We are a strategic and applied storytelling firm.
We apply the principles and tools of storytelling to help organizations solve their most challenging problems.

• “This should be shown to every medical student.” Act3’s film on health disparities wins AIGA St. Louis design award

• Act3 to Present “Story First. Tools Last.” at Digital Storytelling Summit

• Eric Ratinoff named to Fisher College Advisory Board for Communication and Media Studies

• Act3, Trivers, Beacon collaboration selected as Sukkah City STL winner

• Act3 helps corporate leaders develop their StorySense at COCABiz Business Creativity Conference

• About Act3We leverage the insight and influence of stories to design solutions, strategies, and deliverables that reframe and address the complex problems faced by...
• Act3 NewsletterWant more? Subscribe to Plot Points, the Act3 newsletter
• Act3 PrincipalsBen Kaplan and Eric Ratinoff met as college sophomores, but it wasn't until 10 years later that they partnered to start Act3 ...
• Our ClientsSince 2001, we have helped a wide range of organizations identify and tell their stories, employing a broad spectrum of delivery strategies ...
• "You have helped me understand the power of story"I want to tell you a story that's a powerful expression about why our mission matters, and the story of how it...
• "You have inspired me to think differently"On many occasions during the past year, our Executive Director and I have said to each other that our partnership with...
• “I got butterflies in my stomach"Congratulations to you and your team. I am truly and sincerely excited about the Storyboard you sent, and all of the partners...
• The Empire of the SmallChef Linton Hopkins certainly fits the profile of “Celebrity Chef.” He’s twice been nominated for the James Beard Award for the...
• Awards and HonorsOur work has been recognized by the Telly Awards, the AIGA, the American Advertising Federation, Communication Arts Magazine ...
• Internships with Act3Interested in interning with Act3? Know a talented superstar we should be talking to? Click here to learn more about our intern program....

• Story First, Tools LastIn 2008, Alpha Epsilon Phi approached Act3 to produce a film for its centennial. “I know you guys do storytelling,” said National President Jamie...
• In Pursuit of AdvocatesAct3 Principal Eric Ratinoff was at a Starbucks in Jacksonville, Florida, working quietly on his laptop, when the gray-haired man politely approached...
• What We Mean by StoryIn Ann Arbor, Michigan, there is a sandwich shop called Zingerman’s Delicatessen—although to call Zingerman’s a sandwich shop is a bit like calling...
• A Systemic ViewCaptain Chesley Sullenberger became a modern-day American hero in 2009 when he successfully landed a wounded US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River,...

• Metro Theater CompanyWebsite
• ai3 Architecture and DesignNarrative Master Plan
• Alpha Epsilon PhiCentennial Film
• Health Information CareersNarrative Master Plan
• Alpha Epsilon PhiThe Next 100 Years Film
• CitygardenAudio Tour
• CitygardenWebsite
• Jill DownenWebsite
• Jill DownenIdentity System
• Emerson Climate Technologies/White-RodgersUser Experience System
• MYPHRWebsite
• TangentMindIdentity System
• Next, A Women's Resale BoutiqueIdentity System
• MYPHRIdentity System
• Contemporary Art Museum St. LouisLutz Bacher: Spill Film
• Contemporary Art Museum St. LouisLutz Bacher/Aida Ruilova Mind Map Poster
• Health Information CareersBrochure/Poster
• FlexTexIdentity System
• McCormack Baron SalazarInformation Graphic
• Meds and Food for KidsHunger and Hope Film
• Scott Smith PhotographyVideo Game
• Christina ShmigelWebsite

• Five Guys, great burgers, plus no frills“Treat that person right, he’ll walk out the door and sell for you,” Murrell says. “From the beginning, I wanted people...
• Can a personal finance tool tell a story?Mint needs to make people want to use their site, which deals exclusively with something people usually want to avoid.
• There are no throwawaysIf something you’re about to say or do or write or design or make doen't align with the story you want to tell, think twice.
• Apple doesn't leave out the stories These stories may seem like a nice touch, or a cute little add-on, but to me they’re not extra, they’re essential ...
• Tiger Woods, failed storytellerIs Tiger Woods still credible as a pitchman? The answer to that question depends on how Tiger is used as a storyteller.
• Do you appreciate Google?Is there anyone who doesn’t appreciate having Google in their lives? Maybe it’s because I remember writing documents on a...
• Goodbye, SaturnAt Saturn, it was different. No sooner had I stepped through the door than I was asked if I wanted to take a test drive ...
• The truth and the stories we tell ourselvesIs that story the truth? Certainly. The whole truth? Not necessarily. Is it a good conversation starter? Definitely.
• A story to calm their fearsSo instead, my mom does what she does every year: she tells these parents a story. About me.
• Walgreens flips the script on flu shotsThe poster changes your association with a flu shot: instead of it being about a needle and 25 bucks, it’s about ...
• How to bake the story in from the startOn the surface, this seems like a conversation about customer service, but at its core it’s a conversation about story ...
• Harley Davidson: Every rider has a storyI’ve never been a fan of motorcycles. This antipathy no doubt traces back to my traumatic first motorcycle experience ...
• The truth behind a good storySome say the devil is in the details. Now forensic scientists are saying that's where the truth lies, too ...
• What a (disgruntled) advocate looks likeThe Tropicana orange-juice carton never struck me as an iconic package, but for the Tropicana true believers ...
• Putting a price on a good storyI ran some calculations last week, and determined that at least in one situation, a good story is worth $12...

• About the Act3 LabWhile much of our work is driven by the needs and goals of our clients and partners, sometimes we see stories that need to be told,...
• CurrentsInstallation
• Jill Downen: Five O'Clock ShadowFilm
• String TheoryAudio Documentary Series
• Brothers in ToneRadio Documentary
• McNett CountryInteractive Documentary