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February FableFriday: Snow (Xue) Dong, Producer

Some places have winter wonderlands that last a few months and others sparsely get a few snowflakes, but lucky for us, we get Snow all year round.

FableVision’s Producer Xue Dong, who goes by Snow, joined FableVision to pursue her interest in children's media. An artist herself, she brings her creative eye to each project, combined with her strong project management, communication, and teambuilding skills. To ensure that client needs are met while taking the thoughts of artists, developers, designers, writers, and others into consideration, Snow creates a safe working environment and the opportunity for anyone to speak up.

“I’ve enjoyed projects where the team is collaborative – everyone brings their skillset to the table, we bounce ideas off each other, and we learn from one another,” says Snow. “I make sure to ask everyone’s opinions, which can be challenging, but ultimately rewarding.” 

Keep reading to learn more about Snow’s approach for producing the best possible projects, how her Chinese upbringing helps her pay attention to small details, and the type of art that she loves to create.

What’s your “journey to FableVision” story?
As I studied sociology and animation in college, I didn’t know what I could do with those two fields, but I knew I wanted to do something creative and educational. While taking an animation class, I started researching what other Harvard students did with this degree, and I found Lead Animator Didi Hatcher’s work. I met up with Didi in the old, quirky FableVision office and it was a great opportunity for me to see how smaller organizations create purposeful media. After college, I met Executive Producer Peter Stidwill when he spoke at a local event. I introduced myself and learned about his FableVision experience. There weren’t openings then, but a couple of years went by, and I applied to an open producer role… and here I am!

Why are you drawn to children’s media?
Growing up in China, I took great pride in learning English at a young age and being good at it. Disney movies were a main resource for me, so the media was very impactful for my own childhood experience. As I worked on personal animation projects in college, I had so much agency over my creations, since I was the film director, writer, storyboard artist, and animator. The children’s piece comes in due to my sociology background. I was really interested in how education plays a part in our society, and I thought it would be cool to see how media could influence kids at a young age and facilitate learning in a fun way. I also watched Mr. Rogers for the first time in college, since he’s not famous in China. He has such strong beliefs in what media should do for kids, and he became a huge inspiration for me.

Why did you decide to go into producing? How did your background prepare you for this role?
Producing makes so much sense to me since it combines my strongest skills, knowledge of art and animation, and creative eye. My past experiences have helped me organically find how to best position myself and use my strengths. In my previous job, I worked with others, managed projects, facilitated communication, focused on timelines and deliverables, and made sure we got things done. So being a producer at FableVision was a great fit and once I started working here, everything felt familiar and comfortable to me.

What types of projects do you like to work on?
I love projects where we can collaborate amongst ourselves and with the client to come up with a great solution. It’s cool to see the problem solving that takes place in a project. It’s rewarding when a client wants our input, since we have more creative agency over the project, and it takes us some figuring things out along the way. And of course, every project is different, so you have favorite art in one, a favorite game in another, and so on.

How do you work with other team members to produce the best possible projects?
Proactive communication is so important. Since our projects are educational, they’re research-based with a lot of information, and we have to be careful to deliver the right information and content. I help team members be in sync, especially since people may be working on multiple projects, and I never assume that someone just gets it. I check that everyone is on the same page.

A lot of our projects are interactive games, which involve designers, artists, and developers. Everyone works on different pieces, but still needs to have a global understanding of the project, so that no one falls out of the loop. I try to remind myself that everyone’s ideas matter, and the most valuable opinion might come from someone who is two steps down the pipeline.

Lastly, I focus on the client relationships. Producers are the bridge between the client and the project team, so I make sure to connect them with each other and ensure there isn’t miscommunication.

How has your experience growing up and studying before college in China shaped your perspective?
I’ve lived in the U.S. for about seven years now, but having my own upbringing that is different from people in America, even though America is diverse, keeps me very curious. I have to remind myself to educate myself more and ask questions, which makes everything more interesting. Something may be common for Americans, but for me, it might feel new or different. It also helps me be a conscious observer; the things that are new to me might not trigger the same questions to those raised in the U.S.

It makes me appreciative of the American education system’s resources, but also raises more questions. For instance, even though there is an abundance of resources, not everyone learns and discusses complicated topics, such as race, in the same way. I love seeing what’s on American public television. There are many thoughtful creators, and it’s great knowing that FableVision is adding good content to that repertoire.

Lastly, it keeps me inspired to bridge the cultures. I’m working in an all-English environment, but I would love to at some point connect with Chinese creators and work on a Chinese project.

We heard that you’re also an artist! What type of art do you like to create?
I love figure drawing, which I’ve done since childhood, and drawing faces. I took a drawing class in college with live models, which helped improve my drawing since the human form is full of wonderful geometry, shapes, and textures. I would invite friends over, do portrait sketches, and show them my work. People usually liked what they saw and that felt rewarding. When I retire, I want to bring an easel to the farmer’s market and do free portrait drawings. I did this in China for a month where I would go to a cafe and sketch people. Once, I asked those who sat down with me to play their favorite songs, and the songs informed my sketching styles. For example, if it was a sad song, I would make the linework more somber, and if it was happy, it would look almost like anime.

I also want to improve my children’s illustrations. One of my goals is to create a small children’s book for my friend’s 4-year-old kid, who I’m tutoring in Chinese. I’ve been procrastinating, but I’m halfway there. It’ll be in English and I want to illustrate it myself. 

On a very different note, I tried songwriting during the pandemic. I played a little guitar in college, so I wrote some silly tunes, took an Ableton class, and tried producing my own songs. 

And you’ve been dabbling in baking?
I started baking also during the pandemic, which I found very comforting. I hated the idea of baking before, but once I started, I leaned into it and went all out. Originally, the measuring system really got me… ounces? Cups? Tablespoons? Teaspoons? They didn’t make sense. One time, I mistakenly put a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon of baking soda and everything tasted like toothpaste. But, my key moment was buying a baking book. I followed the recipes exactly, so my baking would turn out really well, and I would feel super accomplished. And I love sweets and sharing them with people – that makes me happy too.

Anything else you’d like to share?
I’m an aspiring cat parent! I’ve always loved cats and have recently been surrounded by cat people, especially at FableVision. Fingers crossed, before the end of 2023, I’ll have my own orange cat.

More About Snow:

Favorite book?
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Favorite film?
Princess Mononoke.

Favorite game?
Ransom Notes.

Favorite holiday?
Mid-Autumn Festival because the traditional food for this holiday is moon cake, and it’s delicious.

Favorite American idiom?
“I’ve got bigger fish to fry” – when I hear this, it reminds me of a villain in an animated movie moving on to their next scheme, the next problem that they’re going to cause.

A Snow fun fact that most people don’t know?
In Chinese schools, some students are asked to give motivational speeches that they prepare ahead of time. Our school would have a speaker every Monday, usually a different student, and I’d be called up quite frequently. Outside of school I competed in public speaking contests. A super niche and buried past of me!

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June FableFriday: Jill Letteney, Producer

Jill Headshot

With an extensive background in project management and event coordination, FableVision Producer Jill Letteney brings her masterful organization skills to every project she works on. She ensures that everyone knows what’s going on and there’s no miscommunication between the client and the creative team. 

“It’s certainly a balancing act with creative and timeline – they are equally important on all of our projects,” says Producer Jill Letteney. “I throw a lot into planning and scheduling in the initial stages, planning backward to ensure that we can meet deadlines.”

Read the FableFriday to learn more about Jill’s favorite type of work, most rewarding part of producing, and love of museums.

What’s your “journey to FableVision” story?
My introduction to FableVision came quite some time ago from former Developer Erin Carvalho. I remember her telling me about the animation and games she developed from a studio housed in the same building as the Boston Children’s Museum.

Years later, once my kids went back to learning in school, I expressed interest in freelance work and Executive Producer Peter Stidwill reached out about producing a short animation for the National Action Alliance. I had the best time working that summer with the FableVision team and felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment when we completed the project. I knew I wanted to do more. When FableVision offered me another animation project, I jumped at the chance and I’ve been happy to work alongside such creative, fun professionals ever since.

Kiawah Island

You have an extensive background in project management and event coordination. How did you transition to production?
Project management has been at the core of every job I’ve held. No matter the role, special projects and events pop up, and I’m happy to take on coordinating. Transitioning to production was easy since it involves scope, scheduling, planning backward from a deadline, and breaking large tasks into smaller ones. At FableVision, I know who to turn to if I run into obstacles. Troubleshooting issues can be fun and productive when you are working with the right people.

What type of projects do you like to work on?
I really enjoy animation and seeing the components of a story unfold over time. There are so many little details that we have to think about when it comes to character designs, backgrounds, and story. It’s like assembling a vibrant, moving puzzle. 

I also like producing live-action projects, from getting to know the crew to working on set. We recently filmed a series of videos where we put in a lot of hours to get everything shot in two days, but it was a lot of fun. And the studio we partnered with, Sound and Vision Media, featured us on their Facebook and YouTube pages.

Cliffs of Moher

How do you work with other team members to produce the best possible projects?
I try to stay as organized as possible so team members have access to everything they need to do their best work, like art assets, script copies, brand guidelines, storyboards, and schedules. I work to facilitate communication between clients and project team members so people aren’t spending time shuffling through various communication tools. It’s a challenge to tell a story or deliver information in short form and I’m always amazed at how effortlessly our artists, writers, and developers can work to pull it all together.

How do you balance the creative and timeline on complex projects?
I’ll share a high-level schedule with our clients so they know where we are throughout the project. I try to schedule meeting time with team members before we enter a new phase, like design, animation, or development, so we can discuss our project goals, assess existing work, and address any concerns or potential conflicts. 

Once I’ve established a solid structure for the project and we know our direction, it’s easy to let the artists take charge of their work. And I’m never disappointed with the quality and quantity of work they put out. I truly believe we have some exceptional talent here!

What are the most challenging or the most rewarding parts about being a producer?
The most challenging part is keeping track of the moving pieces as we near a deadline. Fortunately, we use tools like Basecamp, Slack, and Trello so I know where we stand. I also work with fantastic production assistants who jump in to support so I can focus my energy where it’s needed. And without a doubt, the most rewarding part is hearing and seeing how happy our clients are at the end of a project. When they return later with new work, I get all of the good feelings again.

What advice do you have for aspiring producers?
Don’t overlook your creative intuition! Trust your gut and speak up when you notice something – that will help streamline the projects and bring them to their fullest potential. 

You’re involved with several Harvard groups! Can you talk about your work with Harvard Square Script Writers and Harvardwood?
These writing groups kept me connected with people and the outside world during the pandemic! Screenwriting is such a craft – I admire writers who can tell a meaningful, visual story in just 90 pages. Depending on my schedule, I try to review one or two scripts per month, providing notes and feedback to help writers craft more realistic characters and dialogue. I’ve read some amazing work and I always leave these meetings inspired to write and collaborate. Fortunately, I can carry that into my work with FableVision. It’s a great feeling to have my hobbies inform my professional life and vice versa.

We heard you’re a big fan of museums – tell us more!
I love museums – they’re the first thing I want to see when I travel somewhere new. When my dad moved to Philadelphia, he and I visited four museums in two days. As an undergraduate student, I studied Classics and Historical Linguistics and spent a lot of time at the MFA deciphering funerary inscriptions in Latin and Etruscan. Then I got my graduate degree in Museum Studies and worked closely with the MFA Boston, Harvard Museum of Ancient Near East, and the Brooklyn Museum on various research projects.

Museums are responsible for so much when it comes to their audiences: quality content, meeting educational goals, and online and in-person accessibility, among others. Exhibition design has similar processes to multimedia production, except I don’t have to handle fragile, ancient artifacts.

More About Jill

Favorite show?
Mad Men! I’ve rewatched the entire series five times and always discover something new. My husband bought me the box set recently so now I’m enjoying the director’s commentaries.

Favorite game to play with your kids?
Mario Kart – I used to be able to beat them. I’ve also been playing a lot of FableVision games with them recently, like Echo Explorers, Bubble Build, Claw Control, and Lights, Camera, Budget!, to prepare for new projects. It’s fun to see what attracts their eye in games and they give me very honest feedback when it comes to what they like and what they don’t like.

Favorite holiday?
My grandfather’s birthday was March 17, so St. Patrick’s Day was a big deal for my family. We celebrate every year with a parade, live music, food, crafts, games, and prizes. I basically start planning right after Christmas because it gives me something to look forward to in the spring.

Favorite band?
I love Radiohead but I haven’t seen them perform live yet. :(

A Jill fun fact that most people don’t know?
My cousin Dillon and I inspired a children's song: “Jillian Dillon (The Hippoplatypus).” (For the record, I am neither part hippo nor platypus, but I hope to see each in their native habitats one day).

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