Animated Explainer Video for Biotech Rain Oncology

Case Study: 3d Science Animation of the Cancer Therapy Milademetan

Rain Oncology is a precision oncology company with clinical trials of the promising new cancer therapy Milademetan. SayoStudio has worked with Rain since its founding in 2015, creating graphics of the many promising cancer targets. SayoStudio science visuals have been used for Rain’s investor pitch decks, website, and patient education. Now, with a promising therapy in clinical trials, Rain came to us for a new animated explainer video. In this case study, we look at our team’s creation of a 3D science animation explaining Milademetan’s mode of action.

Our communication studio’s specialty is creating visuals that draw people in and communicate complex science stories. Rain’s drug Milademetan is a poster child for complex science stories. As you’ll see in our case study, it’s much easier to understand with visuals. Read on to learn more about Rain’s Milademetan drug that targets the MDM2 pathway, a potential therapy for up to 50% of cancers.

Creating 3d Biotech Animation: Milademetan in Action

Animation takes a lot of planning and work–from script writing, to storyboard, to final 3D animation, and sound design. SayoStudio brought together a diverse team of talent for the Rain biotech animation. As we got to work, our first job was to understand the science. Our team met with Rain several times, and researched the cancer pathway to understand how best to tell the Rain Mildametan story.

After researching, writer and director Cliff Braverman worked closely with Rain to write the script and help direct the animation. He fine-tuned each word with both Rain’s scientists and legal team, always working to appeal to a broader audience of patients and investors.

Storyboard Art for Biotech Animation:

As Braverman fine-tuned the script, SayoStudio’s art team began sketching out the storyboard. Science illustrator Ari Gea drew an overview of the animation, with guidance from the team, including: Braverman, art director Claire Agosti, and 3D animator (and Ph.D. scientist) Christoph Kuehne. Gea hand-sketched each major scene and transition so that we and Rain could envision the animated story.

3D Animation Process to Show Cancer Therapies

With the script and storyboard laid out, animator Kuehne got to work gathering and creating 3D resources. First, he identified protein molecules from the Protein Database—a huge resource of structures determined by x-ray crystallography. Next, with the PDB structures imported into his 3D software, he edited them to fit the overall animation style.

For components that can’t be downloaded from scientific sources—like the cell beds and organelles—Kuehne created custom 3D sculptures. It can be a painstaking process, but the end result is an original, accurate scientific vision. Once the cellular landscape was created, Kuehne continued to define the colors, textures, and lighting that gives the science story its unique look.

As the visuals were fine-tuned, voice actor Laurie Howell recorded the narration with Braverman’s direction. Multi-talent Kuehne edited the sound for the final animation, with sound effects, music, and Howell’s narration. The finished biotech animation shown below, will be used in Rain’s presentations, conferences, web, and social media.

Milademetan p53/MDM2 in Action: Animated Explainer Video

It’s so satisfying to see a company we’ve worked with since its inception succeed. In the case of Rain, this is amplified by the excitement and very-real promise their drugs have to positively impact the lives of so many. In interviews, Rain’s CEO Avanish Vellanki has reported that Milademetan has tripled and even quadrupled the survival time of patients with difficult-to-treat cancers. We look forward to watching Rain Oncology’s continued success as they continue developing targeted cancer therapies.

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