AFH & Mass General Cancer Center Collaborate for Public Good

Back in 2021, the Mass General Cancer Center approached us to create an animation that demonstrates how to do the deep inspiration breath hold technique during radiation therapy for breast cancer, as part of Mass General Brigham's United Against Racism specialty care project. The animated video was to explain both the importance of the breathing technique and visually demonstrate the path of radiation so patients, regardless of their mother language, can prepare themselves for the scan.

Sarah Elizabeth Wiley, Communications and Project Manager in Radiation Oncology at the Mass General Cancer Center, chose AFH for this important project.

This was the first time AFH Teen Animator, Tina Nguyen, now an AFH Alumna and Assistant Mentor in the Creative Technology Studio, worked on such a large project and for the health industry.

AFH Alumna and Creative Tech Assistant Mentor, Tina Nguyen, in studio.

AFH Animation Director, Trevor Ward, speaks to the AFH model, "...our model here in the Creative Technology Studio is to teach teens how to work on high-end animation projects while working on big name client projects...you learn by doing it..."

As of this writing, we are completing our second explainer animation to advance Mass General Cancer Center's patient education efforts, and about to be commissioned for a third.

Projects like this are full of impact! For the teen, the opportunity—to work on a real client job, build their artistic skills while earning money, reinforce the value they bring to the table, while also learning about the health industry, the diverse challenges patients face and the techniques behind different scanning procedures—is priceless.

Our clients' world views also grow in the process of collaborating toward a creative solution for their business challenge. By hiring AFH, they contribute to economic vitality and thriving local communities—creating new networks and advancing efforts to build a more equitable world.

Impact video produced by Artists For Humanity Video Production Studio.