May FableFriday: Andrea Hoerner, Associate Producer

Organization, communication, and trust: FableVision associate producer Andrea Hoerner has perfected the recipe for flawless project management down to a science. With a background in journalism and experience in higher education, Andrea combines strong people skills with her knowledge of pedagogy to lead teams that produce media that engage viewers and inspire change. 

The journalist in her seeks to honor the story being told by building strong connections with her team and clients. “The hours and hours I’ve spent with subjects either writing or photographing them has enabled me to build trust with clients and help them articulate their needs,” she shares. “Holding space for people to work through their ideas and observing what excites people are all ways of interaction that I bring with me into every meeting.” 

In her role, Andrea manages the studio’s technical and creative teams, as well as supports the production team on a variety of media projects. Read on for her organization hacks, advice to budding producers, and the sense of wanderlust that inspires her in all her endeavors.

Welcome to FableVision! What initially drew you to the studio, and what do you enjoy most about working in educational media?
When I first heard about FableVision, I had been trying to marry my passion for social impact and education with the work that I was doing day to day. Having come from a background working in higher education, I closely aligned with the studio’s mission. I spent some time doing my own research and connected with a FableVision staff member to learn more about the various types of projects the studio tackles. I was drawn to the work being done at FableVision, and now here I am! 

Here at FableVision, we tell “stories that matter, stories that move.” How do you, in your role as an associate producer, try to honor the different stories being told?
While each project has its own mission, deliverables, and clients, my universal goal as a producer is to ensure that our team’s creative collaboration on every project is a catalyst for the desired result of audience engagement and education. Regardless of the learning goal, I like that the work FableVision does is positive and instills a feeling of empowerment through play or interaction. As storytellers and creatives, the best way to honor different stories being told is through creating connection with audiences emotionally and visually. 

Before joining the FableVision team, you reached out to other professionals to learn more about the industry. What’s one piece of advice you would pass on to someone interested in entering the field?
As someone who loves learning from others and their experiences, I’d recommend a two-part piece of advice. I’d encourage someone interested in entering the field to network to get a sense of how the work and culture can vary at different organizations within the industry. And more importantly, I’d advocate for some internal reflection on your skill sets and experiences (“Me-search,” as I like to call it). I’ve learned that you can talk to as many people as you’d like, which is great; however, if you don’t really know who you are or what you’re looking for, it’s easy to lose sight of your own purpose.    

You manage and support multiple teams at the studio. How do you keep the lines of communication open between departments and ensure everyone works together to get a project over the finish line?
The needs of any given project fluctuate at different times, but constant effective communication remains a pervasive part of day-to-day management. When it’s crunch time for a project or we’re about to enter a new phase of production (QA Testing, animation, etc.), I am a fan of daily team huddles or meetings. These meetings typically last all of 15 minutes every day, usually bright and early, but they provide an opportunity for all team members from different departments to have a 360-degree view. This process helps build trust on our teams, which are different for each project, and I’m often sad when a months-long project wraps after the team has found a great rhythm! 

There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to managing a project. What is your secret to staying organized? 
Personally, I love organization on a Marie Kondo level, so it’s not surprising to those who know me that I have many tricks up my sleeve. One of my favorite ways I like to stay organized across my different projects that all have moving parts is through very colorful post-it note lists on my wall. I like the visual display with color and the flexibility to prioritize or de-prioritize action items listed in front of me. 

You have a lot of hobbies. How do you cultivate your interests both in and out of work, and what is your go-to way to relax after a busy week at the studio? 
My hobbies and activities are a bit more limited these days given COVID, but I like to spend as much time outside as possible on the weekends. I’m a National Parks lover, and one of my goals is to visit as many national parks as possible! If I’m not hiking with my camera or kayaking on the Charles, I can be found meandering through the Museum of Fine Arts or dabbling with watercolor. Additionally, I’m always trying to perfect new recipes for baked goods or meals and enjoy sharing them with friends!  

We hear that you’re an avid fan of photography. Who are your favorite photographers and what do you enjoy photographing the most?
Photography has always been about “clicks and connections” for me, meaning connection through my lens with my own photos or the photos of others. I am always connecting to a specific sense of place, time, and often people, which in turn usually helps me learn more about myself. 

Two of my favorite photographers are quite different from each other in style, subject, and time. The first is Ansel Adams, as his images inspired my hiking travels to Wyoming a few years ago. It was incredible to float down the Snake River and see the Tetons emerge on the horizon like he did. I love the way he utilizes light, especially in his black and white pieces. 

The other photographer is James Nachtwey, who is an American photojournalist and war photographer. I remember watching a documentary about his work in high school and it left me stunned by the beauty and raw quality of his work; he has covered tragic events/crises globally from the Rwandan Genocide to famine in Somalia. While many would run away from capturing the individual human experience in conflicts like these, Nachtwey runs towards those at the heart of these experiences to tell their stories and give them a voice through his work.   

We also hear that you love to travel. What are some of your favorite trips that you’ve taken? Where do you look forward to visiting once it’s safer to do so?
I’m itching to get back out West (Wyoming, PNW) again on another hiking trip with my camera. Staying inside most of the last year has made me really miss being out in nature and spending time in environments that are radically different from city life. Outside the U.S., I would really like to visit Norway either in the summer or winter to get a glimpse of the Northern Lights!

If you could: 

Pick up any new skill: Play guitar well.

Live anywhere in the world: London.

Listen to only one album for the rest of your life: Rumours by Fleetwood Mac.

Learn any language instantly: Portuguese.

Have any animal as a housepet: Mini horse.

Have authored any one book that already exists: Too tough to choose!

August FableFriday: Michael Fogarasi, Producer

“I was drawn to FableVision because of its emphasis on mission-based projects” says Michael Fogarasi, FableVision Producer. “This coupled with working with creative and technical teams here at the studio brings a uniqueness to what might otherwise be a traditional project management role.” As producer, Michael manages not only his own schedule, but those of his team members. He also keeps track of task lists, reviews, and other items to ensure the projects he produces are running efficiently and delivering high quality content.

Michael is also no stranger to stepping up when it comes to a new project. As evidenced by his transition from Associate Producer to Producer and his role as Production Internship Coordinator, Michael not only understands the production process, but is also passionate about guiding and mentoring FableVision interns so that they can understand and become familiar with it.

Although every project is different, Michael welcomes every unique challenge and works hard to keep the team on track to deliver a project that meets both the client’s mission and the studio’s goals. And since we work with like-minded organizations to move the world to a better place, his managing of our teams is seen and felt by staff and partners alike. Let’s jump in and learn more about his process for approaching new projects, what he looks for in a production intern, and where he’s headed on his next vacation!

How did you come to be at FableVision?
I started college around the time when educational technology websites and apps like Quizlet and Duolingo were first coming out. Once I tried them, I was immediately hooked—they not only became an integral part of my learning experience, but also sparked a passion for educational technology. Pursuing this passion, I ended up as an intern in MIT’s video production department, where I helped film and edit courses for MIT OpenCourseWare. Then, a good friend of mine and former FableVision associate producer Katie Tusch, let me know the team was hiring for the associate producer position, and I jumped at the chance.

You have to balance a lot of schedules when producing projects. What does a day in your life look like? And how do you keep your team(s) on track?
My day starts and ends with a variety of productivity tools and schedules. Every morning, I’ll check in on FableVision’s weekly schedule and my own schedules for each of my respective projects. I’ll then make sure that each person on my team knows what they have ahead of them that day—sometimes that’s through project stand-ups, Slack check-ins, or I’ll just head over to their desk. 

For projects that are earlier in the process, we tend to meet fairly frequently, so I’ll gather the team for brainstorming sessions or production meetings to start the problem-solving process. I’ll also frequently meet with clients to present what we’ve been working on, making sure that we capture their feedback.   

All of this information ends up getting organized on my personal Trello board. Anything that comes my way gets immediately noted and categorized—I rely upon it heavily! I probably run through my to-do list 10-20 times a day to determine the next steps that need to be taken. Then, I’ll do one final swoop at the end of the day to ensure we’ve hit all of our deliverables, while also previewing the next day—just to make sure there are no surprises! 

What is your process for approaching a new project, and what advice do you have for new producers starting their first project?
The beginning of a project is an exciting time—it can go a million different ways and it’s the producer’s job to help find its footing. Beyond setting up all the organizational infrastructure, my advice would be to become intimately familiar with the client’s goals and wishes for the project. I like using the project kickoff to explore the client’s background and reasons for coming to FableVision. Those early conversations can set the tone for the entire project—if you’re able to keep these discussions in mind, you can make sure that every decision is made in the project’s best interest. 

What’s the biggest difference in producing animation and game projects?
Animation and games are quite different in the way they are experienced—animation conveys its information to curious viewers, while games need to get their message across through a series of interactions. 

In animation projects, I like to think of the storyboard as the end-product of the ‘plan’ phase. Once the script has been written and the storyboard drawn—both major feats on their own—our team has a pretty good sense of whether the piece is engaging or conveys the intended message. If we’re happy with the piece at this stage, we can be very confident that we’ll similarly be happy with the final piece—and so it just becomes a matter of executing on the storyboard, which requires tracking all the assets to be created, scenes to be animated, and audio to be recorded. 

Meanwhile, an interactive project’s ‘plan’ is typically a game design document, which describes all the interactions a user may encounter throughout the experience. Ultimately, the design process requires careful testing and tweaking of the document’s mechanics over the course of the development cycle to ensure that we create something fun that simultaneously gets the content across. Because of that, our team needs to act much more quickly—constantly meeting, reviewing game builds, and discussing potential improvements—while also figuring out which assets need to be tracked and created. It’s a process that keeps you on your toes!

You’ve produced some pretty large projects during your time here. Can you tell us a little more about one in very recent memory, Project Here Games? What went into getting that project to the finish line?
Project Here Games was a really fun and challenging project to work on. The project was commissioned by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) as part of their Massachusetts-state-wide Project Here initiative to combat substance use through social emotional learning and healthy decision making. As you can imagine, that’s a pretty hefty task to fit into an engaging website for middle schoolers—but none too big for the project’s creative masterminds, Leigh Hallisey (creative director/writer) and Loren Lee-Flynn (user experience designer). Our team devised a series of quizzes and games, which were designed to model real-world situations and reward healthy decision-making. Combined with a really fun art style from our art team, Keith Zulawnik and Christina Kelly, the website was an instant hit. And collaborating with associate producer, Mikaela Johnson, and really dedicated teams at the AGO, Human Resources in Action, and GE, allowed us  to wrap up the project smoothly and successfully. 

You also project managed The Paper Girls Show! What’s your favorite thing about that animated series?
The series Paper Girls Show depicts two friends, Caily and Reese, who are both totally enamored with STEM and use it to solve all sorts of creative challenges. The show aims to break down gender stereotypes around STEM subjects and empower more girls to join those fields. It was inspiring to work with a team of people who were passionate about the mission. This created a fast-paced, creative environment that was amazing to be a part of—we could barely keep up with all the backgrounds, characters, and designs our art team was producing. And at the end of our first season, it was exciting to receive validation for our hard work once we took home animation awards at Cannes, Palm Springs, and KidsScreen!

You’re also the coordinator for the studio production internship. How do you work with the interns to insure they’re getting the most out of their time here, and what do you look for in a production intern?
At the beginning of a student’s internship, we meet to determine what sorts of projects they are interested in and subsequently pair them with a few. While assigned to a project, the interns become part of the team, helping out in a variety of capacities. When I was an intern at various companies, I didn’t always get a sense of the company’s bigger picture beyond the project I was assigned to, so I also started a series of weekly meetings with our interns, in which studio members discuss their roles and backgrounds. Through these meetings, the interns are able to see how all the different pieces of the FableVision puzzle fit together. 

Regarding prospective candidates, I’m most interested in whether they have demonstrated a real interest in either children’s media or educational technology. We’re looking for students who are really passionate about the field and made efforts to contribute to or learn about it. 

What are your favorite ways to unwind after work?
I really enjoy running, biking, or cooking when I get home in the evenings. I don’t have a car in MA, so I’ve been able to get out and explore the area by biking deep into the suburbs and countryside. I also love trying out and perfecting new recipes, particularly with unique ingredients or new flavors I haven’t experienced before. 

You’ve lived in and travelled to a lot of countries. How have your travels influenced you, and what’s your next vacation destination?
I was lucky enough to grow up in a foreign service family, which meant moving to a new country every three to four years. It’s hard not to love travel with that kind of background. So since I moved back to the US about 10 years ago, I’ve been trying to get out as much as possible. I love seeing unique places (especially city skylines), trying new foods, and⁠—though I’m a bit of an introvert⁠—meeting new people. 

In terms of next destinations, one of my good friends is moving to Argentina for a few months and I’m hoping to get down there in the fall. It will be my first South American destination, but I’m hoping to travel throughout the continent at some point. 

More about Michael:

Current show you’re binge-watching: Anything from Bon Appetit’s YouTube channel.

Favorite game: Mario Kart Double Dash.

Any podcast recs? It’s not the cheeriest rec, but I’ve been listening to Slate’s Slow Burn about Bill Clinton’s impeachment. I’ve been trying to revisit political events from my childhood and this fits in perfectly. 

Go-to dish to bring to a potluck: Homemade hummus or a dip with too much garlic.

Favorite book you’ve read recently: Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou.

Postcards from Georgia

When my best friend Emily moved to Georgia to pursue a PhD in school psychology, I was excited for her and a little apprehensive—she was moving to a new state that I had never visited and didn’t know much about. So when FableVision Studios forged a partnership with Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) to create Georgia Race Through Time, a phenomenal new game-based learning tool that teaches 8th graders about Georgia history, I was beyond thrilled. Through Savannah, the talented antiques dealer and Georgia Race Through Time’s protagonist, and her trusty dog Peaches, I was able to learn more about my best friend’s new home and feel connected to a state I had never been to.

When GPB and FableVision launched Georgia Race Through Time, I immediately shared the game with Emily. Being both an educator and student, she instantly fell in love with it. Inspired by the game and whisked away by the charming postcards FableVision designed to show specific historic locations, Emily and I devised a plan to explore a portion of the Peach State with a road trip from Atlanta to Savannah. On June 23, Emily and I hit the road as we set off for the very same cities explored by Savannah and Peaches. With postcards from the game, allow me to give you a glimpse of our own Race-Through-Time-inspired trip!

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Atlanta is Emily’s new home and the first stop on our trip. With Emily as tour guide, I was able to see the bustling city that emerged from the ashes of the Civil War. I visited Georgia State University where Emily works and goes to school, the massive Georgia Aquarium, and ate delicious southern BBQ. In the evening, I got a rooftop view of the State Capitol Building’s golden dome glistening against the night sky.

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Nestled in the heart of Georgia, not too far from the mountains or ocean, is the second stop on our trip. Macon is a city rich with history, landmarks, and incredible music. We spent an hour soaking up the place “where soul lives.” In Macon, there’s always an event or festival. To blend in with the locals, we explored a farmer’s market where we picked up Cajun boiled peanuts (an absolute road trip must!) and, of course, Georgia peaches! 

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You can’t visit the Georgia coast without visiting one of the Barrier Islands! With our sunglasses and picnic basket in tow, we set off for the beach on Tybee Island. From being a hot spot for pirates looking to hide their loot, to playing an important military role during the American Civil War, to being a popular beach town getaway for nearby residents, Tybee is the place to be if you want to escape the Georgia heat and humidity with cooling saltwater breezes.

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The namesake of Georgia Race Through Time’s main character and the final destination of our trip, this coastal city is bursting with southern charm! A strategic port city during the American Revolution and American Civil War, Savannah is Georgia’s oldest city. We lunched at the famous Gryphon Tea Room, a converted apothecary across the street from the prestigious Savannah School of Art and Design (SCAD). Part of what gives Savannah its charm is the oak trees branches draped in Spanish moss that line the streets and public squares. We came across a series of these on Jones Street, voted one of the most beautiful streets in all of North America!

Emily and Mitul in Macon, Georgia

Georgia is a picturesque state dotted with vibrant cities that have rich stories to tell. There’s still much of the Peach State I have yet to explore and so much history I have yet to learn. With my pals Emily, Savannah, and Peaches continuing to foster my love for the state and all that it has to offer, I’m looking forward to having Georgia on my mind again soon.

Play the free game here and discover for yourself the history behind the glorious state of Georgia!

Georgia Race to Texas: Help Us Road Trip to SXSWedu 2018!

The adventure isn’t over! GPB and FableVision are hoping to bring our team of playful experts to SXSWedu 2018 to share how media developers, public broadcasters, and educators came together to pioneer Georgia Race Through Time and increase student engagement. We're hoping to bring our team of playful experts to SXSWedu 2018 in our session “Immersive Learning: Teaching History Through GBL.” But we need your help to get there—yes, you!

Session attendees will learn how to:

• Reach the notoriously hard-to-engage adolescent audience and extend that engagement from the classroom to home and back again;
• Receive tips or insights on how to successfully merge primary documents with modern technology for a unique game experience;
• Leverage collaboration across disciplines to produce a game-based learning approach to improving students' learning performance.

Get the insider info to rock the power of your PanelPicker vote and help us get to Austin. Click here to read more about our session and vote!