Watch: Rashida Jones, Donald Glover come together for animated video on Times Up movement

Taking the fight against sexual harassment one step forward, Time’s Up Movement released a public service announcement in the form of a video which is directed by Rashida Jones and narrated by Donald Glover. Jones, who was a part of the Time’s up community even before the Harvey Weinstein case had a name, believed in practical ways to affect change. That led to the formation of the legal defense fund.

Jones agreed to don the directorial hat for this public service announcement video essentially because she felt the discourse on the issue lacked solutions for people. They were suffering “day to day with these nuances and microaggressions” and most did not have the language to defend themselves. The PSA shows how power dynamics function within the workplace with Glover asking a series of questions to give the viewers an insight into the one’s behaviour. “Has the current wave of sexual allegations left you scared, confused, maybe even a little angry? It’s the culture shifting under your feet so fast you can’t make sense of it,” he says as animated characters portray the emotions. Blue Seat Studios’ viral video Tea Consent was used as an inspiration for the PSA. The studio has also written and animated the Time’s Up video. Jones continuously consulted Blue Seat’s Rachel Brian on the content and style of the video. Their efforts focused on effects of power dynamics in the workplace and the legal language used for sexual harassment. The FAQ format of the video dealt with inappropriate touching at work, comments on co-worker’s physical appearance, tolerating others’ bad behaviour and dating at work. Jones explained that choosing Glover as a narrator was an attempt to include men in the conversation and also because she felt he had a “cool, laid-back” and inviting energy. Jones added the intention behind the PSA steered clear from producing any didactic content but rather something which would “just incite self-reflection” about workplace behaviour. (With inputs from Press Trust of India)