Jacintoport, Texas. A warehouse holds a symbol of hope as simple as it is iconic.

It was born during World War I, and served through both Wars. Filled by American farmers, it fortified our allies, and when the smoked cleared it assured our enemies that the fighting was over.

For 60 years, this bag has served as the symbol for the United States Food for Peace program.

In the aftermath of war, it would rebuild.

It would intervene when famine threatened.

And when great droughts came, it would be airdropped, trucked and carted wherever it was needed.

The world has evolved, and hope now appears in new packaging.

After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Food for Peace cell phone transfers allowed recipients to purchase food from local stores.

When typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines, Food for Peace reached families desperate for food with locally sourced rice.

And now, Syrian refugees use debit cards to buy food in markets finding dignity and comfort in familiar meals.

New super-foods are being developed that treat and prevent malnutrition giving the very young, the strength to live on.

And while the bag remains, it is often filled with food grown locally, tackling hunger while making communities more resilient.

60 years ago, Food For Peace started here, and it has grown and evolved as the world has changed.

But one thing remains constant - the American people's commitment to ending hunger and extending a helping hand in times of need.

Goodfight Media, a digital storytelling organization, enlisted the support of MediaStorm’s motion design team to bring to life a photographic history of USAID’s Food For Peace program. The film’s purpose, outside of highlighting the program’s humble beginnings and accomplishments, is to introduce the world to the new strategies being employed in food aid.

When Goodfight Media came to MediaStorm with the script, there was little more than a month to conceptualize and create the final piece. Production was split, requiring open communication and collaboration, with Goodfight tackling video production and the procurement of photography, while MediaStorm handled post production. Before animation could begin in earnest all the moving parts of production needed to be settled; time, as always, was rapidly fading. 

After being brought on, MediaStorm’s motion design team quickly created mood boards to solidify the visual style of the piece. Storyboards were then drawn to give the Goodfight production team a starting point for their shoot in Jacintoport, Texas. Animating the photography, by far the most labor intensive aspect of this film, required the MediaStorm motion design team to work nearly around the clock to prepare each image for animation for deadline. Every photograph was separated into layers, overlapping areas were filled in, and then mapped onto 3D geometry in Cinema 4D to allow for camera movement and dimension in each shot. 

The result is a two minute film created to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the United States Food For Peace Program. The film stands as a testament to Food For Peace’s accomplishments and commitment to eliminating hunger across the world. 

USAID is the lead U.S. Government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential. The purpose of the Food for Peace Program (PL 480) is to promote the food security of developing countries. This is accomplished by the provision of food aid to save lives, to help people recover from crises and to support nutrition and development in impoverished countries.