TABÚ

Starting in early 2019, I worked with sex education resource tabú to create animations, illustrations, trailers, and workbook layouts for content associated with their tabú university program, in which health professionals share advice on topics they're frequently asked about, like desire mismatch in relationships, sexual pain, and confidence while dating. While I've also done a handful of other animations and videos for tabú, I'll be focusing here on my work for tabú university.

An animation of a heart that comes undone to form the words Shula Melamed An animation of a menstrual cup, a pad, and a tampon that melt to form the words Demi Spaccavento

Background info:

tabú operates on the tenets of education as empowerment, of the importance of addressing even the awkward or complicated topics surrounding bodies and sex, of sharing only information verified by certified health professionals, and of questioning biases. The organization aims to serve as "Sex Ed 2.0," addressing the extreme lack of medically-accurate sex education available in the US.

An animation of two hands sliding along each other, with text over it reading Staying The Course

tabú university is made up of courses led by sex educators, health educators, relationship coaches, and more, featuring worksheets, videos, private group conversations, and some fun exclusive perks. Videos are the primary component of each course, with instructors diving into topics that are further explored through worksheets. Most of the courses average about an hour in length. The worksheets that accompany each course feature evidence-based prompts and reflective exercises helping folks connect what they've learned from the courses to their own experiences and needs.

An animation of two hands, both holding phones and swiping as if on dating apps, with text over it reading Dating With Confidence

The process:

My main job was to make animated assets for the video content of each course. I created title animations, captions, and animations meant to be overlaid on top of the videos that would emphasize or illustrate what was being discussed. I was given a list of timestamps where animations were needed, and worked with the client to figure out what sort of animation would best fit there. I also created animations showing each instructor's name and title animations for each video, and incorporated thematically appropriate imagery relevant to each course. I designed video thumbnails to be displayed in a number of locations, including YouTube and the tabú site, and I created engaging workbooks using copy provided by the instructors.

A thumbnail reading Maximize Your Desire with an illustration of two hands intertwined in the background and an image of a smiling white person outlined in yellow at the bottom. A thumbnail reading Sexual Pain Is No Joke with an illustration of a pelvic bone surrounded in lightning bolts and an image of a smiling Black person outlined in yellow at the bottom.

I also created animations for and largely edited the program's launch trailer, which you can see below. Please be aware that the video starts off with several clips from outdated, sex-negative, heteronormative, and cis-centric "sex education" speakers, shown to illustrate the kinds of mentalities tabú seeks to address with its more inclusive, accessible, and updated sex education content.

Reflections on the project:

This project shows some of my earliest animation work. Like most artists looking at their earlier work, I can certainly see many changes I'd make were I to take on this project now, but I am also quite proud of what I was able to make, and very thankful to the folks at tabú for taking a chance on me.

An animation of a mint green screen, from which green expands to create a night sky with a shooting star and to reveal the name Kait Scalisi An animation of the name Dr. Uchenna UC Ossai appearing, with lightning bolts above and below.

My favorite details of the project:

I especially enjoyed animating the course titles and instructor introductions, where I got to make use of a larger canvas and bring in relevant and interesting imagery related to the course topics. The process of figuring out what would be a good visual way to summarize the course, or the instructors' expertise, was a real treat!