnerships

New year, new partnerships! We were excited to create new characters, stories, and songs with these great organizations.


5. Continuing Partnerships
Our partners mean so much to us, and we love when we can continue collaborating with old friends. 2017 was a great year for strengthening relationships, and we’re looking forward to strengthening them further in the new year.


FableVision_FableFriday.png

6. FableFridays with FableVision Friends

We’ve put the spotlight on our fantastic partners with new, client-centered FableFridays. Hear from them on what it was like working with us on an array of projects covering STEAM, SEL, literacy, career readiness, and much more!


7. Studio Thought Leaders
We’re proud of our team for reaching across the industry and their fields this year to share our take of what’s working and what we’d like to see more of. Our thought leaders are giving talks, teaching seminars, writing articles, and making headlines!

Executive Producer Peter Stidwill brings his expertise in gaming and research to Linkedin Pulse for two thought-provoking articles:

kidscreen.jpg

Creative Director Leigh Hallisey took to Linkedin Pulse to write about the power of teaching empathy through games, shined in the spotlight as she was interviewed by Boston Voyager, and provided an inside look into her life and career for Funimation.

Our Director of Art and Animation, Bob Flynn, and his creative space were featured in Kidscreen! FableVisionaries Shelby Marshall and Sarah Ditkoff hosted several AgileEd professional development webinars in 2017.

Watch this fascinating talk from longtime FableVision partner, Dr. Jodi Asbell-Clarke, co-founder and co-director of Educational Gaming Environments Group (EdGE) at TERC. FableVision worked with TERC to relaunch the classic, beloved ’90s game Logical Journey of Zoombinis, for today’s generation.

As a member of the Content in Context (CIC) conference planning committee, FableVision's Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Product Solutions, Shelby Marshall, lead three sessions in planning, producing, and navigating the development of educational technology. 

FableVision founders Paul Reynolds and Peter H. Reynolds brought us another STEAM winner with Sydney and Simon's latest adventure in Sydney and Simon: To the Moon!

In 2018, FableVision’s Senior Developer Jordan Bach will host a session with Full Stack Boston to talk about making games with HTML5. You can also find us at SXSW EDU 2018! FableVision’s Peter Stidwill will join Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Andrew MacCartney and Laura Evans to present a case study titled Immersive Learning: Teaching History through GBL, selected from the competitive, crowd-sourced PanelPicker program. Register to attend!


IMG_1036.JPG

8. A Mission-Match Year
We continued to give back in all sorts of fun ways! Associate Producer Mikaela Johnson and Executive Vice President Adam Landry put the pedal to the metal for the Pan-Mass Challenge, and the studio went “quackers” for JumpStart’s annual Read for the Record.

We sponsored a delicious breakfast at this year’s Prix Jeunesse Suitcase at WGBH in Boston, and FableVisionaries represented at this year’s MICE expo and at the ESA Foundation’s #WeAre event

The holiday season is in full swing with Team FableVision running to raise funds for Cambridge Family and Children’s Service at the Cambridge 5k Yulefest. In the spirit of the holidays, this year the entire studio is taking part in the Adopt-A-Family program with The Home for Little Wanderers.


9. Movers and Shakers
Our lineup of FableVisionaries created a buzz around the studio in 2017 with new faces and new roles.

We said a tearful goodbye to our former Executive Producer Karen Bresnahan as she retires from 20 years of service at FableVision and embarks on her next adventure. Peter Stidwill has stepped into Karen’s role as our new Executive Producer. Congratulations to Karen and Peter!

Samantha Bissonnette returns to FableVision after her tenure teaching, working at PBS, and going to school at HGSE. We are thrilled to have her rejoin the team as a producer.


10. Fab Intern Projects
This year’s all-star interns put their heads together and came up with an incredible array of independent projects. From animated comics to games to food to unexpected playmates to creative videography, this portfolio of intern-produced projects is chock full of inspiration!

Comment