As Yo Semite Studios, I partner with nonprofits using technology to do education and impact work. This includes the creation of real world programs as well as the production of videos, games and other digital media. Recent clients include the Maimonides Fund, Berkeley Law, , About-Face Media Literacy, the Center for Humane Technology, YOWLO finance, and Hillel International.
I’m Creative Director of the Digital Storytellers Lab - a yearlong fellowship that gives digital creators production funding and mentorship for a variety of new digital audio/visual media exploring Jewish themes for new media platforms. Thanks to the vision and support of the Maimonides Fund, I designed the program and keep it running with an all-star team of mentors from Youtube, Meta, Spotify, PRX, independent filmmaking, and philanthropy.
Hillel International commissioned me to produce three videos for use in trainings with students and professionals explaining who the Jewish people are, the historic roots of antisemitism, and how to recognize and combat it today.
As producer, I collaborated with subject matter experts (historians, rabbis and educators) on the scriptwriting, cast and directed voice talent, sourced the archival photos and videos, art directed the animation and edited the final pieces. The full videos are available at this link.
This is a book launch (and truly, a powerhouse of a conversation) about identity and theology between rabbi, author and CNN commentator Jay Michaelson, and author/Harvard Law professor Noah Feldman. I produced the event and the video (including a live performance adapting one of Michaelson's short stories featuring an actor not seen in this video.)
The mission: to explain the work of a philanthropic giving circle to friends, quickly, via a casual text message as a recruitment technique.
“Sarah was a joy to work with! She took the time to gain a nuanced understanding of our organization's mission and purpose, and internalized our dreams and goals for the project. Sarah did an excellent job of integrating feedback from many stakeholders and ultimately came up with a beautiful, cohesive product that really represents us, what we do and what we stand for. “
- Jakob Bolman, Natan Fund, Grants & Programs Manager
Spirit in Nature is a DOING podcast: an interactive audio guide you take with you on walks - it’s nature and spirituality through a Jewish lens (but fun and full of meaning for all!) Hosted by Rabbi Deborah Newbrun, who's also a naturalist and outdoor Jewish educator, and produced by Sarah Lefton, media creator and founder of BimBam, the podcast brings you the best of Jewish outdoor education and a new way to connect with Jewish life. Available on all the podcast directories, eg Apple, Spotify and so forth.
I directed this animated glimpse into the struggles of four first-responders on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis: an ER doctor in a New York City hospital, a chaplain in a NYC hospital, a nurse in Jerusalem, and a public health nurse combatting homelessness in California. With producer Flo Lo, I paired four first responders from across the globe with visual artists with unique and distinct styles. This global project shares intimate first-hand accounts from the frontlines of COVID-19. Told in the subject’s own voice, each story gives a brief but intense glimpse into their daily struggles combatting the 2020 pandemic.
This video is part of the Antisemitism Education Initiative on the Berkeley campus. It charts the history of antisemitism from its origins until today, tackling the hard questions about different and changing forms of antisemitism, persistent anti-Jewish stereotypes, the complex racial position of Jews in contemporary America, and the precise line between criticism of Israel and antisemitism. I directed and produced with partnership from a historian, a lawyer and a rabbi.
A four-part, 16 minute animated series tells the story of the book of Samuel in a way that’s true to the source material but also funny and accessible.
As Executive Producer, I raised $60,000 to produce series, hired a creative team, and kept the project moving on time and budget.
As Education Lead, I hired a screenwriter and directed the curricular structure of the screenplays with support from leading Biblical scholar Professor Robert Alter. As Director of Episodes 2-4, I oversaw storyboarding, voice acting. Edited story reel, art directed character, prop and background design, directed the animation team, oversaw score and sound FX creation, oversaw mix.
I worked with communications staff at Berkeley Law to prepare this introductory video for their emergency preparedness online resources. The target audience was new students, faculty and staff, and we needed to work within the UC Berkeley branding guidelines while making something compelling.
I was hired by UC Berkeley School of Law to highlight the field-driving work happening at its prestigious Business Law Center. This video is part of a strategy to use new media to put forward the ideas and personalities behind the center and to enliven the opening session at a traditionally stuffy academic conference.
I was thrilled to develop and produce this book teaser with author Matthew Polly. The goal was to bring to life an excited chapter of the book and give a multimedia hook to the Jewish press when reviewing the book. Mission accomplished - the video was incorporated into several articles and discovered organically on YouTube.
“On the eScapegoat website, guilty consciences can unload their sins — no more than 120 characters — which are then tweeted out online @sinfulgoat. More than 15,000 users have made confessions, from trivial to heartbreaking.”
— NPR's "Here and Now"
This web app was inspired by the Yom Kippur rituals from the time of the Temple in which a goat is symbolically burdened with the sins of the Jewish people. In the app, this action is symbolized by a whimsical animated goat receiving the sins that users share with it.
I conceived the idea, raised philanthropic support, and then executive produced it - overseeing a team of artists, animators, programmers and marketing folks.
“As the game begins, cartoon animals go flying in the air, and players must slash their throats by swiping a finger across the screen. Like many similar video games designed for the iPhone and the iPad—most notably the ubiquitous Fruit Ninja—this new game, too, is fast, fun, and unremitting: one misguided touch and it’s all over. But play for a moment or two, and you realize that the game’s rules—blemished animals must be spared, doves must be sacrificed by the pair—were set in place by the grandest designer of them all: The game you’re playing is based on the Bible’s most intricately detailed book.”
- Leviticus, The Video Game (Tablet Magazine)
This is another labor of love - I developed the concept and produced the whole thing on a grant of $25,000 that I raised. It’s unfortunately not been able to keep up with the development of iOS but I can share the game design document and art samples if you’re interested! Would LOVE to rebuild sometime.
I raised about $500,000 over three years to produce a massive suite of Judaism 101 videos and this was one of the most obvious and successful entries. I produced and led marketing efforts.
The Koret Foundation is interested in promoting Jewish education amongst young adults seeking information about their roots online. I built a strategy for a Judaism 101 series on Youtube, and they funded it over three years for several hundred thousand dollars. This video is one example of about 50 I produced in this initiative. This particular example, although low budget, has been very successful on Youtube with regards to audience retention, and daily search performance. It was shot at the YouTube Space in Los Angeles, where I have production privileges.
Celebrate Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, by blowing the shofar to wake up toys, animals and parents in this interactive story full of surprises. Randi Zuckerberg narrates this tale for 2-6 year olds: children will delight in actually blowing into their phones and tablets to sound the shofar! Each blast brings the story to life with colorful animations created by best-selling illustrator Laura Huliska-Beith.Creator, Writer Executive Producer, Art and Music DirectorWith the exception of the artwork and the code, this iOS and Android app was all me - a true passion project.