Every campus has information students need and skip. Financial aid steps. Housing deadlines. Advising requirements. Accessibility services. The information is accurate and published, and it still goes unread.
An animated explainer gives that information a story, a voice and a reason to watch. When it's planned well, students remember what to do next. When it isn't, it becomes one more link in an email nobody opens.
Here is what to settle before you commission one.
1. Who is watching, and what should they do afterward?
A first-generation student, a parent and a transfer student need different things from the same policy. The strongest explainers are written for one audience and one action: submit the form, book the appointment, meet the deadline.
2. What material already exists?
Most schools already own the substance: policy pages, slide decks, orientation scripts, FAQs. That material is the starting point. Anissa Studio shapes it into a story with a clear beginning, middle and end, then brings it to life through animation, voice, music and sound.
3. Where will it be watched?
A video for an orientation screen, a website and a student inbox may need different lengths. That is why most projects are planned as two pieces: a full explainer and a shorter version.
4. Who needs to understand it?
Captions make a video usable for more students and are available as an add-on. French and Spanish versions, through content localization, help reach families who read and listen in those languages. See designing animation for neurodivergent and differently abled learners.
5. Who approves it?
Campus projects often pass through communications, a department lead and compliance. Naming one decision maker at the start keeps the schedule on track.
Why work with Anissa Studio
Anissa Studio is a woman-owned animation studio in Washington, DC, founded by writer and director Anissa Douglass. She holds an MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and brings 15 years of writing, directing and creative direction. She wrote and directed A Tale of Two Travelers, a DOT grant-funded animated campaign for a regional airport in Columbus, Georgia.
The studio works with universities, schools, school programs and school boards in DC, Maryland, Virginia and nationwide.
Ready to talk about your project? Send a project inquiry or see Explainers & PSAs.
