(Free Press Release) Berkeley, CA How do you teach over 10,000 Californians to recycle, compost and
dispose of toxic waste? Recology, (previously NorCal Waste Systems), Northern
California‘s largest waste management system found the answer by partnering with
Studio B Films to produce a series of instructional videos for the web and DVD. With
their recent addition of single stream recycling and compost services in San Mateo
County, Recology recognized these programs would not succeed without the
cooperation of their clients. In order to help their customers become better recyclers and
composters, Recology hired Berkeley-based Studio B Films to generate unique and
stylized instructional videos “that would effectively “train” viewers on the ins-and-outs of
waste management.

“When Recology approached us we knew this was going to be an interesting challenge,”
says Aaron Berry, Techinical Director of Studio B Films. “We needed to make an
instructional video that would be an extremely effective educational tool, but entertaining
and engaging at the same time. And, if we didn‘t make the message clear to people, it
wouldn‘t only mean thousands of dollars lost, but energy and fuel as well, something
neither California nor the environment can afford.”

What do the numbers in the recycling symbol mean? Can I recycle plastic bags? Are
shellfish compostable? Where do I put those greasy pizza boxes? In order to answer all
these questions and more, Studio B Films implemented an innovative style in training
videos. “Rather than dazzling viewers with streamlined motion graphics, we decided to
keep everything very real and use a more tactical approach with an arts and crafts feel,”
says David Collier, director and founder of Studio B Films. “We knew we didn‘t want a
host so we decided to shoot everything from first person POV. It‘s a DIY demo.”

With a pair of hands entering from off-camera as if they were the viewers‘ own and a light,
conversational narrator guiding each step, the Recology instructional videos give the illusion of
an actual demonstration as the hands manipulate various paper cutouts to explain each
concept. “Initially, Recology had envisioned an announcer, but we wanted to take away any
distractions to keep the video clean, clear and easy to understand,” says Berry. “The first person
POV serves as a playful yet educational way in which to demonstrate simple and complex
concepts.”

This new approach could garner popularity in the instructional video market. With so
many digital and web-based products now requiring user training, there is a need for
cleanly designed instructional videos to convey conceptually complicated subjects. http://www.studiobfilms.com/content/recology?category=25