Author: Alessandro Arnold

How can complex scientific research topics be transformed into content capable of engaging younger generations? And what role can audiovisual and digital languages play in fostering a more informed culture of health?

These are the questions at the heart of SASPEM – Health, a Mirror of the World, an experimental health education project that brings together schools, universities, researchers, physicians, and communication professionals. Its goal is to promote an integrated vision of individual and collective well-being through the One Health approach, which views human health, the environment, and society as deeply interconnected dimensions.

Within the project, AANT played a central role in the communication and creative production process, supporting students in transforming scientific content into audiovisual products designed for digital platforms.

One of the most significant moments of the project was the event “Health, a Mirror of the World,” held on March 16 at the Conference Center of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome. The event featured prominent figures from the international medical and scientific community, including Carlo Torti, Elena Raffetti, and Riccardo Serraino.

Building on the knowledge shared during these sessions, AANT designed a comprehensive workshop program for the participating classes, aimed at developing storytelling, digital, and audiovisual skills. The program included social media literacy activities focused on understanding platform dynamics and communication strategies, workshops on creating storytelling for reels and short-form content, lessons on the grammar of audiovisual language, and practical sessions dedicated to filming preparation and reviewing the students’ productions.

Leading the workshops were AANT professionals and faculty members Andrea Sergiacomo, Matteo Quarta, Guido Calanca, and Giorgio Casa, who guided students through every stage of the creative process: from analyzing digital trends and defining key messages to narrative development, video production, and reel editing.

The goal was not only to provide technical skills, but also to help students learn how to communicate complex scientific topics in an effective, accessible, and responsible way. This approach combines research, creativity, and innovation, highlighting the potential of contemporary communication languages as powerful tools for public engagement and science communication.

On May 19, AANT hosted the final Meet the Expert event of the academic year. The guest speaker was Fabio Antonelli, a composer, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist who has long been dedicated to promoting music culture through projects that combine analysis, storytelling, and in-depth exploration of film and media soundtracks. 

During the event, Antonelli shared his professional experience with students enrolled in AANT’s Bachelor’s Degree programmes, and particularly the Bachelor Degree Programme in Game Design, discussing the role of music as a narrative tool in films, television series, and video games. The meeting provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on how sound contributes to shaping the identity of an audiovisual work and creating an engaging emotional experience for audiences. 

A key focus of the event (coordinated by the teacher Coordinator of Game Design Simone Mari)  was “SuonA Tipo Bene”, the podcast created and hosted by Antonelli, which explores the language of soundtracks and their impact on contemporary storytelling. Through episodes dedicated to films, TV series, and video games, the project makes complex musical concepts accessible to a wider audience, shedding light on composers’ work, creative processes, and the hidden meanings behind musical choices. 

Students particularly appreciated the opportunity to engage directly with the guest speaker, who answered questions about career paths in the music industry, the skills currently required by the creative sector, and the opportunities offered by new digital platforms for production and cultural dissemination.

AANT creativity continues to stand out on the international stage. Students from the Bachelor’s Degree in Art Direction, Advertising and Graphic Design, Alessandro Arnold, Carlo Renato Popescu and Matteo Sinopoli, supervised by lecturer Giulia Magaldi, received the prestigious “Merit” recognition at the Young Ones Student Awards 2026, one of the world’s most important competitions dedicated to emerging talents in creative communication, design and advertising.

Organized by The One Club for Creativity in New York, the Young Ones Awards represent a global benchmark for contemporary creativity, bringing together students and schools from all over the world every year. The awarded project, “The Epic Build”, imagines a global campaign for the launch of the first Netflix series set in the Clash of Clans universe, transforming one of the game’s most iconic elements — the famous Builders — into the center of an immersive and transmedia narrative.

The creative concept begins with an unexpected disruption: after more than ten years of nonstop work, the Builders suddenly disappear from the game. Construction sites freeze, villages fall silent, and the global community begins questioning the mystery. From this premise, a campaign unfolds through in-game activations, guerrilla posters across major international cities, social media leaks and cinematic video content, culminating in the final reveal: the Builders never stopped working — they were simply building their most ambitious project ever, the new Netflix series dedicated to the franchise.

“The Epic Build” stood out for its ability to integrate storytelling, gaming culture, entertainment and advertising into a contemporary narrative ecosystem, demonstrating a strong understanding of digital communication languages and immersive experiences.

Good job!

Case Film

On Thursday, May 7, AANT’s Aula Magna hosted the event “Speaking Out in the Creative Industry and Beyond”, a discussion focused on the transformations currently shaping the worlds of communication, creativity, and contemporary cultural professions. The event was organized with the contribution of Professor Hila Narducci and developed in collaboration with We Hate Pink, a cultural and social project committed to promoting inclusivity, representation, and critical awareness against gender stereotypes and practices of pinkwashing — a communication strategy through which companies, brands, or institutions use themes related to LGBTQIA+ rights, inclusivity, or feminism primarily as marketing and reputational tools, without implementing genuinely coherent or inclusive practices behind these narratives.

The panel was moderated by Rossella Forlé, Founder of We Hate Pink, who guided the conversation between the speakers and the audience, opening a broader reflection on the languages of contemporary communication and the role of culture in shaping collective imaginaries. Among the guests, Assunta Squitieri addressed the transformations affecting the communication sector and the challenges currently shaping creative work, including precarity, exploitation, and the urgent need to redefine new professional models.

Miriam Mastria, expert in feminist philanthropy and gender rights, as well as co-founder and director of the newly established feminist foundation SEMIA, contributed a reflection on the relationship between activism, inclusivity, and cultural sustainability, highlighting the importance of networks and collective practices within processes of social transformation. During the discussion, Barbara Centrone, PhD candidate in Didactics and Special Education at Roma Tre University, explored the representation of identities in media and educational processes, focusing on the cultural impact of stereotypes and the importance of building inclusive and conscious models of representation.

Following this, Francesco Pierri, also known by the drag name Cristina Prenestina, shared a reflection on the body as a political language and on the importance of defending one’s identity within creative and professional environments, emphasizing dissent as a daily practice of freedom and self-determination. The evening concluded with the presentation of the documentary “Real Ads”, a project dedicated to a critical reinterpretation of contemporary advertising imagery.