Black Sunshine.
A joyful affirmation of childhood.
ROLE
Concept, direction & production
Black Sunshine / Nick Jr.
MADE FOR
Nick Jr. · At Nickelodeon Brand Creative
FORMAT
Live action, poetry, illustration & animation hybrid
THE IDEA
Live action, original illustration & animation.
Real moments.
An imaginative world.
Developed and pitched to Nickelodeon leadership by Niki Williams, Black Sunshine celebrates Black childhood through poetry, real family moments, illustration, and animation.
Niki shaped the spot’s message and structure, then directed and produced the film—bringing these elements together into a cohesive visual story full of warmth, personality, and imagination.
Illustration by Andrea Pippins.
FINDING A WAY TO MAKE IT
A shoot without a shared set.
COVID meant we couldn’t bring children and families together for a conventional shoot.
Niki developed a distributed production with Black directors of photography and families filming in their own locations. Shedirected remotely, then brought that footage together with illustration and animation.
Filmed locally. Directed remotely. One cohesive campaign.
BEYOND THE LINEAR AIR
Black Sunshine // 1515 Broadway - Time Square
Creative value beyond the expectations.
Niki turned production constraints into an opportunity to create a fresh visual approach for Nick Jr. Candid family footage brought a natural warmth to the film, while illustration and animation created a distinctive look that could carry across channel messaging.
That approach delivered lasting value on a limited budget. Beyond its appearance in Times Square and on Nickelodeon’s 1515 Broadway building for Black History Month, the imagery and animation continue to be used across the channel today.
Selected credits:
Work completed by Niki Williams while at Nickelodeon Brand Creative.
Concept, spot development, direction & production
Niki Williams
Narration
Written by
Illustration
Alicia Keys
Brandon N. Caddell
Christian Branham
Avery Gunn
Andrea Pippins
KEEP EXPLORING
ARTIST COLLABORATION / PRODUCTION
Black History Month IDs / Logo Image Campaign
Nick Jr. · Produced by Niki Williams
Have something in mind?
CREATIVE LEADERSHIP / STRATEGY / PRODUCTION