Meet the speakers: BIEN
An interview with Ricardo Roberts, Executive Producer, and Hung Le, Creative Director of BIEN. Founded in 2017, BIEN pioneered a unique methodology called Inclusive Motion Design (InMoDe™) that helps brands be more profitable and effective through accurate representation on-screen and behind the scenes.
Q&A hosted by Cory Livengood.
Read time: 15min
Cory:
Good to see you both! So I'd love to hear from both of you what your careers looked like before BIEN. Where were your paths before they converged into this endeavor?
Hung:
So yeah, I started my journey in Houston, where I learned graphic design. I was in a really amazing traditional graphic design program at the University of Houston. I think my path is very relatable for a lot of people in the industry because I did not come from a very prestigious background, both in education or starting at a big studio. I started out at a local university because that's what I could pay for and learned graphic design, print design mainly. And I think upon graduation, and I think obviously all of us at that point in school, you look at everything and you get inspired by motion design. But I did not choose that if you will.
It's just that in my first job out of school, I had a few different offers either from web design and then there's a TV station, local TV station. So my professor, I remember, told me, "What do you have to lose? Even if you don't like it, you just quit six months later." So I went with her advice and I went and worked at a local CBS station and got myself familiar with what the heck is motion design and from more of a TV, network news perspective too.
So after that, I just went on and worked at a local production, live-action production house. They needed an artist, like a graphic designer or motion designer to be on staff. And the title was super enticing. "You'll be the Art Director." And I was a couple of years... Not even that, a year and a half out of school, and I'm like, "I'm going to be the Art Director."
Cory:
That's awesome.
Hung:
But I would direct myself because there's nobody else there.
Cory:
I was going to say you're the Art Director, but you're probably also the motion designer and editor, the-
Hung:
The Rotoscope artist. Yea, whatever they needed. So titles don't mean anything. So that's where I worked. And the pay bump was so great from my first job out of school living in Houston that I thought that was it. I felt good. My family is still in Houston, so there was no need for me to go anywhere. So I felt fairly settled and stayed there for, I stayed at that job for over five years. And then that's when I guess the needle rose when I felt like, I guess, I didn't have anybody to bounce ideas to. I just went to mograph.net to learn stuff from other people.
So I guess like, I'm going to want to try to freelance, and I put my portfolio online. And then at that time, mograph.net was huge. So if you wanted to do something in motion design, with AfterEffects you go to mograph.net, so that's where I was. Ricardo found me on mograph.net actually in those early days when I put my portfolio up. And then the other person who contacted me was a producer from Chicago. And I still had my full-time position at that time because I just put it up. People tell you, you don't quit your job and look for new work, right? You gotta prepare.
Hung:
So they hit me up and said, "Hey, we got this job. We need AfterEffects artists. Today's Wednesday. We want you to show up in Chicago Monday. Can you do it? Actually Sunday." And I say, "Yeah, sure, of course, I'm ready."Because to me, I think normally I would not do that to other people. If I worked for you, Cory, that would be terrible, right?
Cory:
Yeah.
Hung:
Last minute. But I think you have to understand the context is that I have been a small fish in somewhere that, at that time, if you want to do cool work, you have to be in New York, Chicago, or LA.
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Hung:
So to me, at that point, I just said I could not turn this down. This was free Harvard Education waiting for me. So that's when I said, I said "Yes," and I apologized to my bosses at the time and just picked up and went. And from then on, I started freelancing, and that's when I met Ricardo on mograph.net and started working with Ricardo and Myriad Media in Raleigh on a freelance basis. And I just freelanced at different shops. Digital Kitchen was the biggest shop that I worked at. They would fly me up to Chicago, and I stayed there, worked there on commercials and things like that, for months on end.
And I also freelanced remotely for a lot of studios in New York, LA. And you have to understand that my portfolio was all oil and gas at that point. That's what the Houston portfolio was if you worked in Houston at that time until now. So my portfolio was just full of a lot of oil and gas work, I did not have any big studio, no Nike on my reel, none of that. So I felt very grateful to have the opportunity to be a freelance storyboard artist to contribute to big pitches for different studios. And I worked remotely for years until my wife and I decided to move to New York, and we moved up to New York, spent five years there working at different shops onsite and offsite, continued to work with Ricardo at Myriad and then moved to LA, and started BIEN with Ricardo in 2017. So I'll pass the story to Ricardo there.
Ricardo:
Yeah, so I actually never wanted to be a designer or be in animation, period. I wanted to be a recording engineer. So I was and am very much into hip hop, and just music in general, that has always been my creative outlet. So after I graduated from high school, I went Full Sail in Orlando. And it was funny because, A, I never thought I was going to be able to go to college. To me, it just wasn't going to happen. But ended up being able to get some loans and grants and stuff like that and was able to go.
So I was down in Orlando, I was learning audio stuff, but I was also learning video production stuff, and then also digital media stuff, which is kind of how they encompassed everything, design, and animation. And at the time, it was like DVD programming with Macromedia, all that kind of stuff. And it was in the beginning three months of school where you sort of learn everything. And I was like, "Man, why am I going to school?" Because Full Sail is expensive!
So I was like, "Why am I going to school to be an audio engineer?" And I already knew a lot of the stuff that they were teaching us. So I was thinking, "I'm going to pay all this money. I'm going to go out of school, I'm going to go to New York and get a job as an intern in some studio making $9 an hour getting coffee for DJ Premiere." And I was like, "Well, if I switch my major, I can learn how to do all this design stuff and make all this stuff and then I can apply it to my record label or whatever I want to do." So I always had an entrepreneurial mindset.
And so I just switched my major to digital media. It was a crash course in design and animation, and we learned character animation. So I was animating characters in Maya and Softimage and in 3D Studio Max. So I did that and I was like, "Yeah, 3D animation, that's going to be my career." But I quickly learned when I moved back to Raleigh, there ain't no 3D animation work happening in Raleigh…this was like 1998.
Ricardo:
So I was working at a Spanish-language newspaper. I was doing print layouts for the newspaper, and then my boss at the time said, "Hey, one of my buddies has a video production company. Why don't you go talk to him because you're not right for this job." He was looking out for me. And so I talked to these guys and it ended up being Will at Myriad Media. So we met and we hit it off. They were awesome. And they were like, "Yeah, you can come on board and do more 2D animation."
So long story short, I started working there in September of '98, and I really had to learn AfterEffects on the job. And it was really an internship for, I think I had three days a week. So I was learning AfterEffects. I was cleaning the office, I was doing whatever to become invaluable. That led to me working with them for many, many years.
Ricardo:
And I found Hung, we met online, as he mentioned earlier, found Hung, and then brought him in as a freelancer at Myriad. And that's how things really took off. That's when we met.
And then Hung said, in 2017, I wanted to get back to my roots in motion design, and I really love the idea of building a business from the ground up. So I wanted to just start over. So Hung and I joined forces, we started BIEN, and the whole idea is to do motion design, but do it through the lens of diversity and inclusion.
Cory:
Yeah, I think that they're relatable stories. I mean, at least for me, because I never studied any design or any motion or anything like that. I figured it all out after college and similarly just put work together. And then obviously Ricardo, I worked at Centerline, which is for those reading, a sort of competitive agency to the one you were at for five years and ended up leaving and starting from the ground up too. So I do think a lot of people look at these superstars who have these big brands, you mentioned your Nikes and all this stuff. But a lot of people who are in this career are starting out at these other...so I really think that both of those stories are really relatable to people.
I think that's a great segue to talk a little bit about BIEN and your methodology, the inclusive motion design. I'd love to learn a little bit about what that means as far as, from your point of view, I know that you've got a lot of resources about it on your website, which is really fantastic. So maybe talking a little bit about what BIEN is and what is the sort of positioning you're taking, the position you're taking on the inclusive motion design?
Ricardo:
So basically, when we started BIEN, we did a lot of competitive analysis and research, and I was working heavily on branding, marketing, and strategic positioning. So I knew we had to find something that made us different. There are so many studios out there that do amazing work, and Hung and I just kept going back and forth, back and forth, we can focus on this and that.
And we really just, when we drilled down to it, we realized, "Hey, we are both immigrants and we have a very different POV from most people." I'm originally from Ecuador, and so I moved to the United States. I didn't know any English, I only knew Spanish and I grew up, in what I would consider a multicultural household, and with a multicultural worldview.
And then the other part is Hung and I both have this urge to do more with our business than just commerce, and more than just creative output. For us, it's really important for us to feel like we are making some kind of a difference through our work. Because again, so many people... You can do amazing work, and the creative is so important, but also at the end of our careers, we want to look back and say, "Hey, we made a difference." It could be a small difference, but we made a difference. We want to be social activists in a way, through our work and through our business. So that's why we settled on inclusive motion design. And so for us, it's inclusive motion design, which we also call it InMoDe.
So InMoDe basically has two pillars, representation and accessibility. So for representation, that means a diverse team behind the scenes to create inclusive content on screen. So it's all about inclusive and accurate representation in the final product, through the character animation or whatever, even if it's live-action. But to us, it's really important to ensure that the behind-the-scenes team is also diverse. And that's something that we all know that our industry struggles with, like many industries. Like the Tech industry, or maybe all industries in the United States, honestly. But motion design seems to be particularly afflicted in that it's not very diverse. So we want to change that. That's our whole reason for being.
And then the second pillar is accessibility. So we know that the world's largest minority group is people with disabilities. So whenever we design, whenever we create, we create with that in mind. So that's like 15% of the world's population. So for us, it's all about design with, not for, that's kind of the whole motto. And that's a quick way to summarize what inclusive motion design is. And our "Why" as I tell everyone is we're doing this because we want to see the industry become more diverse and we want to make a difference. We want to create change, give back to our community, and we want to see more underrepresented artists in our industry and thriving and doing well.
Cory:
There's an image on your website, that I like, which is symbolic diversity versus true diversity because I think that these days, and ultimately is a good thing, diversity inclusion has become trendier. More people want to be a part of that conversation. But I think that image really sums up that a lot of people still maybe phone it in a little bit, like the symbolic versus the true.
Ricardo:
Yes.
Cory:
And so I wonder, how do you have a conversation with a client about this topic in a way that makes them want to be on board with it and not feel like they're being lectured or attacked or what have you?
Ricardo:
It's so funny, Cory, people come to us because they know that's what we focus on. That is our positioning, and that's where we have expertise. So we don't really run into client pushback. If anything, clients have pushed back and said, "Hey, we want this to be more diverse."
I thought at first we would have a lot of pushback, but honestly, I think especially since George Floyd's murder, that's when people really started to seek us out, because we are minority-owned and because inclusive motion design, or anything in the inclusive and diverse space, became more important, more sought after. We haven't had too many issues with that, honestly.
Cory:
That's excellent.
Ricardo:
Yeah.
Cory:
Yeah, so it sounds to me like a smart move and the thing that's helped is, you have positioned yourself as that's your space. And so no one's coming to you and getting surprised that you're bringing this up in a conversation, right?
Ricardo:
No, no. And from day one, we identified a category that no other studio was playing in or owning. So we knew, "Hey, we're going to create this new category and we're going to own that position in the marketplace." So you're exactly right. People come to us because they say, "Hey, they are the inclusive motion design studio." So they know from day one what we're going to focus on and what we're going to do for their brand or their company.
Cory:
I'm curious, from a production standpoint, when you're going through the normal steps of any kind of video-based project, what is different about a project that has this sort of mindset than let's say, a project that didn't before George Floyd or before all that?
Or is there a component to your engagements with clients that is education, not just production? How do you educate a client who even if they come to you and want this, they might not know how or they might be doing it the wrong way?
Ricardo:
Yeah, I mean, that's a great point. I think at the beginning of a project, we always try to find out what the strategy is. Who's the audience? Who are they trying to reach? And then we build a team based on that. So that's the whole design with a, not for, mentality. So once we have that in place, we always come to the client with various ideas, but we always try to push the envelope. And when we first started, we realized sometimes if you're doing a certain type of tech explainer and maybe there is no character animation, we realized maybe we're not going to be able to do something on the screen. So we started thinking about things behind the scenes. So giving an opportunity to an underrepresented designer or animator, or using a certain voiceover talent, like someone with disabilities, we'll use them as a voiceover talent.
It's really, honestly, a lot of behind-the-scenes things that we do. And then we tell the client and they say, "Oh, wow, I haven't thought about that. That's really interesting." But then in terms of when we do character illustration, we always do things through the lens of ethnology and just make sure that whatever we design is accurate and realistic, and it's a realistic portrayal of that particular population.
So when we put those forth in front of a client, then we talk about it, we tell them why, and we tell them, "This jaw line or this nose style comes from this region, and here's why." But in general, it's kind of a mix of both. We're telling them some things, we're also doing some things, and then showing some things.
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Hung:
I think we kind of approach the client with the mentality that it's a collaboration. We have our expertise, you have yours, and we want to solve this problem together, your business problem together, while creating social impact in the process.
And social impact might not have anything to do with your product that you're trying to put out there. It's the social impact that is happening behind the scenes. I think the key thing to keep in mind is for Ricardo and I, we really hone into how tactical our process is. We don't want talking points. We don't deal with things that are just talk and not walk. It has to be very tactical. So it's built into the business. The way BIEN operates, how we operate as a company from the inside out to the production process, to pre-production. Every step of the way, we have this methodology built in, in a way that would be inclusive to the staff and also to the process and to everyone involved.
Now, I think that's the key is that it's not just a talking point to get the client to buy in, and we do it on screen to satisfy that. It's what we do behind the scenes. And I would say that at this point for us, that process is owned by everyone. The producers own it, and they come up with their own processes and their own things. So we are not the ones who are there to say, "Let's follow this structure." The structure evolves, the methodology evolves because our team evolves it, and each one using their own expertise and live experience evolves it differently.
Cory:
Yeah, that's excellent. I love the thought that the final video might just be a bunch of cool shapes and texts, and there's really not an obvious place for there to be a diverse or inclusionary system to it. But that's the veneer, it's the people who put it together. It's behind the scenes. That's great.
Hung:
Our aim, I think, as a studio, I'll call it our top-level claim, and I'm not saying we are there yet, but our top-level claim is that BIEN wants to do top-level quality work, just like many top-level studios out there. But when you look, you peel back the curtain, you find a very diverse team behind the scenes making that.
That's the way we elevate the industry, changing it one person at a time and making it better.
Ricardo:
Yeah, and that ties back into our desire, our "Why" is, we want to see the industry become more diverse. And like Hung said, tactically, we're doing all kinds of stuff. Like, we have an apprenticeship. So we wanted to initially do an internship, but we felt like that was not enough. And internships are great, but if you can't afford to not work a real job over the summer and take an internship wage, which we all know, like a stipend, you can't live off of a stipend, especially in a larger city. We thought that an apprenticeship where we can pay a living wage would be much more advantageous for someone who is just getting started in the industry. And so, instead of a shorter internship, our apprenticeship is 10 weeks and then it goes on six months after. And so we also give our apprentices, what we call a motion survival toolkit, which is Hung and my knowledge and then the studio's knowledge on all of the boring, basic business shit that new newbie designers and animators don't know when they get out of school.
Like how do you submit an invoice that has all of the correct information so you can make sure you get paid on time? How to handle a late payment? How to get work? How to email people?
Cory:
Yeah.
Ricardo:
All of these things, we basically have this toolkit and it's like, "Here, go use this." And then anytime during that six months after the apprenticeship concludes, we want you to stay in touch with us, stay in touch with your art director or your producer or Hung and I. And we give advice, we do portfolio reviews, we do all of these things just like this is about going above and beyond because that is the way they make a change.
And we do that because we identify that at our level, at the senior level, diversity is very scarce. However, at the junior level, we're seeing a lot of diversity. Like Hung and I, we also teach inclusive motion design at Hyper Island, which is a creative school based in Stockholm. And in that class, those students are extremely diverse. And I think there's maybe 65, it's 65% female.
So it's amazing. So there's this new crop of talent that's coming in, and we want to do what we can to make sure that they succeed and that they go on to flourish in our industry.
Another thing I always like to talk about, and I always tell studio owners, and I'm telling you Cory, because we think it's important for us to look at what we do as. We view ourselves as a bridge studio. So it's not about what we can do for talent, it's what we can do for that talent so they can go on and succeed in the industry. So how can we be a bridge between us to bigger and better opportunities?
So what we do is, we practice something called Double the Line. Double the Line was originally an AICP concept. AICP is the Association of Independent Commercial Producers. So they do live-action work, but they started this initiative called Double the Line. And basically what it is, is you take a line item in a project budget and you double it. And so you bring on a junior talent and they shadow a senior talent. We found out about that initiative and we've adapted it and really brought it into the fold of our process at the end.
We do that on almost every project where we can, but it's a way for us to identify that very, very junior diverse talent and give them an opportunity. So they're able to come onto a job that they would not have gotten hired for otherwise because they don't have the portfolio, they don't have the experience. But we give them that experience, we give them that portfolio piece so then they can go and they can say, "Hey, Cory, look at this thing I did at BIEN". And so it's about taking a risk. It's about extending opportunities that may not have otherwise gotten extended.
So that's why I say, man, if you guys would think about doing that, all of us together, we can be a bridge studio network so that we all have a similar mentality. And for us, it's not just about BIEN, we want to spread InMoDe throughout the industry. And these little ideas that Hung and I have been implementing, they're not that hard to put into production. It's not crazy. And when we say double the line, if you can bring someone on for an entire project, that's cool, great. But a lot of times you can't, right? The budgets are not there, we're small studios. So you can bring someone on for a certain phase. It could be for help with storyboards, it could be for one character animation if it's cel animation. So it's these little small little plays, these tactical things that we want to spread throughout the industry. And hopefully, over time, it'll make a change, make a difference.
Cory:
I love it. When you do those sorts of programs or when you're shadowing you in a situation like that, what does that look like? I mean, are they literally making stuff and getting paid for it by the hour, like a freelancer on the day? Or are they Zoom sharing with your artist and just watching how they do something? How hands on is that?
Ricardo:
Yeah, it's kind of both.
Hung:
That part is part of production. They will have the hands in the project and it depends on the level of skills and experience. They could be working on something smaller or larger. So they will be in the production like a freelancer, just any other freelancer, that's equity and equality or in one. So when you put that person in production, it's not so much about what they are doing on that project. They could be animating just a tiny little bird in the background, but the soft skills they are learning, being in the same job, seeing how the art director is doing that scene, seeing how other seniors, say cel animators, are doing that. They're learning from that day to day. They're learning from the process and they will be part of all those conversations with the team.
So our hope is that, we only laid out the options and people can pick that up themselves in all the soft skills while on the job. And then at the end of the job, they can put this in the portfolio and say, "I worked on the job for this X brand."
Cory:
Yeah, I think that's great. And it is really important. We do internships usually twice a year, and it varies from one to three people, depending on our needs and stuff. But it's really important that we always put interns on client work. It's not just getting the coffee or doing the cool social media stuff for Dash. I mean, we do cool social media stuff too, of course, but throughout the course of an internship, you will definitely work on the client work.
And it's similar reasoning. It's like, people need to experience a little bit of that pressure of, "This is a real project for a real person. I'm involved in this actual client work." And then after the internship they're able to say, "I worked for this brand, I worked on this video." So I do think it's a great idea and it is definitely something that we want to do more of and have always tried to make part of our workflow when it comes to junior level people, especially interns or mentors.
Hung:
Totally. And I would say that Ricardo and I would never claim that we came up with these ideas. It's more like, if you can say what is unique about our approach, it's about us really being boots on the ground practicing many things, where other people practice one or two.
Cory:
Oh, yeah. And normalizing that stuff too, just making it a normal part of the workflow…
Ricardo:
And I'll tell you, Cory, to me, why I think internships and apprenticeships, they're so powerful, but Double the Line may be even more powerful because you can bring someone on for just three days, right? But those three days of their work will certainly add value to that project, AND, they also get to see everything going on in Slack.
We work in Slack, right? And so they see all of the production stuff happening in real time and what has happened before they got there. So they already have that inside view of a big project, and then they're contributing for those three days. And then another project comes on, we can hire someone else or that same person, and we always try to vary it up, but it allows for more variety. So when you have an internship... Because as you guys know, it's a lot of work on the studios' part as well. When you have that internship or apprenticeship, it's a long commitment.
But Double the Line can be a week, it can be two weeks, it can be three days, and it can be done for copywriters, it can be done for illustrators, animators, cel animators, 3D, whatever.
Cory:
That is a really interesting point because an internship could be three months, and that does take planning. And so there's something really cool about, "Hey, we're going to drop you into this project for this week, and you're going to get to absorb as much as you can absorb and then walk away." That's really cool.
Hung:
Yeah, I would expand on that a bit to see, okay, that's something everyone can do. But what we would do is with... We think about that process and say, "What can we do to improve this process?"
Pretend, Cory, if you are new, you've never been on a production before. If you are thrown into this process, you are going to be facing this giant blob and you're going to wonder what the heck is going on. So we kind of see that coming, and what we would do is, we do a pre-call with that junior. So if we have a kickoff set for Wednesday, then a day or so before we can have a pre-call with that junior where we say, "All right, do you know what the term cel animation means? I'm just throwing out some things that are kind of technical and unique to the industry, that if you're not, you haven't been exposed to, you wouldn't know. They get to see all the materials beforehand so they can see if they have questions.
The moment you can clear that out for the junior before the big kickoff, then they will feel more inclusive, there's a sense of belonging by the time they get on with the team, because they're not that new kid on the block. They know what everyone else is talking about.
So those little nuances are what we thrive on. That's the before, and what about after? So we think about that deeply.
Ricardo:
And it's funny you mentioned that Hung. What we're trying to do in essence is fast-forward someone's career by a year or two by giving them this inside track and not just saying, you know how it is, "Any questions?" A junior's going to be like, "No." They don't want to look dumb.
Cory:
Yeah.
Ricardo:
So we're telling them like, "Hey, look like we want you to ask questions. We need you to ask questions, and we're going to tell you some things that open up the conversation." But it's really maybe what we all wish we had when we first started, is sort of, not so much a employer/employee relationship, but a mentor/mentee relationship. That's really important to us.
And then one other quick thing that we've started doing is, this is an idea that we borrowed from the tech industry. They kind of brought it to the forefront, recording diversity metrics for our studio, but also the projects that we do. So I mean, I should have said our staff and then also any freelancers that we hire. So we look at those stats after every job, and a lot of those stats suck. I'm just being very honest. A lot of the stats are not what we want them to be, even though that's our focus, and we're actively recruiting people from underrepresented populations. So we use those numbers as that's the cold hard metrics. Those are the numbers that we can't run away from. And our producers, everyone on the team has that mentality of, we want to improve these numbers. We want to move the needle on, I wouldn't say every single job, that's the hope, but it's more like on a yearly basis.
Cory:
Well, you mentioned it before, it's not just talking the talk, it's walking the walk. And that's where the data, I'm sure, comes into it, where you can actually go back and analyze that and see. You're also proudly, it seems, a decentralized sort of global group. I mean, you have staff all over the world, all over the country. I wonder if you could talk a little bit on how, was that an active decision?
Was that a COVID decision? I know you and Hung are both in LA, but a lot of people are everywhere else. And so I wonder if you could talk a little bit about that kind of mindset.
Hung:
I can touch on that first. So I think that what's unique about BIEN, when Ricardo and I came together and thought about the industry, is that we were both outsiders, right? I mean, I think I did not know what the Beatles were until I was like, I don't know, 14 or 15, because I lived in Vietnam in a post-communist world where all western media was kept out. But what that afforded me, learning design, going to industry, is that I don't see anything the same way anyone who had an education here had. So that POV, that lived experience helped me tremendously in terms of being more critical of the work we do as motion designers and studios, the kind of stuff we put out there to the world, talking down to other cultures in a visual way, and I will call that the imperialistic point of view. Because we can't escape it. It's just what we lived in, in here. It's what we learn.
So from day one, when Ricardo and I put the company together, we said, "We need diverse perspectives. We see this remote working thing..." I work remotely in Houston for all studios around the world, I mean the country. Back in the, I don't know, early 2000 or whatever, when that was not a thing, right?
So it was working, and I worked for Ricardo's company, Myriad, for years remotely. I didn't meet Ricardo until, I don't know, 10 years after I worked with them or something like that. So we knew that model worked. So from day one, we said, when we put a team together, it is not going to matter about where they are. It's more about what perspective they are going to bring into the studio. And just like anything, you work with someone freelance, at first you kind of click, you see something, you click, they like you enough, and boom, you're a team. And that's kind of how we are right now.
Cory:
How do you handle the logistical issues that come along with that when it comes to meetings or having a company culture that's sort of on the same page and things like that?
Hung:
Totally. We try to put names to everything so that it sounds legit and that it's easy to remember. So that's inclusive time zones. That's like, what does that mean? That means you have to be respectful of... If we put one of our art directors in Spain, for example, if we are going to have that art director on Delete The Project, then all meetings are going to happen at AM Pacific or whatever that is with the client. And the thing nowadays is, I don't know, I'm sure your clients too Cory, but a lot of companies you work with are global time zones.
Hung:
They deal with that daily on their end. It's like they have colleagues in the UK they talk to. So it's been normalized in a way that you just have to know that you work around these things. And then we just start to implement more asynchronous tools like recordings and stuff that you can set for people, be crystal clear on your feedback, step by step, things like that. And we've been doing it for five years and we never fail a delivery. So I think it's working out fine.
Cory:
Yeah, that's great.
IBM – Glow by BIEN
Ricardo:
I'll just add to that too, just in general, our worldview, my worldview, Hung's worldview, we've always been international. That's how we think. We think globally, and so access to amazing talent around the world is something that appealed to us from day one. It's like, why limit to a certain geography? If someone's super talented and someone can bring a different POV, a different cultural nuance to a job, then that's the type of person that we want to work for or work with.
And if you think about it, the world's just getting smaller and smaller. And then COVID, like really, I mean, won't say there's no such thing, but there's almost no such thing as time zones and international barriers, because we're also used to Zooming and being connected just on various devices and via email and Slack and all that stuff. So just figuring out how to do it asynchronously, I think we've got that down pat.
But I will say there are challenges with culture. Our culture is robust and it's phenomenal and it centers around inclusive motion design and it centers around doing amazing work and telling great inclusive stories, but it is difficult. It's not the same as if you're all in the same room. So there's pros and cons, and we just try to lean into the pros.
Hung:
Also, we try to avoid the extremes for sanity's sake. Because in production, honestly, if you have someone in New Zealand, then they will say "Goodbye, have a good weekend on a Thursday." So obviously in reality, that doesn't work every time. Certain jobs you can do that, but when deadlines are looming and stuff like that. So I would say we are very global, but we are also very conscious of what makes a project realistically doable.
Cory:
Well, it goes back to being tactical, as you say. I mean, we had a project with a short timeline, and so in that sense, we were able to hire a designer in Australia to design our frames that were then ready for our animators in our morning. And so that would've worked out well from a tactical perspective despite the time zone. In fact, because of the time zones, because we could be designing while we were sleeping and animating while we were awake, essentially. And so there are always these weird little cases that pop up where you can move those pieces into place exactly how you need them, which is really cool.
Ricardo:
And you can always choose, you can look at the negative side of it or the positive side of it. If you lean into the positive, you can figure out ways to use it to your advantage.
Cory:
I'd love to hear any advice you might give someone who is thinking about moving from either a job or freelance into entrepreneurship, into starting a studio. Is there anything you might have told yourself when you were starting looking back?
Ricardo:
It's a hard question.
Hung:
Yeah, I mean, from my perspective, and this is just being really, really tactical, I would say that I would not have done it if I did not have Ricardo as a partner. Because I would say that I did not have the portfolio of a superstar in our industry who can attract a lot of talents around you and build a studio from scratch. I was grateful to have Ricardo to know the business side of it so that we could team up and make something together. I don't look at what we did as forming a company as an ego thing. It was more like a necessity.
I think that in our industry in particular, ageism is a big thing. Designers and animators, when they get to their forties, have to look at alternatives in terms of what they can learn, how fast they can learn, how they can adapt, and whether they have built up all the steps necessary to lead to their final season of their career or not.
So I think that that's kind of important to think about is, if you are young and you're thinking about entrepreneurship or owning a studio later, then you have to build all the necessary steps up to that point. And if you haven't done that, then you find yourself in a very tricky situation. So I would say it really depends on your will. The only thing I have to offer, honestly, it's just like I'm very good at making something out of nothing just because of my background. What I lived through, that's kind of my superpower in a way, not my design skills.
Ricardo:
We just make it work. And just real quick too, for any upcoming designers, I want to piggyback on Hung. Thanks for saying that, man. But I think you have to, most creatives, are like, "Oh, my work's going to sell itself." I think you have to really be prepared. If you're freelancing in particular and then want to start a studio, you have to get your portfolio, it has to be technically sound and follow best practices to get clients. And then you just have to really brush up on sales. Those two things are so important because the creative is just going to sit there because there are a million different portfolios that look as good or better. So you really have to focus on what is your positioning, what is your marketing strategy, and what is your sales strategy. Who are you? Who can you sell to? And then, you know, try to find market fit, try to find what clients would hire you, and then you try to replicate that and then expand from there.
Cory:
We really, really appreciate your taking the time to chat with us today. And it's really cool learning how the butter is made, seeing behind the scenes.
Ricardo:
Yeah, Cory, man, we're super excited I can't wait to come back to Raleigh, man. I miss it.
Cory:
Yeah, great. We're looking forward to it.
Hung:
Thank you. Bye
Takeover Tuesday with Paulynka Hricovini
Q&A with Paulynka Hricovini, a French Art Director, 2D Animator, and Illustrator currently living in Brussels.
Q&A with Paulynka Hricovini
Read time: 5min
TOYBLOÏD • If You Dare • (Official Music Video), 2017. Paulynak Hricovini.
Madison Caprara:
Hi, Paulynka! How are you doing? Let’s kick off this chat with a bit of background on yourself and your work. How did you find yourself in the creative industry?
Paulynka Hricovini:
Hi, Madison! 2021 is over and I'm feeling pretty good. Thanks a lot for having me today! I’m Paula–aka Paulynka from my Slovak origins. I am a French Art Director, 2D Animator, and Illustrator currently living in the lovely waffle-fries-beer city that is Brussels. My current work is deeply imbued with subjects regarding old tales and legends, Paganism and international sacred rituals, humanity, and what is, overall way beyond us. I feel very fortunate to do what excites me every day!
As far back as I can remember, I've always loved drawing, telling stories, creating, building, and spending hours tinkering. Since my childhood, my parents–an art teacher and a scientist, in other words, the best creative duo–often took me out to exhibitions, shows, cinemas, and so on. Those experiences really opened my eyes to the creative world and all the possibilities it offered.
Madison Caprara:
What did your educational experience entail?
Paulynka Hricovini:
After high school, I moved to Belgium to study 2D animation at the ENSAV La Cambre in Brussels. During these five years of schooling, I was lucky to go on an Erasmus exchange to the UK. I spent one year abroad at the University of South Wales in Newport. It was my most exciting school year ever! After graduating, I jumped into the “real world” as a Freelance Animator and Illustrator.
Madison Caprara:
Right into freelance work after graduation! What thoughts went into that decision? Was there ever any push to join a studio?
Paulynka Hricovini:
Going freelance right after school looked like the best–and the only–option I had. One of my main reasons was to keep a healthy balance between professional work and personal creative projects, which is hardly the case when you have a full-time job. I also love having the freedom to organize my days as I see fit. I was already accustomed to working a lot on my own, and Brussels–at least at that time–wasn’t offering many appealing animation or creative studios in my opinion.
INTI • SUN GOD, 2017. Paulynka Hricovini.
Paulynka Hricovini:
I won't lie, it was quite a challenge to build a network of professional contacts from scratch and to prove myself as an independent. Special thanks to my life partner for being a daily great supporter, advisor, and valuable helper from the very beginning. During the early years, I was able to develop my practice and knowledge through diverse creative projects for advertisements and music videos for various labels and agencies across Europe. I've also always enjoyed challenging myself and pushing my limits out of my comfort zone.
Madison Caprara:
How would you describe your work’s aesthetic? Do you find yourself gravitating towards a specific subject matter or “look”? Would you say it’s a reflection of your own personality?
Paulynka Hricovini:
I believe that what surrounds us every day is what goes into building our own unique style, or panel of recognizable styles. Just like everyone's handwriting is subtly different from one another's. Being born in France to Slovak parents, I have always been lulled by this double culture. As a child, we traveled a lot between the two countries–and across Europe as a whole. The time spent in the car, for reference, nearly 20 hours to go from France to Slovakia, allowed me to enjoy solitude; losing myself in the alternate realities a book could offer, spending countless hours doing nothing, doodling, listening to music, watching the amazing landscapes pass by. During that time, I would imagine many surreal stories of wandering giants on a journey to see friends. Meeting on their way other little creatures living in the hidden wilderness.
There are definitely a lot of these elements present in my current work. From the strong nature presence to the characters coming from various tales or legends. The patterns and the overall Slavic/Nordic culture. Today, combining my passion for traveling, photography, and drawing, I try to breathe life into illustrated characters. I try as much as possible to go for visuals and jobs that have meaning to me. Jobs that I share values with. I like to take long periods of experimentation and exploring, acting on my creative impulse. Time to follow my curiosity and intuition, letting my inner flow speak for itself. I strongly believe that the more we explore our inner wilderness, the more we are able to articulate the language and uniqueness of our subconscious.
Madison Caprara:
Your childhood sounds like a fairytale. I love the way you go about describing your inner “wilderness” and its importance to your creative process. One of my 2022 intentions is to romanticize everyday life more, so that really resonates with me.
Now, tell me about Framekit! What was the impetus behind starting your own studio? How did you and Anthony find yourselves making that decision?
Paulynka Hricovini:
Anthony and I met during our early school years at La Cambre. We left on the Erasmus exchange and started working together at that time. We were on the same wavelength, and the idea of building a studio came about quite naturally. After our graduation, we both wanted to individually experience freelance life to gain more skills. In 2015, we officially launched our creative collective, Framekit Studio. We worked together on many exciting projects for almost three years.
Then, life slowly and naturally oriented us on different paths. Anthony launched a studio with Agnes–Agnes&Anthony. Together they create beautiful, poetic paper models. On my side, I was eager to experience a position within a larger company. I wanted to add another string to my bow, discover a new working environment, and further refine my skills.
DAVODKA • Sama • (Official Music Video), 2020. Paulynak Hricovini.
Madison Caprara:
What have been some of the biggest lessons learned while running the studio together? Any suggestions for those who may be thinking about starting their own?
Paulynka Hricovini:
While running a studio, or even freelancing, there’s the constant pressure to do more. Sometimes it can be hard to “switch off” from work. It’s important to not get stuck. Remember there are other aspects of life to be enjoyed. You want to have a good balance between work and rest. This also allows your mind to fly to new inspirations. Of course, not every day is rosy and wonderful, whether you’re working alone or with ten people, but it is well worth it. I would say the most important reminders are to keep a good work-life balance, to define the studio organization (the tasks and income split), and, especially when it comes to creatives with the same skillsets, to put your ego on the back burner.
Collaborating with a friend and being a part of my own creative studio has been a very positive experience from an artistic AND human perspective. We’ve both learned a lot from working together. Do you see me coming with the, “Alone we go faster, together we go further” spiel? Breaking news…it's actually true! Looking at a brief or a problem with two brains–different backgrounds, complementary technical and artistic skills–helps to be more efficient. Creativity-wise, you can get crazier, more surprising, and more imaginative outcomes. The brainstorming moments can sometimes be more effective than a meditation session. Either way, go for it and remember to enjoy yourself!
Madison Caprara:
You eventually continued your career at Volstok, correct? How was the transition process for you?
Paulynka Hricovini:
Correct! As I said earlier, after Framekit I was eager to experience a full-time position in a creative studio. Volstok came at the best time, thus the transition was pretty smooth. Working under the direction of skillful creatives who had an extended background in the industry and more experience working on larger projects taught me a lot about efficiency, self and team discipline, time organization, creative idea development, and so much more. I’ve spent two highly rewarding years, both creatively and professionally, with a pretty talented, badass team.
Madison Caprara:
What was your favorite project you worked on while on the Volstok team?
Hermès Party Animals, 2021. Paulynka Hricovini.
Paulynka Hricovini:
It's going to be hard to point to only one!
On a larger scale, the AS Adventure project was very exciting to build and achieve. It was a long process that we really combined forces for. Another is the Davodka project–a video clip made for a french rap artist. It took us almost a year to complete while juggling other projects. During our spare time, between two renders as it's said, we would come up with quick and simple creative ideas to be developed as passion projects. It was a nice way to keep our creative minds engaged while working on some more corporate projects.
Madison Caprara:
You’ve dabbled in a lot! Having worked as a freelancer, under the studio umbrella, as well as owning your own, what has been the most rewarding and beneficial for the growth of your career and person? Do you favor any of the three stages over the others?
Paulynka Hricovini:
Well, “a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor,” right? So posh! Borrowed from F.D. Roosevelt.
There is no stage more important than the other. It is precisely the combination of all these experiences that allow me today to do what I do on a daily basis, and in a completely free and independent way. If I had to do it again, I would do everything the same. If I hadn't experienced freelance life in the beginning, and all of the obstacles that come with it, I probably wouldn't have had as much confidence in starting a studio. If I hadn’t had these two combined experiences, I clearly wouldn't have dared to show up to a studio such as Volstok. And without such professional development at Volstok, I wouldn’t have had the chance to work on the projects I lead today.
E.RIOTS.IH, 2016. Paulynak Hricovini.
Paulynka Hricovini:
Thanks to all of these steps, today I feel comfortable and very very lucky to do what I love. To do what makes me laugh and what makes the most sense for me. The nice part of getting back to freelancing is the freedom of creativity and the ability to choose the projects I want to work on–those which really echo with my values and style. Likewise, the variety of commissions makes an illustrator's and animator’s life very exciting. I often juggle between multiple diverse commissions at once and it is their differences that make them so enjoyable. It's always challenging and you never get bored.
Madison Caprara:
Currently, you are a member of the L’Enroule community in Brussels. I recently had the pleasure of speaking to Fabien Rousseau! How has it been treating you? Was the decision to join at all influenced by the isolation of the pandemic?
Paulynka Hricovini:
Joining l’Enroule was actually not linked to the pandemic, but it makes it cozier to be surrounded by such a community during these past two weird years. Fabien, who launched this group of creative folks, contacted me while I jumped back into freelance life after Volstok. I was first looking to share a common workspace with other creative minds and TA-DA, it's morphin' time! Today we're a nine freelancer workshop; a beautiful bunch of crazy talented artists all coming from different fields, sharing the same studio, laughing at the same rubbish jokes, benefiting from the mutual experience, and sometimes collaborating with each other. I feel so lucky to be a part of this family.
Madison Caprara:
That’s such a wonderful support system to have!
Where do you go for inspiration when you find yourself in a bit of a creative rut?
Rone, 2016. Paulynka Hricovini.
Paulynka Hricovini:
Going outside, taking a walk in nature, meeting friends and new people, traveling when possible, immersing myself in culture and history, reading, listening to music (a lot, really a lot) going to exhibitions, watching movies, doing nothing, just letting the mind wander or witnessing something different–mainly from other artistic crafts and scientific disciplines. In short, from what's basically happening in the outside world! I also try to stay further away from a screen. It clears the brain.
And, as said previously, my current work is quite inhabited by ancient myths and stories. I find so much inspiration in the beautiful cultures, costumes, and traditions of tribes captured by the great Charles Fréger, Chris Rainier, Jimmy Nelson, and so many more photographers. These costumes appear in rituals and religious festivals all around the world. They have deep ancestral relationships with nature and, in my opinion, have the power to shed light and reconnect us to today's world.
Madison Caprara:
Well, this was such a great conversation, Paulynka! I’m really happy you allowed me the opportunity to learn a bit more about your experience. Before we wrap it up, is there anything else you would like to share or end this interview with?
Paulynka Hricovini:
Let's go for some good reminders. This will probably get cheesy at some points:
Surround yourself with talented, inspiring, and kind people, in both your professional and personal lives.
Be curious about everything and everyone that surrounds you. It’s essential in growing a well-built, open, and critical mind.
Work hard, but don’t blame yourself for procrastinating sometimes. Listen to the inner voice asking for breaks when you need them. It will boost your energy and inspiration.
Be patient, things will come along.
Paulynka Hricovini:
As a creative person, you will have moments in life when you compare your work to others and end up feeling inferior. An important skill is to be able to admire the work of other people work without doubting your own abilities. There are so many great artists out there, it can be daunting to pursue a career in such a competitive market. But hey, we’re humans, after all! We all have insecurities and days when we feel like we don't do good enough. It takes a lifetime to learn and be confident.
Thanks again, Madison, and to the whole dash team, for this nice chat. That's all, folks!
SHOWREEL 2018, 2018. Paulynak Hricovini.
Takeover Tuesday with Sawako Kabuki
Q&A with Sawako Kabuki, a freelance Illustrator and Animator based in Tokyo who started off her career working for a popular Japanese porn video company.
Sawako graduated with a bachelor’s in graphic design from Tama Art University and later completed her master's. Her films have been awarded at more than 20 international festivals such as Zagreb, Rotterdam, Annecy, Ottawa, and SXSW.
Q&A with Sawako Kabuki
Read time: 3min
Madison Caprara:
Hi Sawako! Thank you for taking the time to speak with me! Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Sawako Kabuki:
Hello! I am a freelance Animator and Illustrator. Though I mainly work on animations, which can be hard and tiring, I try to do some illustrative work once in a while. It’s a good change and sort of an escape from reality.
Madison Caprara:
You are based in Tokyo, correct? What is the creative industry like there?
Sawako Kabuki:
I don't think it's that different from the U.S. Though when I usually tell people that I work in animation, they immediately think of Japanese "anime". Therefore, in moments when I don't want to have a conversation taking the time to explain, because it can be too much trouble, for example, at a hair salon, I’ll lie and say I'm a web designer or something similar.
Madison Caprara:
That’s funny! I imagine it can get a bit exhausting having to constantly explain what you do for a living.
Madison Caprara:
I see on your website that you originally started out working for a porn video company. That’s a really unique segway into the industry. I was wondering if you could tell us a little about that?
Sawako Kabuki:
When I was looking for a job in my fourth year of university, I saw a posting on a job-search website. The largest adult video company in Japan was hiring. I thought it was cool! So, I applied and was accepted after three interviews and an internship. I quit after about six months.
Madison Caprara:
You have a very distinct style. I’m a big fan! What went into figuring out your unique look?
Sawako Kabuki:
Thank you so much! I don't know to be honest, but I draw butts a lot because I find them calming to look at and draw.
Madison Caprara:
Speaking of butts, you utilize a lot of nudity and sexual references within your work. Do you believe your time within the porn industry played an influence or is that all you?
Sawako Kabuki:
I don’t think it acted as an influence at all because I had many works with these themes, even before I entered the porn industry.
Madison Caprara:
And is there any overlying message you continuously try to portray within your works? Anything specific you feel passionate about - other than butts?
Sawako Kabuki:
Honestly, I want kids to be fascinated and influenced by my work.
Madison Caprara:
Now you’ve had a crazy variety when it comes to projects, from animated music videos to illustrated narratives. Are there any particularly crazy client stories you can share?
Sawako Kabuki:
When I made a music video for a rock band, the animation was a little too extreme for them. It had to be released on a limited basis, meaning, only the people who bought the CD could see it. I don’t think that was very punk rock of them.
Madison Caprara:
Not very punk rock at all. Looking forward, are there any new projects we should be watching out for from you?
Sawako Kabuki:
I’ve been working on an original short film with MIYU productions in France, and it’s almost finished. The title is, I'm late. It’s an animated documentary that focuses on the experiences of people missing their period or being “late.”
Madison Caprara:
Something I’m sure a lot of women can level with. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for that one!
Madison Caprara:
Having both partnered with studies and gone solo, how do you prefer to work? Individually or on a team?
Sawako Kabuki:
I definitely prefer to work individually.
Madison Caprara:
And has the pandemic affected that at all? Whether it be with your access to work/clients or your creativity levels?
Sawako Kabuki:
I have an installation work that I spent a lot of time on, but because of the pandemic, I couldn't show it to the public. The project team was disbanded. I’m still sad about it.
Madison Caprara:
Damn, I’m really sorry to hear that. I’m sure it was really disappointing to put in all the work, just for it to fall through. Hopefully, with numbers dropping and the world beginning to slowly open up, it’s something you can circle back to.
I know a lot of creatives were dealing with that inspiration rut during the lockdown, when you find yourself going through something similar, where do you go for inspiration?
Sawako Kabuki:
I have a stair climber in my room, and I get a lot of inspiration when I'm on it.
Madison Caprara:
That’s a first! Well, you’ve been a delight, Sawako. To wrap it up for the good readers, do you have any closing points you’d like to end on?
Sawako Kabuki:
I hope for happy sex for all humanity!
Takeover Tuesday with Pablo Lozano
Q&A with Pablo Lozano, a former Animator and Designer at Golden Wolf, currently freelancing in Toronto, Canada.
Q&A with Pablo Lozano
Read time: 10min
Madison Caprara:
What’s up, Pablo? Let’s start with an introduction! What did your path to becoming an animator look like, and what about it initially attracted you?
Pablo Lozano:
Hey there! Thank you for having me here. I started my career as a Motion Designer in TV (news broadcasting, sports broadcasting, etc.), but then realized that that side of the motion world was too fast-paced for me; having to create content in days, if not hours, and most of the “cool” projects, like openers or rebrands, ended up being outsourced to outside studios. That's when I decided to change directions towards the studio side of things. I moved to Sweden to study at Hyper Island, improved my skills, and from there, moved to London to join the Golden Wolf team. Now I am freelancing!
In regards to my original attraction to the medium, I've always known I wanted to work in the creative field, but it wasn't until my early 20s that I narrowed it down to 2D animation and motion design. I love bringing still graphics and illustrations to life. I love how we can create new worlds in 30 seconds, and mostly, I love deciding how movement informs the tone, message, and emotion of a piece.
Madison Caprara:
And how would you go about describing your “signature style”?
Pablo Lozano:
I'm not sure I have a signature style, to be honest! I enjoy working in different styles but if I had to narrow it down, I am really drawn to dynamicity and energy. Those are the projects I enjoy working on the most; having fluid motion that ties scenes together, changing rhythms, and high energy.
Madison Caprara:
What type of education did it take to get you where you are today? Formal, self-appointed,..?
Pablo Lozano:
Most of my motion and animation education has been self-taught or through work experience. However, my time at Hyper Island in Stockholm gave me the space, tools, and time to hone my skills surrounded by incredible people.
Madison Caprara:
Speaking of Stockholm, you’ve moved around quite a bit. Sweden, the UK, Canada. How has your experience been in each place, professionally and personally?
Pablo Lozano:
Each is very different, and I think each experience reflects on where I was in my life at the moment. In Sweden as a student, broke but was very interested in learning, spent a lot of time at school working on projects, figuring out exactly what my next move was. London was a time of professional growth, very long working hours, and most everything in life revolved around work. Now in Toronto, I'm trying to find a bit more of a balance between work and life outside of work.
Additionally, each city is very different industry-wise. While London is a huge animation hub, with studios just a block apart from each other and a big network of animators and designers, Stockholm and Toronto have a smaller animation/motion community. Fewer studios and the community is a bit more fractured and difficult to keep in contact with.
Madison Caprara:
Interesting! With all being more well-known cities, I had assumed that they would all have a pretty booming animation/motion scene.
So, you’ve created projects for everything from TV to apps to magazines and have used a pretty large variety of mediums to animate. Do you have a preference?
Pablo Lozano:
Not really! I do specialize in 2D animation, both After Effects and hand-drawn, so that’s my preferred medium paired with Photoshop for design. But regarding the output, I find joy in working for different types of clients, different formats that bring different challenges to the table. Lately, I’ve had a streak of projects where my 2D work has been mixed with 3D content, and that has been very interesting, both in the workflow and style.
Madison Caprara:
Pivoting back to your London days, how did you find yourself joining the Golden Wolf team? How was your experience?
Pablo Lozano:
I joined the team as an intern after my studies and stayed for around three years. My experience there was great! I grew a lot in those years, being surrounded by incredible talent, working with high-end clients and on super interesting projects. There were a lot of long hours and late nights at the time, but I loved the camaraderie and energy there was at the studio. I haven’t found anything quite the same since. I miss the wolves!
Madison Caprara:
Looking back, did you have any particular career goals during your studio days that may (or may not) have changed now that you’ve transitioned to freelance work?
Pablo Lozano:
Just to be a better animator and designer, really. To polish my skills as much as I could. When I got to Golden Wolf, I would see other artists next to me, either full-time or freelance, creating these beautiful animations. I only wanted to get to their level and learn from them. That’s why I would advise anyone trying to get into the industry to gain some studio experience. The knowledge and motivation you get working alongside great talent are invaluable.
Madison Caprara:
And what prompted you to make that switch?
Pablo Lozano:
I wanted a change of pace. To explore how other studios and artists work. Golden Wolf was my first studio experience in the motion industry, so I wanted to see how things worked in other companies. Another reason was the freedom that comes along with freelancing. You can decide the amount of work you want to take on, when to sprint and take on more, and when to slow down to take care of yourself or focus on other things. When you are full-time, somebody else decides that for you.
Madison Caprara:
Having experienced both sides of the coin, do you have a preference between the two?
Pablo Lozano:
I think each has different advantages. I miss incredibly the feeling of being part of a studio; the connection to people, the energy and creativity that flows being in the same space. I don’t think you can recreate that feeling remotely. But on the other side, I am happy freelancing. It allows me to take time off when I need to, to either explore North America (I don’t know how long I’ll be around here) or go back to Spain to see family if needed. At the moment, it better fits my lifestyle.
Madison Caprara:
To speak a little more on your work, is there anything you are particularly trying to address or explore through your pieces?
Pablo Lozano:
Not at the moment, no. Each project is unique and the message is tailored to the client. I have several ideas for personal projects with topics and styles I want to explore, but as always, it’s quite difficult to fit personal work in between client projects while keeping a balanced life outside of the work.
Madison Caprara:
Where do you see the future of animation heading?
Pablo Lozano:
I can only speak on the commercial animation/motion side of things. I see a growing need for animated elements (either 2D, 3D, hand-drawn, or computer-generated) as more and more digital content and platforms need it. On the other hand, I also see a commoditization of much of that content. Faster turnarounds, a longer list of deliveries to fit all possible platforms…a wider pyramid base, and more work across the board but probably as competitive when you move up.
We have seen how animation is doable in a remote environment and during a crazy event such as a pandemic, so in my opinion, that has only increased the number of clients that now feel comfortable creating animated content. It will also be very interesting to see how new mediums we didn’t even think were possible months ago, like the NFT space, will change our industry and the client/artist relationship.
Madison Caprara:
When you find yourself in a creative rut, where do you go for inspiration?
Pablo Lozano:
It’s going to sound cliché, but I try to step away from the computer. Going for walks, people watching…Sometimes inspiration comes from real-world shapes and architecture, sometimes a book or an article, sometimes other artist's work makes me want to try something new...it really varies.
Madison Caprara:
I personally enjoy a good cliché!
Well, it’s been really great getting to learn more about you, Pablo. Unfortunately, we’re reaching the end of our time. That being said, do you have any closing points or advice you’d like to share?
Pablo Lozano:
We need to remember that our career is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time and effort to get to the skill level you want to be, even if social media these days makes you believe otherwise. Be patient. Work hard, there are times to push, and there are times to rest. Be nice, create genuine connections. And focus on the things you enjoy creating because those are the only ones you’ll be able to pour hours and hours into.