REWFOE

Throughout 2018 and 2019, I worked with Hector Herrera from TOGETHER to create the animated segments for TVO’s new science-based educational show for kids called Blynk and Aazoo.

Check out the episodes here.

Our animation team was just the two of us, Hector did all of the design, rigs, and sciences sequences, and I took on animating the majority of Blynk and Aazoo’s scenes, specifically the action-oriented scenes, such as the intros, and invention fiasco scenes.

We animated about 4 minutes per episode, and did 24 episodes in just over a year. We built an extensive animation library as we went to reduce the amount of work, but it was still quite a feat!

Here you can find my favourite sequences from the series.

Enjoy!

Interstitial for Let’s Go Luna at 12:00 mark.

Video is only available in Canada. Gifs of the short below.

Created in collaboration with 9Story and PBS.

Directors: Andrew Foerster and Peter Hannan

Animation: Andrew Foerster

The human voice is capable of incredible variety and range. As we age, our bodies undergo two major changes which explore that range. So how exactly does our voice box work, and what causes these shifts in speech? Shaylin A. Schundler describes how and why our voices change when we get older.

Educator: Shaylin A. Schundler

Animator/Director: Andrew Foerster

Art: Nick Counter

Sound Designer: Devin Polaski

Associate Producer: Bethany Cutmore-Scott, Elizabeth Cox

Content Producer: Gerta Xhelo

Editorial Producer: Alex Rosenthal

Narrator Addison: Anderson

Series of gifs for Koodo Mobile.

Agency: Camp Jefferson

Art Director: Lily Tran

Animation & Illustration: Andrew Foerster

Insulin pumps improve the lives of millions of people with diabetes around the world by monitoring blood sugar, delivering insulin, and preventing the need for constant finger-pricking. But there’s a catch: they’re temporary. And it’s not only insulin pumps that have this problem, but all bodily implants. Why is that? Kaitlyn Sadtler details how our immune system reacts to foreign bodies.

Educator Kaitlyn Sadtler

Animator Andrew Foerster

Sound Designer Devin Polaski

Director of Production Gerta Xhelo

Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal

Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott

Script Editor Emma Bryce

Fact-checker Francisco Diez

Have you ever talked with a friend about a problem, only to realize that he just doesn’t seem to grasp why the issue is so important to you? Have you ever presented an idea to a group, and it’s met with utter confusion? What’s going on here? Katherine Hampsten describes why miscommunication occurs so frequently, and how we can minimize frustration while expressing ourselves better.

Educator: Katherine Hampsten

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Script Editor: Amy Adkins

Sound Designer: Weston Fonger

All year long, researchers at hospitals around the world collect samples from flu patients and send them to top virology experts with one goal: to design the vaccine for the next flu season. But why do we need a new one every year? Vaccines for diseases like mumps and rubella offer a lifetime of protection with two shots early in life; what’s so special about the flu? Melvin Sanicas explains.

Educator: Melvin Sanicas

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Script Editor: Eleanor Nelsen

Sound Designer: Devin Polaski

It’s sometimes assumed that talking too much about ourselves is rude; and asking questions of others is polite and charming. But the distinction is not quite so simple. There are far better and worse ways of speaking about ourselves. We end up charming when we dare to reveal our vulnerabilities to others. 

Written/Voiced: Alain de Botton

Animator: Andrew Foerster

The bacteria in our guts can break down food the body can’t digest, produce important nutrients, regulate the immune system, and protect against harmful germs. And while we can’t control all the factors that go into maintaining a healthy gut microbiome, we can manipulate the balance of our microbes by paying attention to what we eat. Shilpa Ravella shares the best foods for a healthy gut.

Educator Shilpa Ravella

Director/Animator Andrew Foerster

Script Editor Mia Nacamulli

Storyboards by Artist Andrew Foerster and James Turner

Illustrator/Characters James Turner

Lyric video for Nelvana and Corus Entertainment's new show: Mysticons.

All assets supplied by Nelvana, Corus, and Blue Ant Media

Animation, type, and direction by Andrew Foerster

Song by Melanie Dawn

Today, glasses help millions of people with poor vision be able to see clearly. But how? Andrew Bastawrous and Clare Gilbert help unravel the answer by explaining refraction — the ability of a transparent medium, like glass, water, or the eye, to change the direction of light passing through it.

Educators: Andrew Bastawrous & Clare Gilbert

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Script Editor: Emma Bryce

When we’re down or melancholy, the last thing we need is someone who will jolly us along.

Written/Voiced: Alain de Botton

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Did you know that gold is extraterrestrial? Instead of arising from our planet’s rocky crust, it was actually cooked up in space and is present on Earth because of cataclysmic stellar explosions called supernovae. CERN Scientist David Lunney outlines the incredible journey of gold from space to Earth.

Educator: David Lunney

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Sound Designer: Devin Polaski

Script Editor Emma Bryce

We get into sulks for reasons we should strive to understand and – gently – correct.

Written/Voiced: Alain de Botton

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Sound Designer: Devin Polaski

Rene Goldman's story as a Holocaust survivor. 

Animated scenes at:

1:27, 2:17, 4:00

Credits:

Film by Azrieli Short Film Series

Narration/Live action: Rene Goldman

Artwork: Deshi Deng

Animation: Andrew Foerster

Direction: Together 

If walls could talk, Turkey's Hagia Sophia would have an abundance of stories to tell. Once a church, then a mosque, and now a museum, this world marvel has stood the test of time and war, surviving centuries of conquest by some of history’s greatest empires. Kelly Wall takes us through the history of each layer of this great jewel of human desire.

Educator: Kelly Wall

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Script Editor: Michael Molina

Some of our feelings about how the world might be in a 100 years time and more are based on an unexpected feeling: envy. It’s almost humiliating to contemplate how many of our current problems might no longer exist.

Written/Voiced: Alain de Botton

Animator: Andrew Foerster

The biggest challenge in a parasite’s life is to move from one host to another. Intriguingly, many parasites have evolved the ability to manipulate the behavior of their hosts to improve their own survival -- sometimes even by direct brain control. Jaap de Roode details a few parasites that can really mess with the mind.

Educator: Jaap de Roode

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Script Editor: Eleanor Nelsen

Opening sequence for A Blog To Watch. Check out an episode below.

Logo: Matt Smith-Johnson at Sentient Creative

Animation: Andrew Foerster

Language is complex, and when abstract or nuanced concepts get lost in translation, the consequences may be catastrophic. Given the complexities of language and cultural exchange, how do these epic miscommunications not happen all the time? Ewandro Magalhaes explains how much of the answer lies with the skill and training of interpreters to overcome language barriers.

Educator: Ewandro Magalhaes

Animation/Direction: Andrew Foerster

Artwork: Joren Cull

Script Editor: Amy Adkins

Music/SFX: Howard Sinden

Should you stay or leave a relationship? Here’s a checklist of questions to ask oneself before heading out too quickly - or too slowly.

Written/Voiced: Alain de Botton

Animation/Direction: Andrew Foerster

Artwork: Joren Cull

Music/SFX: Devin Polaski

Teflon was in the spacesuits the Apollo crew wore for the moon landing, in pipes and valves used in the Manhattan project, and it may be in your kitchen, as the nonstick coating on frying pans and cookie sheets. So what is this slippery solid — and why doesn’t anything stick to it? Ashwini Bharathula describes the science behind Teflon.

Educator: Ashwini Bharathula

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Sound Designer: Devin Polaski

Over-the-counter pregnancy tests give potentially life-changing results with a pretty high rate of accuracy. But how do they work? Tien Nguyen explains how each test performs a scientifically rigorous, multi-stage experiment that goes from start to finish in the time that it’ll take you to watch this video.

Educator: Tien Ngyuen

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Artist: Mike Ellis

Animated explainer video for literacy organization “Read Record Replay”.

This video was produced for a literacy organization/movement called Read Record Replay. By hosting book drives, organizing “recordathons”, and distributing the books-and-audio to communities who need them, Read Record Replay helps children under the poverty line experience being read to as they follow along with the book: an important developmental step in literacy.

Animation/Direction: Andrew Foerster

Production: Pazit Cahlon

Created in collaboration with TOGETHER

The highly virulent Ebola virus has seen a few major outbreaks since it first appeared in 1976 -- with the worst epidemic occurring in 2014. How does the virus spread, and what exactly does it do to the body? Alex Gendler details what Ebola is and why it's so hard to study.

Educator: Alex Gendler

Animator: Andrew Foerster

The real cruelty of unrequited love is that we don’t get to know our beloveds well enough to find out their flaws – and therefore to lose interest in them gradually. The best cure for love is in essence: get to know them better.

Written/Voiced: Alain de Botton

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Halitosis is a curse that has plagued humanity since ancient times. But what causes it, and why is it so universally terrifying? Mel Rosenberg outlines the basics of bad breath — and what you can do when it strikes you.

Educator:

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Sound Design: Devin Polaski

Script Editor: Alex Gendler

The world of modern theater owes its roots to the tragedians of Ancient Greece. As far back as the 5th Century BCE, actors and playwrights were entertaining the masses with intriguing stories. Melanie Sirof unveils the ancient theatrical innovations that made the way for Broadway.

Educator: Melanie Sirof

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Sound Designer: Devin Polaski

When a team of archeologists recently came across some 15,000-year-old human remains, they made an interesting discovery: the teeth of those ancient humans were riddled with holes. So what causes cavities, and how can we avoid them? Mel Rosenberg takes us inside our teeth to find out.

Educator: Mel Rosenberg

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Script Editor: Emma Bryce

Sound Designer: Devin Polaski

When you hear the word symmetry, you might think generally of triangles, butterflies, or even ballerinas. But defined scientifically, symmetry is “a transformation that leaves an object unchanged.” Huh? Colm Kelleher unpacks this abstract term and explains how animals' distinct symmetries can tell us more about them -- and ourselves.

Educator: Colm Kelleher

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Additional Backgrounds: Sarah Pedro

Script Editor: Emma Bryce

It’s hard to imagine Venice without the curious, banana-shaped gondolas that glide down the canals. How did these boats come to be the trademark transportation of Venice? Laura Morelli details the history of the gondola, explaining why these boats were needed, the painstaking process by which they were made and why they have slowly begun to fade from the once-crowded canals.

Educator: Laura Morelli

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Script Editor: Michael Molina

Cancer usually begins with one tumor in a specific area of the body. But if the tumor is not removed, cancer has the ability to spread to nearby organs as well as places far away from the origin, like the brain. How does cancer move to these new areas and why are some organs more likely to get infected than others? Ivan Seah Yu Jun explains the three common routes of metastasis.

Educator: Ivan Seah Yu Jun

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Script Editor: Michael Molina

The constant motion of our oceans represents a vast and complicated system involving many different drivers. Sasha Wright explains the physics behind one of those drivers -- the concentration gradient -- and illustrates how our oceans are continually engaging in a universal struggle for space.

Educator: Alexandra (Sasha) Wright

Collaborator: Ellen Herra

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Additional Backgrounds: Sarah Pedro

Sound Designer: Devin Polaski

Script Editor: Emma Bryce

Salt dissolves in water; oil does not. But why? You can think of that glass of water as a big, bumpin' dance party where the water molecules are always switching dance partners -- and they'd much rather dance with a salt ion. John Pollard explains how two chemistry principles, energetics and entropy, rule the dance floor.

Educator: John Pollard

Animator: Andrew Foerster

Sound Designer: Devin Polaski

You already know that a trip to the beach can give you a nasty sunburn, but the nitty gritty of sun safety is actually much more complex. Wrinkle-causing UVA rays and burn-inducing UVB's can pose a serious risk to your health (and good looks). So what can you do? Kevin P. Boyd makes the case to slap on some physical or chemical SPF daily.

Educator: Kevin P. Boyd

Animator: Andrew Foerster