June FableFriday: J Milligan and Cassandra Berger, Co-Founders of Lanky Co.

J Milligan and Cassandra “Cass” Berger are…well…lanky. The dynamic co-founders of Lanky Co. met at the award-winning digital toy company Toca Boca. That collaboration has flourished into the launch of Lanky Co., a development studio for high-quality, kid-focused projects to delight and entertain audiences wherever they may be. With a cadence of colorful projects up their sleeve and vast experience working with high profile clients, Lanky is ready to take on any project.

Recently, J, Cass, and FableVision’s Tone Thyne teamed up to produce the quirky earworm that is the new Don’t Mix Us Up music videos. The series addresses the common catastrophe of mixing up things that are easily mistaken for each other but should never be confused. The result is a viral sensation, out now on Aardman studios’ new YouTube channel for teens and adults, AardBoiled.   

“We’re always delighted to hear that our work stands out in the landscape of kids media, because it’s not intentional, it’s just our personalities. We never want to talk down to our audience, and humor is number one,” shares Cass. “Visually, we’re both drawn to similar things so that results in having a cohesive output. We’re not afraid to put something different out there, as long as it’s true to us.”

 We sat down with the duo to talk shop, their preference for Cabbage or Lettuce, and what makes Lanky Co. so…lanky in this month’s FableFriday.

Congrats on the recent launch of Lanky Co.! Tell us more about your mission and the motivation for launching your own studio.
J: We launched Lanky because we both always wanted to have our own studio, and when our last gig came to an end we thought it was time to go for it. I’m really glad we did. Our mission is to make great stuff, add to the culture in a positive way, and focus on projects we care about.  

Cass: We were both at a time in our careers where it felt right to go for it. We wanted to be creatives who have a sense of ownership for whatever work we do, big or small. Whoever gets to the office first texts the other a trophy emoji, that’s how excited we are to get to work.

Both Lanky’s live-action and animated projects have such a unique, creative style that stands out in the world of kids’ media! How do you describe Lanky’s personality? What unique perspective is your content adding to the landscape?
J: We like to challenge the audience a bit—we try to get them engaged and invested in a way that we can leave things out and have them fill in the blanks. We do this with visuals and writing and for any age audience. It’s fun to watch something where part of the story happens in your head.    

You previously worked together in animation and production at the game development studio Toca Boca. We’d love to learn more about the history of your collaborative, creative partnership!
J: Cassandra came on to the Toca TV team as the Director of Animation. We’d sit in this half-finished interior room called The Barn with the content team and laugh hysterically for an hour or two coming up with ideas for mini-shows for the Toca TV platform. This was my favorite part of my job, which also involved running a subscription business and building a technology platform. We basically do the same thing now all day long in a much smaller office but with cleaner bathrooms and free kombucha. 

Cass: Back at Toca TV the Product Manager once told me that she was jealous of my meetings because she could hear my laughter coming from all of them. That’s the beauty of working on comedies, laughing means it’s working! We’ve carried that through to Lanky, where we know we’re on the right track when we’re cracking each other up.

Cass, before Toca Boca you spent some time as Art Director and Designer on several broadcast properties and published books. How have those experiences in visual development and show production influenced your work as Creative Director at Lanky Co. today? 
Cass: I’ve been lucky enough to work on a bunch of broadcast shows as well as a lot of show development. At Lanky we’ve taken on a few projects that are pure development, which is my favorite part! Because I’ve worked on shows before, I’m able to avoid complications down the road while we develop a project, as well as poking an idea enough to see if it has legs.

J, you’ve had some amazing experiences working with new technology as Creative Director of the Content Innovation Lab at Sesame Workshop! What technologies or content areas are you most excited about right now?
J: We’re doing a lot of bite-sized content for social media right now, and I love the challenge of packing a lot of story and information into a tiny thing. It’s like writing a sonnet or haiku, only with sound effects and speech bubbles and getting the timing exactly right. There is also a lot of interest in audio and speech recognition right now through podcasting and smart speakers which I find kind of cool and funny because it harkens back to radio theater, which gets the tech out of the way and puts the movie in your head, so to speak. 

Lanky may be young, but you’ve had a lot of collaborative experiences under your belt already, including the partnership with FableVision Studios to create the Don’t Mix Us Up videos. What was it like working with Tone Thyne on this wacky series of shorts?
Cass: Tone is one of my favorite people. He got me my first job out of college and has been a sort of mentor ever since. I was so excited to be able to work with him on an original project because I knew with him involved, it would be great.

J: Genius just wafts from Tone’s mind like that yeasty smell at Subway. Seriously, Tone is the best. When we gave him the note, “can you make the lyrics stupider?” he sharpened his pencil and molded the clever bits for a general audience and voila! Music video history was made.

You’ve also teamed up with Aardman animation studio to distribute the Don’t Mix Us Up series on their new YouTube channel AardBoiled. How is AardBoiled the perfect home for Don’t Mix Us Up?
J: We have always admired, no, worshipped Aardman’s comedy, craft, action sequences, attention to detail, and high, high bar for quality. It’s like everybody else was doing things one way and Aardman came along and thought, we’re just going to painstakingly make brilliant comedy for people of all ages and see what happens. We hope that Don’t Mix Us Up appeals to Aardman fans. We’re really happy to be working with them and to have the series on their channel.

We had so much fun working with you on Don’t Mix Us Up! Now that the series has launched, what’s next on Lanky’s horizon?
J: We have irons in fires all over the place. We’re creating new ideas for original shows and books as well as working with partners on edutainment, digital design, content marketing, and other kinds of storytelling. We love working on different kinds of projects, collaborating with folks, and are always looking for new challenges.

Finally, the Lanky mascot has an interesting (and creative!) presence on Instagram. Who is the mastermind behind-the-scenes?
Cass: When we had downtime early on we talked about creating some kind of Instagram comic, something that we could do just ourselves to get a presence out the world. We both come up with ideas and I draw them. The idea is to make quick bites that we can post to get a laugh. You can tell that we’re busy when there hasn’t been a post in a while but there are definitely Lanky fans out there eagerly waiting for the next piece in the series.

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More about J and Cass:

Favorite Muppet:
J: Cookie Monster                     
Cass: Grover

Junk food of choice:
J: Shrimp Chips              
Cass: Fritos

Animated short that inspires you: 
J: Virgin Atlantic Safety Video
Cass: The Little Boy and the Beast

New technology you’re excited about: 
J: Cordless Vacuum Cleaners—total game-changer           
Cass: Virtual Reality drawing/digital painting

Kids’ show that makes you nostalgic: 
J: Magic Garden   
Cass: Pinky and the Brain

The best viral YouTube video:     
J: This should be viral.  Please everybody watch this!  
Cass: Don’t Mix Us Up: Cabbage & Lettuce (If I say it, will it make it viral?)   

Cabbage or Lettuce? 
J: Lettuce 100%   
Cass: Cabbage 100%

Favorite way to unwind?            
J: Chopping wood in my orange safety chaps
Cass: Watching The Real Housewives 

April FableFriday: Billy Spitzer, Vice President for Programs, Exhibits, and Planning at the New England Aquarium

Join the rush of school groups and families, and step inside the New England Aquarium’s dark, glowing space. The splash of penguins and harbor seals is the immediate draw. Every year, more than 1.3 million patrons wind their way up the central spiral walkway that loops around the Aquarium’s famous Giant Ocean Tank that spans several stories high. The magic in every tank stems from a carefully mapped experience that helps visitors understand the beauty and complexity of marine habitats. Behind all the digital interactives, touch tanks, and sensory exhibits is an incredible team of scientists, conservationists, educators, students – and Billy Spitzer, Vice President of Programs, Exhibits, and Planning. 

FableVision’s first collaboration with the New England Aquarium was on an interactive iPad app that helped Aquarium staffers explore biomimicry with small groups and discuss the examples presented in the program. The Aquarium sought to spark a conversation among visitors about climate change and caring for the environment. Following the success of this project, FableVision was tasked with designing a fish identification app exclusively for the Giant Ocean Tank. The app currently lives inside the Aquarium where it combines digital technology with the real life experience of peering into a tank full of hundreds of unique animals.

Inspiring greater understanding and appreciation for the ocean is the heart of the Aquarium’s mission at the aquarium – one that reverberates throughout the city. Billy’s vision for the Aquarium is one that ignites special, shared memories. He sees the Aquarium as “an important civic space, where people come down to the water’s edge to explore together, engage with the ocean world, learn how and why the oceans matter, and come away ready to learn more and do more.”

Dive into the ocean of creativity, wonder, and constant learning that Billy works in every day and learn about his process for designing exhibits, engaging the community – and his favorite travel spots!

Tell us more about your role as Vice President for Programs, Exhibits, and Planning at the New England Aquarium!
My role at the New England Aquarium is to think about how our mission intersects with the public – through our exhibits, visitor experience, educations programs, volunteer opportunities, and advocacy.

You spent seven years working in professional development for science teachers with our friends at TERC in Cambridge! How does this experience working with teachers impact and influence your current education work with the Aquarium? 
While I was at TERC, I was really immersed in thinking about learning and how best to help facilitate that process, both in school and outside of school. I realized how many challenges teachers face in a classroom setting, including professional isolation – especially for science teachers. Back in the early days before there was a real internet, we began to build a professional development network for science teachers.

At the New England Aquarium, I have taken a lot of what we learned from that work and am applying it to building networks of informal science educators at aquariums, zoos, and museums across the country.

The FableVision team pictured alongside the Giant Ocean Tank's Fish ID App

The Aquarium teamed up with FableVision Studios to create a fish identification app for the renovated Giant Ocean Tank! Can you tell us more about the collaborative process that led to this project?
When we renovated our Giant Ocean Tank several years ago, we were looking for a new way to help visitors identify the 100+ different species in the exhibit. We wanted to help visitors identify fish the way our staff do: by looking at key features such as overall shape and size, tail shape, color and pattern, etc. We also wanted to make it easy and fun, while giving visitors an opportunity to learn more about what they are looking at. So, we started with a paper version of fish ID, and began to test it out with staff and some visitors.

The next challenge was how to turn this idea into a fully functional, easy to use, and reliable interactive for visitors. We thought that FableVision would be just the right partner for this, and they really helped us strike the right balance of science, learning, and engagement. The FableVision staff was so jazzed about the project and helped us come up with a great iPad app, which has been really successful. It is very easy to use, and is packed with opportunities to learn. For example, one day I was looking at a black and white striped fish that I thought I knew, but using the app I found out that there were two other species that looked almost the same.

How do educational technologies play a role in enhancing learning at the Aquarium?
We have been talking a lot recently about how we want to integrate technology into the Aquarium visitor experience. While people are here, we want them to be able to focus on interacting with the animals, with our staff, and with each other. Technology should facilitate that, rather than get in the way.

How do you plan new exhibits and find new ways to engage the public?
We usually start planning exhibits with a goal in mind, and then work to develop a design. For example, a couple of years ago we wanted to find a way to help visitors understand more about sharks and the research and conservation work we do here to learn about and protect them. That led us to develop the Science of Sharks exhibit, which uses a combination of live animal exhibits, interactive exhibits, and immersive video to help visitors learn more about the diversity, life cycle, and adaptations of some of the 500+ species of sharks – 80% of which only grow to a size of four feet or less, and many of which are threatened by overfishing or are caught accidentally.

In 2014, you were recognized by the White House as a Champion of Change for inspiring the Next Generation of Environmental Conservationists! Tell us more about the important work you do with the museum to raise awareness about climate change.
About 10 years ago, we realized that climate change was the biggest issue facing the oceans (and the planet), yet no one was talking about it much in aquariums, zoos, and museums. We set about to change that with a series of projects that pulled together climate science research with social science research on effective communication to create new tools for public engagement, a training program for informal educators, and a national support network. We have now built the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI, pronounced like the pasta) which involves more than 170 aquariums, zoos, and science/nature centers in 38 states. We have been able to increase public understanding of climate change and engagement in civic climate action, and inspire hope in how we are addressing climate challenges

The New England Aquarium has been a classic Boston cultural institution since 1969, and you’ve had a hand in its educational programming for 20 years! What are some cool new things the Aquarium is working on?
We recently finished some work on exhibit master planning, looking at how the visitor experience will evolve over the next 5-10 years. We are focusing a lot on how we can reduce barriers to visitors having rich, immersive, and social experiences while they are at the Aquarium. This includes making it easier for visitors to get oriented, navigate their way through their experience, and get more engaged through interactions with staff and exhibits. As a result, we hope that visitors will leave more inspired, informed, and mobilized to help the oceans. We are excited about new techniques to exhibit live animals, new opportunities to allow people to learn at their own pace, and new ways to use technology that complement the live, social experience that the Aquarium excels at. We see the Aquarium as an important civic space, where people come down to the water’s edge to explore together, engage with the ocean world, learn how and why the oceans matter, and come away ready to learn more and do more. Nearly 80% of our visitors leave wanting to increase what they do to help the oceans.

The city of Boston has made recent efforts to “go green” with expanded bike lanes, shared bikes services, and water taxis. What are some ways you like to take part in environmentalism in Boston beyond the Aquarium?
I have been really inspired by Boston’s transformation from a car-oriented city to being much more friendly to bikes and multi-modal, environmentally-friendly transportation. I am a regular bike commuter from the suburbs (and commuter rail rider in the dead of winter), and a daily beneficiary of the Greenway and Harborwalk. We are so lucky to have these assets.

We hear that you spent your college years as a whitewater raft guide in the Smoky Mountains – have you made it back to the river since then?
A few years ago, after having not paddled much whitewater for a number of years, I did a week of whitewater kayaking in Nepal. It was really cool paddling on these rivers flowing out of the Himalayas, and also getting to interact with people living in these wild river valleys. But these days I am mostly paddling flatwater on the Charles River, which is so accessible, peaceful, and full of local wildlife.

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More about Billy!

What is your favorite exhibit in the Aquarium?
One of my favorites is the shark and ray touch tank first thing in the morning, it is peaceful, quiet, and you feel like you are on a tropical island.

Your favorite museum or informal learning space in Boston?
The courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum in the middle of winter – it is an oasis of beauty and art.

 What’s your sea creature spirit animal?
I think I may be a harbor seal at heart – curious, playful, and not afraid of cold water!

Are there any upcoming travel destinations for you and your family?
Last summer, we took the family trekking through small villages in France with a donkey named Lulu. That trip is going to be hard to beat. This year, I’m hoping to:

• Do some backcountry skiing adventures in New England
• Plan a trip to Iceland to explore remote fjords by sailboat
• Ski the surrounding mountains