Growing up in Boyle Heights, an East Los Angeles neighborhood with a history of violence and crime, doesn’t make for the easiest childhood. But to Betty, Diana, Oscar and Perla, Boyle Heights is home. The Roosevelt High students see beyond the rough edges and recognize the good in their community: The strong sense of family, the honest work ethic, and the desire to achieve the American dream.

Equipped with their own cameras, these four remarkable kids agreed to document their lives. This video series is a compilation of the footage they shot. The results provide an intimate access to home and school, and reveal the hopes and dreams of four yearning students who are striving to defy expectations.

In February 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (“ARRA”), dedicating almost $787 billion to revitalize and improve the United States’ infrastructure. The City of Los Angeles was awarded approximately $611 million to augment existing programs and services for the benefit of its residents.

We were tasked with creating an interactive website that displayed how the City of Los Angeles was utilizing its ARRA funds. By translating the raw statistics and information provided by the City into graphics and incorporating various types of media, the resulting product was a visually appealing website that clearly and concisely presented how the City of Los Angeles is putting its ARRA dollars to use.

In an effort to promote energy efficiency, the City of Los Angeles utilized a portion of the federal funding it was allotted to launch the Traffic Signal Light Conversion Program. The program, which entailed converting traffic lights and pedestrian signals from incandescent bulbs to LED ones around the city, resulted in an 85% reduction in energy consumption and a savings of around 7,750,000 watts of energy.

By hearing from the city officials who helped create the program, as well as the workers who installed the new lights, our video takes a closer look at how the innovative program helped to make Los Angeles a greener and brighter city.

Not too long ago, Costello Park was known as a no-man’s land wedged between two rival projects in the City of Los Angeles. Now, thanks to Summer Night Lights, a city initiative to reduce violence, the park is a place where a community that was once divided comes together to have fun and break bread. Nowhere was this change more evident than in the dance battles held on the park grounds. Rather than interact through violence, the youth of the community was able to channel its energy creatively and engage each other through dance.

Our video tells the story of the transformation of Costello Park through the perspectives of three Summer Night Lights volunteers, Tana, Aaron, and Enrique, who, as community members, not only witnessed the change, but also helped make it happen.

Looking for a cleaner, tighter and more professional aesthetic, Rennes, a handmade accessories brand, asked our graphic designer to give their website a face-lift. The result was a dynamic gallery slideshow layout with modern typeface and muted colors that really showcased the products and complimented the feel of the brand.