Project 3

For my final project, I created a short, reflective video that tells a personal climate story through writing animation, visuals, and sound. I chose to center my artifact around a series of letters, written to nature, to silence, and ultimately to the Angeles Forest, to explore how climate change feels on a deeply personal level. Rather than using a voiceover, I opted to let the text appear as if it were being handwritten on the screen, mimicking the quiet and reflective tone of a letter. My goal was to use a familiar digital format (like TikToks or social media-style montages) to reach audiences who, like me, are used to consuming fast-paced content but often overlook the slower, quieter impact climate change has on both our environments and ourselves.

I chose this medium and format because of my background and interest in marketing and media, and because I wanted to challenge myself to use those tools for storytelling, rather than for persuasion or branding. This project reflects on how climate change is not only about destruction, but also about resilience and growth. Through footage and memories from the Angeles Forest, before and after the fires, I aimed to show how silence, stillness, and observation can help us understand change in a new way. My artifact invites viewers to reflect on their own relationships with nature and noise, and ultimately encourages them to slow down and notice what might be quietly transforming around them.

This project represents the culmination of what I’ve learned in SYN 1, especially around climate communication, identity, and the role of narrative. It allowed me to creatively apply those lessons to a format I care about, and to share a message that is both intimate and hopeful.