Nurture Genomics Newborn genomic screening · 2D explainer series · genomics
Four films.
One calm voice for new parents.
Nurture Genomics screens healthy newborns and young children for rare, childhood-onset genetic conditions. For the agency Wirebuzz, Motionfarm animated a series of four films that walk parents through how sequencing works, what the screening can and cannot tell them, how the service works day to day, and what they are agreeing to. Wirebuzz filmed the genetic counselor on set; we built the illustrated world around her.
The challenge
Make genomics feel gentle, not clinical.
The audience is a parent holding a newborn. The subject is whole-genome screening, rare disease and informed consent. Every film had to be accurate enough for a genetic counselor to stand behind, and warm enough that a tired parent keeps watching. That meant one consistent family, one soft palette drawn from the Nurture brand, and a presenter who could speak to parents directly.
Regraded for this case studyA real counselor, in an illustrated world.
Erynn Gordon, Certified Genetic Counselor and VP of Operations, guides parents through two of the films. We graded and composited her footage into the series’ bright, airy look so live action and animation feel like one world.
The approach
One family. Four questions.
Each film answers one question a parent would ask, and the same mother and child carry the viewer through all four. Science becomes something familiar: the genome is a library, genes are books, a variant is a changed word. Soft teal, navy and mauve from Nurture’s own colour system keep every scene calm, and the app screens, result cards and telehealth calls show the service exactly as parents will meet it.
- 01How it works
- 02What you can learn
- 03How Nurture works
- 04Informed consent
Four films, eight moments.
Film 1 · 0:28 Looking closely
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08Four films, one family.
Each excerpt plays silently. The full films run between one and a half and four minutes.
Extraction, sequencing and interpretation, told with a magnifying glass and a strand of DNA.
The genome as a library: 400+ conditions, and what the screening is not.
From the kit at home to results and a call with a genetic counselor.
Benefits, limitations and privacy, explained before parents say yes.
The same drawings,
moving more gently.
For this case study we re-animated key scenes from the original artwork: the same flat illustration, with softer breathing, blinks, glances and a slow camera drift.
Re-animated for this case study. Not part of the 2023 delivery.
From storyboard to screen.
Every scene was planned as a board first: framing, gesture, and where the camera moves. Drag each panel to move from the pencil board to the final frame.
BoardFinal
BoardFinal
BoardFinal
BoardFinal
BoardFinal
BoardFinal
What the films explain.
- 400+
- Actionable, childhood-onset genetic conditions that Nurture screens for.
- 4–6 weeks
- How long the genomic analysis takes, as told to parents in the films.
- 5–7 years
- The average time spent diagnosing a rare disease, as cited in the series.
Figures as stated in the films and by Nurture Genomics.
What we delivered
Four films.
One world.
- How genetic sequencing works
- 1:40 explainer, 16:9 at 1080p.
- What you can learn
- 1:51 explainer built around the genomics library.
- How Nurture works
- 1:34 film combining the on-camera counselor with animation.
- Informed consent
- 4:08 film on benefits, limitations and privacy.
- Finishing
- Colour grading, compositing, music and sound design across the series.
Credits & collaboration
Good work is shared work.
- Client
- Nurture Genomics
- Agency
- Wirebuzz · live recording, on-set production and scripts
- Motionfarm
- 2D animation, colour grading, compositing, music & sound design
- Year
- 2023
Next project
DigiVidBio
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