Mack Garrison 1/30/24 Mack Garrison 1/30/24

Takeover Tuesday Catarina Alves

An interview with Catarina Alves (AKA itsacat): a Graphic Designer and Illustrator born in Portugal who is constantly diving into the world of shapes and colours to bring them to life through animation.

Interviewer: Bella Alfonsi

Read time: 5min

Bella:

Thanks so much for joining our Takeover Tuesday series, Catarina! Please introduce yourself for the people who aren’t familiar with you.

Catarina:

Thank you for having me! I'm so happy! I'm Catarina, an illustrator and designer. I was born in Porto and currently live in Amsterdam. I've always been interested in art because my parents are both artists, so I studied graphic design.

I currently work as a designer/illustrator for the animation industry.

Aside from my work, I have a cat called Jimi and I'm obsessed with him (he reminds me of the Chinese lucky cat, fat and fluffy).

One of my hobbies is scuba diving but, now that I live in the Netherlands, it seems nonsense haha. However, it's something that makes me completely disconnect and feel like I'm in a whole different world. So, whenever I go on vacation, I try to go to destinations where I can dive to detox from the whole year I've been in front of a computer.

I'm also obsessed with food, and I love trying new restaurants with different concepts.

Bella:

How did you get into the motion design industry?

Catarina:

I started studying Graphic Design, and then I had the opportunity to work in a video mapping company. I began to explore 3D and 2D animation, so I took a postgraduate course in motion design. From that moment onwards, I had worked in an animation production company in Barcelona for five years.

However, keyframes weren't exactly what I wanted to do, mainly because my background was in design, so I started working more as an illustrator/art director for animation. Everything I learned in animation made the transition easier, as I began to understand better how to develop ideas and to design for the animation world.

*Welcome illustration for Catarina’s website.*

Bella:

What’s your experience been like working with Buck?

Catarina:

I'm really glad about this new step in my career. I had spent three years as a freelancer and, although it was something I loved doing, I have always had the ambition to work at Buck and develop my skills alongside their team.

Sometimes, changing from freelance to full-time can be challenging because both have pros and cons. But, so far, it's been a great experience to work with a team again, absorb wider knowledge, and grow professionally.

When we have such a talented team, sometimes we can feel pressured about your work, but, at the same time, we can learn more and understand that everyone has the same fear. So, we need to start believing in our skills. Nothing is impossible.

Bella:

I love all of the different characters you create. How do you give unique personalities to each of them?

Catarina:

Oh, thank you so much! I don't have an answer to that because I don’t have a very defined style like some artists. I try to absorb a bit from my day-to-day life and gain inspiration; which means that most of the things I develop are very trial and error oriented.

I have always had some difficulty in drawing certain body parts and I started doing it regularly so that I would feel more comfortable in that area. That’s why nowadays I really like drawing hands with different proportions.

I like exploring different styles, namely 3D realistic drawings, and more minimalist images…

When I don’t feel that inspired, I look up for photos I like and stylize the character as much as possible. That helps me develop my skills and explore my creativity.

*Forbes Virtual NFT Billionaire Character Illustrations*

Bella:

What’s the workflow like when combining 2D with 3D?

Catarina:

I've always loved mixing media between 2D and 3D, and for that reason I’ve been working a lot with Jonas, as he is a 3D designer. One of the best things when you team up with someone is trying to take the most out of the other person’s skills.

So I started creating some drawings, and then Jonas would do the modelling. After that, I could explore different textures, colours, and ideas.

I began to feel that some of the things would work better in 2D rather than 3D, so I decided to replace some 3D elements. Then, we realized that it works and brings character to our work.

Bella:

Is there a project you’ve worked on that stands out as a favorite to you?

Catarina:

One of the projects I loved doing was for Forbes. I was lucky enough to have all the freedom to design this project. The idea was to create different characters that could work as a toolkit.

I started by developing the first sketches, working on proportions, and exploring different eyes, hair, and clothing.

The challenge was to integrate 2D well into 3D. So the same eyes or hair could work on other faces. I felt really happy with the result, and the client did too, which was very important to us.

Another one was a secret pitch, I really enjoyed working on it. It consisted in an animation video using paper characters. When I saw the references for the first time, I thought, “Omg, what am I going to do with those paper references, how can I create some cool characters using paper?” So it was a challenge!

At the end, it turned out to be an incredible assignment, one I couldn’t even imagine it would have such a new and different result. For me, developing the animals was a challenge because I wanted them to be singular and, at the same time, to be able to build them up on paper. We nailed it because we had finally found a graphic style with which we identified ourselves.

I share with you my favourite animal.

Bella:

What/who inspires you?

Catarina:

Lots of things and people. It’s something that happens naturally on a daily basis. I learn something new every day, whether through a conversation, a project I've had the opportunity to collaborate on, or just something I've seen.

I'm a person who is constantly overthinking about everything but also very emotional at the same time, so, sometimes, the way to get my feelings out is through drawing. So, my biggest inspiration is my daily life.

Bella:

What advice do you have for getting out of a creative rut?

Catarina:

When I feel blocked, I try to get out of my routine, see something new, take a different route, and try to meet someone I haven't met for a long time, but who will bring me something new. Nowadays, it’s very normal to feel blocked; there’s so much going on around you that sometimes it makes you feel too small.

Most importantly, we should respect that sometimes we need time and space and not push ourselves too much; take your time.

Bella:

How would you describe your brand/style?

Catarina:

It’s a tricky question; I’ve never thought about it. It was something I developed when I started freelancing since it's important to show more solidity and to keep up to date. Whenever I develop a new project, I try to explore other styles within "my" style. I don't like to feel that I'm always doing the same thing because I end up building limitations and not growing professionally.

I think that the best way to describe my brand/style is as friendly and with a great connection with graphic design.

*Some of Catarina’s personal illustrations!*

Bella:

Anything coming up that you’re excited about?

Catarina:

There are many things, but I’ve been working on a toy, in collaboration with my partner, Jonas, for some time. I've almost finished the design, and now we're working on the modelling to print and paint it. We will do everything in-house because we had already explored some prototypes a year ago and want to do everything from scratch. The idea will be to develop a limited edition. I love drawing something and bringing it to life; I think it’s quite special.

Mack Garrison 6/22/23 Mack Garrison 6/22/23

Meet the speakers: Sekani Solomon

An interview with Sekani Solomon: an award-winning Creative Director based in New York City

Q&A hosted by Cory Livengood and Ashley Targonski.

Read time: 15min

Cory:

So, you're kind of a unique case in that we were going to have you speak at the Bash two years ago, and it didn't work out in large part due to Covid. I think our readers would really love to know a little bit about your background.

Sekani:

I guess I was always interested in creativity and just arts in general. And so when I was younger, let's say around 10 or so, I was always drawing Dragon Ball Z, or cartoons, or my favorite anime at the time. And then when I was in high school, I was like, could I really perceive this as a career? It seemed like the answer was no. So I actually dropped art. And then around 18, we were rebuilding our school website, and I was like, well, I used Photoshop several years ago, maybe I could help with this. And then I kind of reentered the space, and saw that they had significantly more resources on the internet, how to learn this stuff. And it was suddenly a lot easier.

And so yeah, I just kind of jumped in and went crazy, just doing a lot of photo manipulations. I think back then that was the hype, and then decided to take that on the next level with learning After Effects. My mind was blown, because again, at that point this was a foreign thing that I'd never seen anyone do. It's always something I wanted to do, animate. So that was mind blowing for me. And then that evolved into Cinema 4D. That's when I started incorporating some 3D elements into the work. At that point, it was time to apply for college. And so growing up on a small island [Tobago], if you really wanted to have a promising career, at least in the arts, you have to leave. And I knew that.

So I started off actually not being convinced that I wanted to do art. I didn't think that could be a viable career option. So I applied to schools for a software engineering degree, and then actually switched to graphic design and then motion media after I discovered SCAD. I ended up getting the scholarship from them, because I had a portfolio of work already because I was just kind of obsessed, and doing it in my spare time. Got a scholarship locally from Tobago. And so I ended up going to SCAD, Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. And then during my time there, I had four internships before I graduated. I worked with Loyalkaspar, Gentleman Scholar, The Mill, and Imaginary Forces, and decided that Imaginary Forces worked similarly to how I did, where they wear a lot of hats and jump all around the production process. And then in 2018 I worked at Apple, so it was my first time working in house at a tech company, which was a whole new world. It was eye-opening because I hadn’t worked directly for a brand, and so seeing people at least there work less hours, and could value their time more with a higher day rate.

Sekani is an award-winning Creative Director based in New York City

Cory:

One of the things I wanted to ask you about a little bit was what drew you to move over in-house? It sounds like briefly with Apple, but more specifically I guess recently with CashApp and now Block. And what do you see as the pros and the cons of that approach? And clearly you've stuck with it for a while too, so is it something that you like?

Sekani:

Yeah, no, great question. I think seeing Apple was great, but at the time it didn't feel like someplace I would've stayed full-time, just because they're such an established company, and the checks and balances are so rigorous. Not necessarily ideal for me, but back of my mind, I was looking at what Microsoft was doing in the space. And I was like, wow, it's really cool to see a brand like Microsoft adopting this small New Age 3D motion design approach to showcase their work. It would be cool to begin to try to start something like that at another company if the situation provided itself.

And so later on that year at the end of 2018, I got a message on LinkedIn about this company called CashApp, which ironically I wasn't familiar with at the time, and I was at Buck at the time, and their offices weren't too far from each other. So I did a little interview over at the Square office and then walked over to Buck. And the conversation I had with them was just talking about where this brand could be and how we could interject 3D and motion graphics into it and elevate it. And the idea of being at the ground floor and being able to help shape something was really enticing. Though they had zero 3D pipeline, zero 3D infrastructure, there was nothing.

Sekani:

So literally starting from the ground level when you're talking about processes, even equipment, pipeline, everything had to be built from scratch. But I think doing that on top of having a brand that was very creative allowed a lot of flexibility.

Cory:

Yeah. A willingness to let you do your own thing to a degree, or at least shape some of the stuff, versus being stuck in the Apple way or whatever company it might be, right?

Sekani:

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Which allowed me to express myself creatively while pushing a brand. And I used to do a ton of short films, or personal projects, just because I didn't feel like I could get my creativity out there. But now it's like I don't even feel the need to, because I put so much of that work into these projects.

Cory:

Can you talk to us a little bit about what is the relationship between Block and CashApp? I know that's sort of a recent development.

Sekani:

That's a great question because my role has actually changed. I no longer work at CashApp specifically, at some point we wanted to create a parent brand per se, just because the company was scaling and we had acquired a few companies, so we already had Square and CashApp, and we had a acquired TIDAL, the music streaming service, and then we had two of our business units called TBD and Spiral. And so we still had the Square name, which we called the seller business unit, so it wasn't really clear. So we figured maybe creating a corporate brand, to help kind of clear that up. Just to return ownership of the brands back to the business units. And so I was pulled into that project, which was a beast to say the least. But yeah, let's just say it was incredible, and I was the only 3D person on it per se, so I worked on the logo launch film, so it was a very intense project.

Coming from that, I was given a new opportunity to co-lead a new team, a foundational team that lives outside the business units, that work with all the business units at the company. And we're calling it Creative Studio . We created a film called Reimagine that encapsulates what the team wants to do with our partners, essentially reimagine what their creative can be.

Cory:

Oh, exciting.

Sekani:

Yeah, our first piece that we created. And I think it's going to be really interesting because obviously we've seen a lot of cool things come from companies, but typically they're outsourced. So this is a piece that was fully created internally, by internal designers, so quite excited about that.

Cory:

Yeah, that's a pretty big shift from walking into their office and having to build their entire infrastructure at CashApp, to now creating teams and overseeing multiple brands worth of content. That's cool..

Sekani:

Yeah, no, we pulled in some really talented folk recently, Chris Phillips from Buck, aka Phibs, used to lead 3D design over there. And Zachary Corzine, an amazing designer. He's decided to join us as well.

Cory:

Oh, cool. In your work with CashApp, and before Block, just knowing that that was a lot of time and a lot of work, were you involved with more than just motion graphics? How involved were you with things that were outside of the animation landscape?

Sekani:

A lot. From our investor letter that went out, doing the covers for those, I've done a lot of different projects, whether it be maybe a visual for an event we were doing, to animating on a campaign, to in-app imagery. There's a lot of diversity in the ways that 3D and design can show up, which was nice.

Cory:

Yeah. I've also seen that you've done a little bit of work with Maxon and C4D, showcasing things, and doing demos and stuff like that. How do you like working with them and how did that relationship form? A lot of people use C4D, but not everybody gets to go hang out with the people who make it.

Sekani:

Yeah. Actually, it's funny, in 2014, one of my college professors, he was supposed to speak at NAB and he couldn't make it, so he let myself and another buddy of mine, Jason Diaz, go, and we were these young kids presenting at NAB, and from there I had a relationship with them, and presented at a few SIGRAPHs after that, I think 2016, 2018, maybe 2015, and a couple NAB conferences as well. They're great guys, so it's always good to just have that platform to walk through the work and showcase things, which is nice. And obviously when you're a freelancer, it's a lot easier. But I haven't done one in a while, just because I think with the work that I do now, there's a lot of legal constraints and approvals I have to get to even talk through things externally.

Star Wars: The Last Stand is a dynamic, gritty, full CGI depiction of battle warn storm troopers facing off against an unknown enemy.

Cory:

One thing I noticed when I was going back over our last interview from 2020, was you and Mack talked a little bit about the NFT space, and I was just personally curious if your feelings on that have changed at all in the last couple years.

And you know, you were, I believe, and not to put you on the spot, but you quoted as saying they're not going anywhere, they're here to stay. And you might be right, but I'm just wondering if between 2020 and now, you've thought any differently about that, in our industry, you've got Golden Wolf getting acquired by Doodle and things like that. I'm just wondering where your mind is at with that sort of space.

Sekani:

Yeah, I do think they're here to stay, but the scale, as you can see, has dramatically changed. I mean, even though it did allow a lot of artists to make a lot of money at the time, a lot of it was just funneled by pump and dump schemes and bros using artists as a way to make money. And if you're fortunate to be used in that way, then good for you.

I think people really got tied up into this feeling that it was all about the art, which in retrospect, at least now to me, it's clear that it had nothing to do with the art, but the value that it could generate, which really just mimics the fine art world under all these Van Goghs and those types of pieces, people pay millions of dollars for them, not just because they're beautiful works of art, it's because they're very valuable pieces, and an easier way to store value then maybe it stocks or something else.

So I mean, I'm sure there are collectors out there that genuinely care about art, but I do think a lot of them are just doing it for monetary gain, which, it's fine, but I think we shouldn't fool ourselves into thinking this is just some liberating thing. And I think a lot of artists probably discovered that when they did their taxes.

Cory:

Yeah, no, that's really well put. I mean, it's no surprise it's the same shift that's kind of happened with cryptocurrency in general, and in some ways even calling it a currency these days, it's more like a stock. It's more like that kind of speculative stuff, which is, again, as you say, totally fine, as long as you know what you're getting into.

Sekani:

Yeah, no, exactly. And I think even Bitcoin per se, I think there is a lot of good utility, but no one looks at it for a utility. It's for the value or the money they could make. And it's like people make a use case for it, oh yeah, NFT has a utility. And I'm like, okay, so this puppy will grow ears and legs. I don't know. Me personally, I'm like, okay, this is just a way for people to make a lot of money.

Cory:

Yeah. I like what you said, if you manage to cash in on that, then good for you.

Sekani:

I've just seen a lot of good artists get looked over, haven't sold anything, and quickly I realized it had nothing to do with the art. But you know what, if you've become notable, it's just the real world art scene. It's nothing new here. People have been doing this for years, so it is what it is. But the thing that I always thought about was, I never saw longevity in it, and we just never knew where the space was going to go. I think 2021 was just a wild year. And even me, I was getting an immense amount of FOMO. I really questioned, what you're doing, it's like okay, you could just sell a JPEG for $300,000. Why am I doing this job? It was pretty wild to see. But who knows? I think for some people, that might be the type of thing that may not happen again. If you were able to cash in, then yeah, I think that's amazing..

Cory:

Well, there did seem like there was this really interesting inflection point where it was, you have all these artists who normally make work for other brands, and for commercials, and for advertising. And there was this period of time where they could just make the weirdest thing they wanted, whatever they wanted, and it could look crazy, and people were really into it.

Sekani:

Yeah. Because then, at that point, you're more so an artist. If you're a motion designer, at least to me, inherent in the world of design is communication and problem solving. This is like, if I'm just making art, that's more like, I don't know, an expression, or you're not necessarily trying to solve something specific. You're creating a story or a narrative, which I think is also fine. But yeah, I guess maybe I've just drunk the Kool-Aid too much. To see the amount of hours that I put into this craft, and at least the job that I do, I like the idea of building towards something. If I could tell the story of this product that could help change the way technology is operated, or better a product, then I like having somewhat of an outcome like that.

I guess maybe at this point in my career, I just like the idea of being able to move, because this is the thing, working at a company, when you work at a studio, you kind of deliver the work, and success is based on the craft and the messaging of the work. But the tech, you could put something out, you see all the metrics and you see how it performs, which I think puts a little bit more pressure, not for it just to be beautiful, but obviously for it to function.

Cory:

Yeah. That's a really, really, really interesting point. And especially when you're at a studio, you put out the work and then you move on to the next one. You never even have to think about that again. Whereas now you're building on top of the last layer, on top of the next layer, that kind of thing.

Sekani:

The craft and the quality is very important, but it needs to also be valuable. And that could depend on a lot of different factors, but it's just something that you have to think about. Whereas if you're a freelancer at a studio, you don't need to really think about it. It's more so a creative director's job, or someone else that's not working on the craft.

Cory:

Do you find your day-to-day these days mostly managing teams of other artists, or are you still getting in the trenches and making stuff yourself too?

Sekani:

I'm doing it all. I'm pretty much still in the trenches, still crafting stuff. I actually have a render going right now.

Cory:

Is that by choice or is that by necessity?

Sekani:

By necessity. This team is really small. The amount of work that we are tasked with is pretty insane. Right now we're working on a series that's minutes long and it's all 3D. But I think the technology that we're expanding on is really interesting. At least for me, it's like I have to be able to work at a macro and micro level. So think big picture about the story in the narrative, and then be able to massage the animation on a specific item or something like that. It's an interesting challenge. You have to wear a lot of different hats.

Cory:

Yeah. That's exciting though. Just to get in the weeds a little bit, out of my own curiosity, because I like Cinema 4D a lot. Do you use cloud render farms? Do you prefer one render engine to another? Or what's your sort of go-to with C4D when it comes to wanting to get the look that you're going for?

Sekani:

Yeah, well, I like Redshift just because I used to use Octane, let's say 2016. It was quite buggy back then, and Redshift came and it was super stable and it had all the tools I wanted. I also used to use V-Ray. So Redshift had a more familiar workflow just because they're both biased renderers, and they kind of have the AOV workflow that I liked.

I typically comp a lot of my stuff, regardless of how good the renderer is, I'll always put it in Nuke. And you can try to do something to push it. And so I usually could achieve the look that I want to, at least close to, between the combination of the render and doing some comp work. But people have been saying really good things about Octane lately, so I'd be curious to jump back into that world and see how it goes.

And in terms of rendering, we are recently just building out some new pipelines. We bought a bunch of computers, and we want to get everything that worked up so we could have just our own personal render farm. It's just easier for us too, because we get to keep all information on our servers and not have to extend notes of third party renderers.

Cory:

Good point. I'm sure there's a lot of privacy concerns with that kind of thing. Plus those cloud renders are great until they're not, and then you're kind of out of luck.

Sekani:

Yeah, yeah, exactly. It's just nice to be able to submit a render to deadline. Just don't have to think about - all right, I got to patch this up, to upload it, and yeah, it could get a little taxing.

I know AWS is developing new tech. You could spin up renders or render nodes directly in deadline, and then there's a render token thing that Octane uses, and it's going to be really helpful in the future where you could render things by blockchain technology, which is interesting. And everything's encrypted, so no one else can see the data, which is pretty cool.

Cory:

Are you mostly remote these days with Block and CashApp, or do you guys have an office presence at all?

Sekani:

Yeah. Well, it's fully remote, so you don't have to come into the office if you don't want to, but I try to go in at least twice or three times a week. We have two offices in Soho, one for CashApp and one for Square. But just after two years of working from home, it is nice to actually be around people, have a conversation with people and discuss things. And just even discussing creative: typing feedback or having conversations via Slack is good but also having to, “Hey, are you available for a call?”

It's just so much easier to walk over to someone's desk and have a conversation, you can point to the screen. So just getting some of that feeling is great to have in person than the rapport you build, and that camaraderie you get, it's pretty nice.

Cory:

I wouldn't mind asking you a little bit about maybe some advice for people who are up and coming in the industry. Do you have any pieces of advice or things that you did, you think, in your youth that you wouldn't do now?

Sekani:

I think it's good to start at a studio. I think if you find a good one, it's good to be staff. You get to learn a lot by working with a lot of people. Also, if you're in college, it's good to do internships, because it provides a more risk averse way to learn. I think when you're a freelancer, there's a lot more pressure for you to perform. And so if you're an intern, the expectations are different, it's like, oh yeah, he's an intern. We're not expecting anything crazy. So it's a good way to learn without the pressure.

Also, if you're a motion designer, I think it's better to narrow down your skillset a little bit. You're a 3D motion designer, which does both animation, or in design, design animation, or you do one or the other, or you're 2D, or maybe you do a little bit of after effects and 3D. It's hard when you say you can do both, unless you can really do both very well, and there's 100% people that can, but from a marketing perspective, it's easier to get yourself in the door with a few things. And when you get in there, you're like, well, by the way, I can actually do this stuff, and the other.

Always seek mentors of people you could ask questions to. And what else? Just make a lot of work, make the work that you want to create. But also, and this is a thing I see when looking at candidates, a lot of portfolios are just built on a lot of random tests, or a lot of abstract stuff, without the thinking or design behind it. And if you're looking purely for craft, then that's great.

Cory:

I do think that's one thing that, at least in the portfolios we've seen that come out of Savannah, that come out of SCAD, they seem to do a pretty good job of having students not only showcase the final product, but also showcase the thought process that got them to the final product. I don't know if that was the case when you were there, but it's something I've been impressed with, their program.

Sekani:

Yeah, no, I think that's really good. They really teach you the process of design, and that's where I learned a lot of my chops from, because I never took a 3D class when I went to SCAD. It was all about design and storytelling, and how to build a narrative, and ways to keep things exciting, and that type of stuff. So yeah, I think if you could have some of that process in your portfolio that could show that, Hey, I can not just make things, but I could think about it conceptually, and this all makes sense, then I think that makes it a lot stronger. In your portfolio, that is.

Cory:

That's interesting, yeah, that you learned the software on your own time, and learned more of that fundamental stuff at school.

Sekani:

Yeah, yeah, exactly. School I think is for learning some of the soft skills, and there's so many resources online to learn the software, but it's really hard to find a course that teaches you about the principles of design, and how they're applied, and storytelling. Those more nuanced things are more difficult to learn. And then there's a matter of taste. How you develop that over time. That just takes time. I mean, I think that's where, when you say this person's talented, I think some people innately have good taste.

Cory:

I'm just curious, out of your whole body of work, is there any project that you're the most proud of, or one of the most proud of, and maybe why?

Sekani:

I think the projects I'm usually most proud of, are the ones that, if I had an idea and a concept and I was able to execute on that successfully. Maybe my film, maybe Hidden, is always up there for me. I think I had an idea for a narrative and I saw it through, and I kind of made the whole thing myself, which was just in my free time. Which was interesting, because back then no one was really using models and cloth [like that]. And now obviously that's the trend. So you look at it now and it feels like what everyone else is doing. But I was fortunate enough to release that before it became a fad. But, I try not to be too precious.

Hidden is a short film about self appreciation.

Cory:

Yeah. Yeah. Well that's so important in the industry, you know? Can't be married to anything, especially if you're dealing with a client.

Because I also came from an in-house studio before working with Dash, and I think one thing I realized is, it's very easy for a brand to get stale or one track, because there's a point where you're focusing more on how much can you release, versus what's the quality, and what's the meaning behind it. So how do you continue to push the brand, and what do you think through when you're thinking about that?

Sekani:

I would say it's just about how the team is organizing the type of people that they're bringing in and just knowing what to keep in house, what to outsource. And at some point, if people just have to be honest, what can really be churned out? And sometimes it's better to put out less and have better quality than to just oversaturate the market.

Cory:

Great. Thank you. Well, this has been really great, thanks for chatting with us.

Sekani:

Yeah. Awesome. Thank you guys for taking the time to chat with me.

Guest User 3/8/22 Guest User 3/8/22

Takeover Tuesday with Allen Laseter

An interview with Allen Laseter: an animator, designer, and director making stuff for brands and studios around the world.

Q&A with Allen Laseter

Read time: 5min

Mack Garrison:

Allen! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us for this week's Tuesday Takeover. For those who are not familiar with you or your work, could you give us a little intro and creative background?

Allen Laseter:

Thanks for having me. I am an animator/illustrator type, now working as Creative Director along with my wife and business partner Lindsey Laseter for our very newly formed studio, Lasso.

My background is really more in the live action world. I went to a small art school in Nashville where I still live and work and studied film, concentrating mostly on directing and cinematography, but the school was small and scrappy enough that you really were able to learn how to do everything, which in retrospect was a massive bonus.

My dream at that time was to make narrative films as a director, but when I graduated, reality set in and I started my career freelancing around town working on sets, editing, occasionally “directing” tiny commercials for local businesses, and trying my best to make non-commercial short films and other weird projects with friends.

I was doing this for a couple years until my friend who was really into After Effects and an all around technical wizard passed on a motion graphics type of job to me that he was not able to take on. The school I’d gone to didn’t have any sort of motion or even VFX program, but I’d picked up some After Effects tips from him and had made some stuff for fun just poking around on my own time. I decided to take on the project with my incredibly limited knowledge, and realized quickly how little ill-equipped I was. However, I was forced to learn a lot on the project very quickly, and by the end, I realized that I really liked working this way and wanted to seek out more of this kind of work.

This was still in the first half of the 2010’s when Vimeo had what felt like a really thriving and active motion community, and I was lucky enough to, over time, fall into a network and gradually improve my skills and find work until I had worked out a pretty nice freelance groove, working with various studios around the country as a remote animator, and occasional designer. I kept working on my chops until I began to pursue directing, and eventually got the crazy idea to form a studio!

Mack Garrison:

You've worked on a lot of fun projects over the years, but I'd love to know which have been some of your personal favorites.

Allen Laseter:

The first one that comes to mind is the first project I did for Ted-Ed on the topic of the Hedonic Treadmill framed around the scenario of Winning the Lottery and how it affects your happiness long term. I think this was the first time I had the opportunity to create a project from scratch, aside from the script which was supplied to me, and really approach a client project with a director’s mindset, in terms of really shaping how the overall piece would feel to an audience. It was also by far the longest thing I’d made, being over 4 minutes long. I think this project in particular gave me a big boost in my freelance career.

*TED-Ed: Will winning the lottery make you happier?*

Another memorable one for me was a short spot I did for Lagunitas as part of their “Mumblephone” series. The task was to take a voice mail that had been left on the company's customer feedback phone line and create an animation to it. That was basically the entire brief and I was allowed to do just about anything I wanted, which is rare and one of my favorite things. It was one of the early times where I got to really be adventurous and imaginative as well as really focus on a narrative for a client project.

Mack Garrison:

A lot of folks look up to you as a creative leader so I'd love to know who you look up to?

Allen Laseter:

That’s a really nice thought! This may sound like a cop out, but I look up to tons of people, from people who I know well to some I’ve never even met, and I hate to leave anyone out, so I will purposefully keep this short and limit it to our niche of the industry and name Zac Dixon and Sam Cowden who founded IV Studio here in Nashville. I look up to them for their rare mix of creativity and business ambition. They manage to seemingly keep their studio insanely busy with both client and self initiated projects alike and are extremely successful in both areas which is a huge inspiration to me.

Mack Garrison:

Our industry has been growing like crazy and we have more freelancers than we've ever had before. Any words of wisdom you could share with the next generation of creators? Things you wished you knew as a freelancer?

Allen Laseter:

When you get stuck or run into a problem that you can’t figure out on your own, tell someone quickly instead of burning time trying in vain to figure it out yourself for the sake of your ego. This was a big temptation early in my career and it never worked out well.

Be nice to people, even if they annoy you. It’s still a pretty small field. This will help from a business perspective and from a human perspective.

Hire a cpa.

Mack Garrison:

You and your wife Lindsey recently started a new studio called Lasso which is so exciting! What was the reason for the transition from freelancer to studio owner?

Allen Laseter:

Before Lindsey and I officially decided to start building our studio, I had personally been at a point for a while where I felt like I was ready to move on to something new, but wasn’t sure what. I had been freelancing for a while and enjoyed it but the thing I always craved was more influence over the entire process. I tried going the director route for a little bit and worked with a few different reps, but ultimately nothing ever really worked out all that well.

I was already feeling this in early 2020 and the biggest push in this direction came in March when the pandemic took over everything and we locked down and began to figure out how to work in the same space while raising our daughter and learning how to balance all the new things that stemmed from that. We also just happened to be beginning to collaborate on a project together for the first time ever, even though we were still independent freelancers. These experiences made us realize that, while we had to learn a new way of communicating (and are still learning it) we actually worked pretty well together and that our skill sets overlap very nicely and allow us to do work that we think is unique from a lot that is out there.

*Some thumbnails from Allen’s portfolio*

Mack Garrison:

What are you hoping to accomplish in the studio space that you weren't able to do as a freelancer?

Allen Laseter:

The main things for me are having more control over what work I take on, more influence over the end result of the work, higher quality/bigger scope projects that become possible when leading teams (as opposed to just working by myself which I’ve often done in the past) and finally, focusing more on actual directing skills, which was kind of my original goal back in film school, just in a different environment.

Mack Garrison:

What do you think the future holds for our industry? Anything in particular you're excited about or things that worry you?

Allen Laseter:

As things become more and more digital, I think that will create more and more opportunity for our kind of work. In particular, I’m excited about what this means for brand identities as this is the main focus for our studio, Lasso. In an increasingly digital space, it’s less and less necessary for a brand’s visual identity to be thought of as static first. It’s interesting to think of a brand in terms of its potential to be a changing and dynamic thing, which is what we are trying to do at Lasso.

On the other hand, and from a more zoomed out perspective, I worry about the increasing percentage of our lives that are spent in the digital realm and I think we should all go outside way more!.

Mack Garrison:

Last but not least, any new projects or creative endeavors we should be on the lookout for?

Allen Laseter:

Lasso will finally be launching a portfolio in mid-March, so keep an eye out for that!

Guest User 2/21/22 Guest User 2/21/22

Takeover Tuesday with Kai Kundler

An interview with Kai Kundler, a Berlin born, Frankfurt based Motion Designer and Art Director.

Q&A with Kai Kundler

Read time: 5min

Madison Caprara:

Hi, Kai! Why don’t you start us off with an introduction to yourself? What originally drew you to the creative industry and how did you find yourself where you are today?

Kai Kundler:

Hey! My name is Kai and I am a Motion Designer and Art Director currently based in Frankfurt, Germany. I also love drawing, and I try to bring it into my work as much as possible, whether in personal projects or in my creative daily life. Right now I work a lot for the automotive and motorsport sector.

My creative career began quite conventionally: as a child, I loved to draw and return continually after breaks. The love of drawing evolved into a general lust for art, which led to graffiti and, eventually, design..

Madison Caprara:

I’m not sure I’ve asked this question in previous Takeover Tuesday interviews, but I’m curious. What is it about motion design that you love? Can you remember what the original draw of it was for you personally?

Kai Kundler:

My intention was never to become a motion designer, but like many others, I grew into it. Since I was a kid, I have been a big fan of cartoons and Disney Classics. From a young age, this moved and influenced me. My four-year-old heart was broken by the Mufasa Scene in The Lion King. However, my passion for motion design has grown over the years. I wanted to be an illustrator at first, but then I switched to a more traditional digital designer focus until I discovered my passion for motion design. I was hooked after trying more 2d and 3d animation and knew this is what I wanted to do. I still enjoy creating and watching anything that moves on the screen. I've always been curious about new things and love experimenting with them.

Madison Caprara:

You’re based in Frankfurt, correct? How’s the creative industry? Do you find yourself working more with home-based or international clients? Has the pandemic affected workflow much?

Kai Kundler:

In general, I believe that the creative community is a very open and straightforward one. You run into each other at festivals, talks, and award ceremonies. You usually know each other from a variety of settings or share friends, acquaintances, or coworkers. When you don't know each other, then you will surely meet at a later point in time. It makes little difference whether you live in Frankfurt, Berlin, London, or New York. I have also had the honor of working only with open-minded and easy-going people in this business.

The creative industry has always been a fast-paced one. This was also obvious during the pandemic: it was one of the first industries to be severely impacted, and it was also one of the first to recover and pick up again. Frankfurt has always had a strong international connection as a result of its proximity to financial clients and trade fair events. In general, I work with both international and national clients. Due to the fact that big network agencies are also based here, there is always a strong exchange with other international hotspots.

Of course, the pandemic has changed a lot of our lives. Working from home requires agencies and studios to become even more digital and adaptable. People are used to collaborating in a single location. You sit across from each other or are in meeting rooms. You have offered your support when you have noticed that colleagues need help. We have all worked with teams, slack, dropbox or whatever before. However, in the office, we had many more opportunities to communicate spontaneously or keep up. Now you have to be more active to know what your colleagues are doing, to exchange thoughts, or to see how they are doing.

Madison Caprara:

How do you think the German design industry compares to that of the U.S.?

Kai Kundler:

In general, I believe the design industries in Germany and the United States are similar, but there are differences in influences. Shared influences enable an exchange in Europe, whether it's the German Bauhaus, the rich art history, or the nearby influence of Swiss Design, De Stijl from the Netherlands, Russian constructivism, or even the strong cultural and art history from France or the UK.

It is always dependent on the project or the client. In other words, Germany can appear formal and impersonal at times. This is already present in the German language, as we have a polite and a more personal form of address. This is less prominent in English, making it appear much more relaxed and simple. Until now, it has frequently been the case in Germany that the safer, formal option was chosen over trying something new. But you can also sense a shift here; this is becoming softer, and there is a lot more experimentation going on, both in national and international projects.

The US market appears to be considerably faster-paced and more zeitgeisty. Furthermore, one must not overlook the sheer magnitude of power, technology, and money emanating from Silicon Valley. The global impact is still incredible, and it is still unique in the world.

Madison Caprara:

Where do you go to for inspiration when you find it lacking and how do you maintain your creative edge?

Kai Kundler:

It's important to get inspiration from art, music, photography, architecture and other art forms as well as the motion design scene. When confronted with a blocking barrier, however, the most effective response is to do nothing. Devoting one's time and energy to other activities may be beneficial if circumstances and time allow. Another project, or simply sleeping on it for the night, sports, a walk, or other forms of distraction are always helpful. After that, you can return to the topic with a clearer head.

A walk through the city works best for me. I love to walk through the city and streets and like the vibes of the city. It is very inspiring for me to be connected to the streets. I'm also looking forward to traveling more, and I'm also a big fan of creative challenges like Inktober. Forcing yourself to be a little creative every day exercises your creative muscles and often leads to surprisingly good results.

Madison Caprara:

Do you have an all-time favorite client or project you’ve worked on?

Kai Kundler:

It's tough for me to claim that one particular client was exceptional, because it would imply that other customers weren't as excellent. It is always very dependent on the project and the briefing. But I had a lot of joy working on projects for technological firms like DJI and, as previously mentioned, the automobile sector. In Germany, you just can't get around it. Just as important for me are personal projects or commissions.

Madison Caprara:

What are some up-and-coming media that you’re really interested in diving into in the future?

Kai Kundler:

There is a lot going on right now, such as the Metaverse, NFTs, and AI-based tools. New technological devices, such as Apple's maybe mixed reality device, can also give the entire industry a boost and change entire work processes. I always try to stay curious and try new things, but this has the side effect of increasing my pile of shame with plugins, software or learning new things. To my disadvantage, I like to be an early adopter, so I always have a lot of things I want to try out. However, this also means that I am rarely bored.

Madison Caprara:

I see that you studied at The RheinMain University. How valuable was your time and education to your career? And is there anything that you felt that you experienced or learned at university that you wouldn’t have been able to learn from anywhere else?

Kai Kundler:

The most significant benefit of this time was the opportunity to experiment. At first, I was given a lot of flexibility and was able to devote myself to a wide range of disciplines. This was the only way for me to discover and strengthen my inner love for motion design, 2d, 3d, and everything that moves on the screen.

That, I believe, is the most important thing a university can give you in a creative field. It is critical to be taught how to sit down and learn on your own. Motion design can be a very technical profession, and new tools are constantly being developed to help you achieve an even better result faster and more efficiently than before.

Madison Caprara:

Now, I’ve heard time and time again how personal projects outside of client work are important for mental health upkeep and furthering your skills as a creative. What is your stance on passion projects? Have you had the time recently?

Kai Kundler:

Personal projects are extremely important. Only here can you completely loosen up and experiment with new things. You can devote yourself to skills and things that are pushed aside in your day-to-day job here as well. You can learn and practice new skills. And once you're comfortable with what you've learned, you can apply it to your job or to your clients. You lay your own foundation here. I try to work on personal projects on a regular basis, and right now I'm focusing on typography and analog drawing.

Madison Caprara:

Aside from creating them for enjoyment, what are some things that you feel you gain from taking the initiative to do your own work?

Kai Kundler:

You begin to fine tune your skills, try new things, but you also strengthen what you already have. This boosts your self-esteem and allows you to recognize your own worth. What you quickly forget is that personal projects are the only way to get started in the creative industry. I can't tell you how many hours I spent as a kid drawing on my paper and having a good time. That is exactly what you should maintain and continue to do later on.

Madison Caprara:

Are you working on anything exciting we should be keeping our eyes open for in the near future?

Kai Kundler:

I'm currently working on a number of projects that I'm not allowed to share or that are still in their early stages. But I make an effort to be active and to create new and exciting things. As a result, it is always exciting.

Madison Caprara:

Is there anything in particular that you would like to end this interview on?

Kai Kundler:

I am sure we will come out of the pandemic stronger than before, having learned a lot about ourselves and appreciating life much more day to day. So keep moving, educate yourself, and stay creative. Also never watch Disney Classics with me because I will cry my eyes out.

Thanks for having me!

Guest User 8/24/21 Guest User 8/24/21

Takeover Tuesday with Marcelo Meijome

Q&A with Marcelo Meijome, a 3D and Motion Artist currently working at Varjo in Helsinki as a Senior Visual Designer.

Q&A with Marcelo Meijome
Read time: 5min

Screen Shot 2021-08-24 at 8.05.34 AM.png

Madison Caprara:

Hi, Marcelo! I’m excited to get to know you a little better. Could you give us a brief introduction to yourself and your work? How would you describe your style for the readers?

Marcelo Meijome:

Hello Madison! I’m a Visual and Motion Designer, currently based in Helsinki, Finland. Actually, soon to be based in Milan, Italy. I was born in the U.S. to an American mother and an Argentine father. Growing up, we moved around a lot, back and forth between the U.S. and Argentina. I guess that carried over as an adult and I find myself moving around with my wife every couple of years it seems!

My work and style have evolved quite a bit over time I think, and I try to experiment with everything from super-stylized work to realistic 3D art. One constant though has been the focus on motion and animation in my work. These days, I find myself making short animations with inanimate objects, such as chairs, and giving them some personality and life. There is something really satisfying about creating a clean, seamless looping animation.

Madison Caprara:
A bit of a nomad I see! Well, let’s get started. Who or what nurtured your initial creative spark? Did you have any early mentors?

Marcelo Meijome:

I would say my parents played a big part in nurturing my creative spark. They always encouraged me to draw growing up, they let me play a lot of video games, and we would watch a lot of animated movies together. It’s because of these things that I think I knew I wanted to somehow do something related to art and design.

An early mentor for me would be my college professor, Dan Baldwin. He had gotten his Master’s degree at SCAD and has so much great experience when it comes to design and illustration. He really helped to make my work better and to also do a lot of projects outside of the classroom which better prepared me for the agency/studio world after graduating.

Madison Caprara:

It’s always great when you have that initial support from your family. I imagine it makes it easier to go after the career you want. What has been your career path leading up to the present?

Marcelo Meijome:

Originally, I started in the Fine Arts program at Indiana University, but after a year I transferred to IUPUI in Indianapolis to pursue a program more focused on design and computer graphics. After graduating, I felt like I wanted to learn more about animation specifically, so I enrolled in Animation Mentor. While doing these online animation courses, I started working at a local Indianapolis creative agency called Vision Three. This is where I started to really develop a lot of my 3D and motion design skills. Over time, the work there transitioned to be heavily based on real-time interactive applications and virtual reality projects. That’s what led me to being contacted by Varjo in Helsinki to help design for their VR and Mixed Reality headsets. Besides the full-time work, I’ve also taken on a variety of freelance projects on the side when some fun or interesting opportunities pop up.

Madison Caprara:

So, what is it you exactly do for Varjo? Break it down for us!

Marcelo Meijome:

My role at Varjo has been that of a Senior Visual Designer. In practice, that means I help out with a wide range of design challenges and tasks, a bit of everything from UI design, to illustration, to virtual environment creation in Unreal, to motion design for interactive elements, to even functionality prototyping. This role has really given me a chance to improve on some of my core design and motion skills, but also learning and exploring more technical aspects like coding to make early-stage design prototypes. One of the challenges with designing for virtual or mixed reality is that there are no tools like Adobe Xd or Figma just yet to quickly prototype things, so there is a high learning curve for designers to learn something like Unity or Unreal to be able to create and validate their designs in VR. Hopefully, this barrier improves, but at least there are already some concepting tools in VR like Oculus Quill, Microsoft Maquette, and Gravity Sketch that can help with part of the process.

Madison Caprara:

Who has been one of your favorite clients to work with? This can include one you’ve linked up with during your time at Varjo, or even during personal work!

Marcelo Meijome:

I really enjoyed working on a project for Morton Salt. It was for a big interactive video wall at their HQ office in Chicago that was run on three Microsoft Kinect sensors doing full-body tracking. This combined a good amount of UI motion design work, but also creating motion and design for when the application was not in use, so when people would walk by the screens we could create interesting transitions and motion design that would follow the user around. Morton Salt surprisingly gave us pretty free reign when it came to some of this as long as we stayed on the brand colors, so I think we were able to come up with something really cool in the end. This is something I’d like to experiment with some more in something like a museum setting.

Madison Caprara:

That sounds absolutely wild! I didn’t know they were based in Chicago.

As a self-labeled “generalist,” what are your thoughts on the generalist vs specialist debate?

Marcelo Meijome:

I think there is definitely room for both, and they each have their own benefits. From my experience, it helps to try and specialize in a few related things. For example, a lot of motion design positions now require 3d experience. You don’t need to be an expert in the whole 3d software package, but it does require knowledge of many areas like animation, lighting, and rendering. It’s always good to keep an open mind and continually be learning new things, you never know when it might come in handy. This is especially true in smaller studios where you don’t have huge teams with lots of specialists.

Madison Caprara:

Sound like your preference definitely leans towards being a jack of all trades.

In your opinion, what are some things that the art and design world is too focused on, and on the flip side, what are we not focused on enough?

Screen Shot 2021-08-24 at 8.07.16 AM.png

Marcelo Meijome:

It feels like there’s a big focus these days on social media when it comes to art and design. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely benefits to this, easier to get exposure, share work, get your art seen by a huge amount of people. At the same time, this makes it feel like there’s a constant pressure as an artist that you need to share your work online and promote yourself which can be super draining and leave you burnt out. Like with anything else, it’s about balance and using the tool for your benefit but not letting it control what you do or what kind of work you make.

On the flip side, I would say traditional design and art skills have lost some focus. Everything needs to be more instant these days, so people expect to learn some software quickly and then the great work will follow automatically. I think the understanding of design principles, shapes, color, form, etc are way more important in the end, and learning the software or tool is more secondary to that.

Madison Caprara:

You’re right, social media has its dark side, but it can also be crazy inspiring. I love the connections you can make with people and places all across the world. Where do you go for inspiration when the creative rut hits?

Marcelo Meijome:

The usual social channels of Twitter, Instagram, Dribbble, Behance, and Motionographer can be a good way to find inspiration and spark new ideas, lots of great work to be discovered. Besides that, I find a lot of inspiration from just going out and doing things, whether it’s taking a walk, going to a museum, or traveling, you’re bound to see inspiring things in architecture and nature. I usually get a new idea for a personal project when I’m doing something completely random!

Madison Caprara:

Speaking of random, what’s a skill you never anticipated needing within your career but have found you can’t work without?

Marcelo Meijome:

Organization skills have become crucial for me, and this applies to pretty much all areas of my work. In school, I thought I could just make cool things and then the final deliverable was all I needed, but I quickly realized how important it was to stay organized once I started working professionally; the organization of my files, being able to find things I need quickly, and archiving work that’s been done. Keeping my working files clean and tidy, naming all my layers, grouping things accordingly, color coding things. These are all especially important when working on projects with other artists. I try to hand off projects and assets in the way I would like to get them from others. The worst thing is getting a messy project or file that has things scattered all over.

Madison Caprara:
For curiosity’s sake, do you have any off-the-wall side hustles or hidden talents?

Marcelo Meijome:

I don’t really have any side hustles or hidden talents. I like to play soccer but haven’t found a way to get paid for that yet! I like to learn about history and lots of different topics, so maybe I know a lot of random facts or bits of info that occasionally come in handy!

Madison Caprara:

Is there anything special we can look forward to seeing from you?

Marcelo Meijome:

My dad passed away suddenly back in June this year, so I’ve taken a bit of a break from working on much personal stuff since that happened. I’ve been thinking and reflecting a lot about my dad during that time, what he meant to me and my family and our connection to Argentina. Hopefully, soon, I would like to create something as a tribute for him. He always supported me no matter what I wanted to do, and really pushed me to continue working on my art during the times that I wanted to quit and study something else. Besides this, I want to get back to making more weekly art posts and collaborate on projects with my wife where she will create music tracks and I’ll make an animation to go along with them.

Madison Caprara:

Oh man, Marcelo. I’m truly sorry to hear about your father’s passing. My condolences to you and your family. If you plan on sharing your memorial project with the public, I’d love to see it.

We’re reaching the end of our time. Do you have any closing advice or maybe a statement you would like to share?

Marcelo Meijome:

Try to set aside some time for personal projects when possible. I know it’s not always easy to find the time or motivation to do these, I struggled for a long time with this too, starting lots of things but never finishing them. Start with small and short goals and try not to focus too much on making things perfect. Experiment with different styles and techniques! Almost all the freelance work I’ve ever gotten came as a result of someone seeing some of my more fun personal work. Just be careful to maintain a good balance with your personal life as well, it’s also ok to take breaks and not always feel like you have to be working.

Guest User 6/17/21 Guest User 6/17/21

Industry Perspectives: The Importance of Hiring for Diversity with Bhakti Patel

Mack Garrison and Meryn Hayes sat down with Bhakti Patel to speak on her experiences. Bhakti is a talented Art Director and 3D Motion Designer. She has worked with over a dozen studios including Imaginary Forces, Sarofsky, Cause + Effect, Perception NYC, and Current Studios.

Q&A with Bhakti Patel
Read time: 20min

“when you hire somebody and consider their diverse background, you're considering that they can tell stories in a very different way, and that's what we are at the end of the day. storytellers.”

Mack Garrison:

We appreciate you hopping on the call with us. This is Mack Garrison. I'm one of the founders of dash, we've also got Meryn Hayes, one of our producers here as well. First off, do you want to give us a bit of background? How did you discover motion design?

Bhakti Patel:

So, when I was in school, I initially was going the graphic design route. I found it a bit limiting. You can't go beyond a page or a billboard, at least that was my understanding at the time. I started to look into motion design, and a lot of that was discovered through finding a couple of studios like Imaginary Forces, Sarofsky, Elastic, and just looking at their body of work. I thought it was way more interesting. It also included graphic design, so your options become limitless. That's how I started to get interested. So, I ended up studying 3D animation. On the side, I would teach myself Cinema 4D because we were learning 3Ds Max in school.

Mack Garrison:

Oh, cool.

Bhakti Patel:

Yeah. Whatever I learned how to do in 3ds Max in the day, I'd go home and try to do it in C4D. AfterEffects and stuff were already things I'd been playing around with back in high school, but never really went far into. I started to get a little bit more into that, making little projects for myself. By junior year, I landed an internship at Sarofsky for the summer. Sarofsky - which is based in Chicago - had become a big thing because they had just finished the “Captain America: Winter Soldier” titles. Everybody in my class thought I was nuts to turn down an internship at Nickelodeon for a studio they didn't know about. But my biggest thing was that I wanted to work somewhere I would have the opportunity to work on bigger projects early on, in comparison to just a couple of keyframes at a huge studio. Also, Nickelodeon is more story-based, TV-based, while Sarofsky was more motion design-based.

The moment that I realized I was going to go full-on into motion design and away from TV and film, was when I went to SIGGRAPH as a student volunteer. I met a guy who told me a story about how he worked on Lord of the Rings. He was a crowd simulation artist, who had worked on this massive scene. He had worked on the scene for five months which is insane. I was like, "I'm so sorry, but I don't remember the scene," and he was like, "oh, it got cut." And, that was it. I did not want to go into film. The fact that you could work on something for so long and it could get cut. What I wanted to do was work on a lot of things, really quickly. Just constantly be experimenting, trying something new. Motion design was the realm to do that. So that was my big attraction towards the industry.

Mack Garrison:

That's so cool. It's one of the reasons that I got into it as well. I'm so ADD, with graphic design being a little limiting, and how static it is, I felt the same way. I was getting bored of my compositions, so it was like animation, motion, graphics. When we make something, I'll just animate it away. I'll start on something new. I love how quickly we move and hop around.

Do you think that your initial graphic design education helped shape the motion side when you were self-teaching with the Cinema 4D? I know we're in an interesting time right now where there's a lot of online classes. There are more tutorials, it’s more self-taught. Is there validation in getting some prerequisites of design fundamentals before getting into that stuff, or do you think it's easier now more than ever?

Bhakti Patel:

It depends on what you want to do with your career. If you want to grow into a creative director, art director, or motion designer, you need to be all those things. You have to have that fundamental background. If you just want to focus on animating, such as a keyframe movie, or taking somebody else's design and animating that, then I think you can get away with only focusing on that part. It depends on how you want to shape your career, but there's nothing wrong with going either way. It really depends on what you want for yourself.

Meryn Hayes:

Looking at all of the amazing work in your reel and on your website, how do you get connected to get a job, say on Black Panther? Maybe their goal isn't to get on a Marvel movie title, but they have a dream client or project. What's your advice on how to set your goal on something like that?

Bhakti Patel:

My first dream was to get into Imaginary Forces. When I was in college, around senior year, I had landed my job after graduation with Sarofsky as a junior designer for three months. A lot of my peers hadn't, they didn't have the connections. I was part of the animation department representation, so I had connections through the Career Development office. I asked them if I could take 10 students with me to New York for two days during our spring break. We could just go tour around a bunch of studios and make connections that way.

So, I set up one-hour sessions at a few studios; BUCK, Imaginary Forces, Hornet. As I was leaving Imaginary Forces, I asked Avan, "Hey, I love your guys' work. It's a huge inspiration for my thesis film. Do you mind if I send you guys a link once it's completed?" They said yes. From that thesis film, I ended up landing a junior designer position with them for the fall. So, after I'd done Sarofsky in Chicago, I went

Bhakti Patel:

Honestly, it's about the little things. For example, not being so in their face; being kind and respectful of their time. When I got to Imaginary Forces, it was me with a couple of interns, and there were certain things...little tasks that most people just didn’t want to do. I went the extra mile and that was enough to get noticed. Every job that I've had, I haven't applied for, which is crazy. I was always recommended.

When I was at Pepsi, it was a friend of a director at Imaginary Forces that connected me. Perception saw an article from the TV show titles that I worked on for Vinyl. At Facebook, I worked under Audrey Davis, who was this amazing director at The Mill, she was also at Imaginary Forces. We never worked directly together, but she saw the working relationship I had with Alan Williams and decided to take me with her. I've just been lucky that people have been pulling me around in this way. It's all about building really good, strong relationships and you end up getting recommended, or people will pull you along.

Meryn Hayes:

That’s amazing, it points to how the motion community is. It's very large in some ways, but also very small in others. It’s about making valuable connections, to your point, not getting in people's faces, but being genuine. It's also a right place, right time kind of thing. You happen to email somebody who thinks of you for a project.

Mack Garrison:

It just made me think of one interesting tidbit that I took away from that. Bhakti, speaking on that early hustle; reaching out, making connections, there's some hesitation when you're younger. That rejection or thinking you're bothering someone by asking them, "Hey, would you take a look at this," pushes you into not reaching out. I know myself, you, and Meryn too, we were all those young people first coming out, not knowing what we were doing. So, I'm always happy to help and reach out. It sounds like the advice you're saying is, make connections when you're first getting going. You have to be talented to get the work of course, but getting your foot in the door comes with meeting the right people and having people know who you are.

Bhakti Patel:

Definitely, and honestly I'm a complete introvert. It’s funny how things have worked out. But just putting yourself out there. It never hurts to step out of the box a little.

Mack Garrison:

How did you break that despite feeling uncomfortable? I'm sure there will be a lot of introverts who are reading through this blog post. Were there any steps or processes when you were doing all that stuff early on, coming out of school?

Bhakti Patel:

There was a little bit of extra drive to land somewhere, it was partially the fear of not landing a job. When you're early on, the struggles are tougher. I mean, in my first few years, I was working two to three freelance jobs at a time. You work and try a lot harder because there's that fear of the next one not coming. Everybody always tells you there's going to be a lull, that month that nothing comes. That used to scare the hell out of me. So I'd be like, "Okay, just in case, I'll take two this month." Then somewhere along the line, I realized I had just worked the whole year, two jobs, without ever taking time off. I desperately needed to slow down.

That's why I started going full-time, as an opportunity to force myself to take vacations and breaks. I think our generation has a little bit of that fear that’s built into us, given how we grew up with the economy, with student loans, and everything. It pushes us harder to get out of our comfort zones.

Mack Garrison:

I've been there myself, particularly before we started to dash. I was freelancing some and had that same issue where I was taking on more work. I didn't know where it was going to come from next. The same goes for the studio. When stuff comes in, we try to take on as much as we can.

I'll transition us a little bit back to what you were doing and then where you're going. You've had so much experience working on a variety of projects. I'm looking at your website, everything from Fox IDs, to Black Panther, to Vinyl. I know as you progressed in your career, you've probably been able to be more selective with the work that you take on. Looking back from when you first got into the field, are there certain types of projects that you like to do more than others? Have you found that you've become more niche in what you try to take on? Or, are you still at a point where you like to experiment and try new endeavors given they sound interesting and it's the right group of people to be working with?

“if you have the core skills and you know how to adapt to any medium, people pay attention.”

Bhakti Patel:

It's more of the latter. I like to be able to experiment, play around, and try new things. Anything that's piqued my interest will get some attention for sure. I like projects that have something I've never done before. When I was working on the American Horror Story teasers with Kenny Kegley, he asked me, "Have you ever animated a snake before?" I hadn’t but I promised I would figure it out.

If you have the core skills and you know how to adapt to any medium, people pay attention. When I was at Pepsi, I was doing global brand experience; the Super Bowl Halftime shows, social media campaigns, UEFA Champions League Opening Ceremony. Had I done anything even related to brand experience before? No. Not in the slightest, but they took a chance on me simply because the fundamentals were there. If you're honest about it, if you're telling them, "Hey, I know how to learn quickly," they'll give you a better chance than if you were just to walk in and be like, "I know everything, I can solve all your problems."

Mack Garrison:

I think that's so cool. As creators at heart, we always want to try something new and push our boundaries, but there's this fear that you're going to let someone down, or that you don't know fully how to do something. That reservation, unfortunately, will pull some creatives back from trying a project that’s in their wheelhouse. I think it's really good to echo your sentiment. Don't be cocky that you already know it, but be confident in your skillset and what you can learn.

Bhakti Patel:

You don't ever want to be confident in your ability to know everything, but your ability to learn. That's a good way to think about it. One is ego and one is a student mindset.

Meryn Hayes:

Knowing that you might not know everything when you're going into a job or project, and there may be a tight timeline, how do you practically set yourself up for success so that you don't over-commit and end up needing help? How do you balance not overpromising and under-delivering on something that you've never tried before?

Bhakti Patel:

There are some things I know for sure I can never learn. I won't try that stuff. For example, I can't do the 2D illustrative style. I know my limit, that's not my wheelhouse. But the things I know I could learn, for instance, there was a project that they wanted me to work on in Maya. I'm not a Maya artist, but it was pretty simple. It was being able to have that producer mindset. Thinking about how you're going to structure out, problem-solving, breaking it down into, “okay, I just need to learn how to model and texture.” I will watch one tutorial on modeling and another one on texturing or I will figure out how to model in C4D and bring it into Maya so that I can texture in there the way that they want it, so I can at least deliver the file that way.

It's trying to be more thoughtful in what you do and how you do it, rather than diving straight in. You don’t want to get knee-deep into something, and then you realize, "Oh, wait, wait, wait. I could have made this whole thing a lot more simple for myself." Having that producer mindset makes a huge difference. Another thing, realizing that you do have a motion community available to you. There's a tutorial on everything; GreyScaleGorilla, School of Motion, YouTube. There are a million resources that you can use. Being smart about knowing all these resources available to you early on, makes a big difference.

Mack Garrison:

That's fantastic. You're still bringing value to the table, even if it isn't with you; by your network and people you know. To your point, studios want to work with proactive people. Talking about just how small the industry is, and how important reputation is, it's crazy to me how everyone is connected to someone you know. Everyone is going to know someone. So to your point, work hard on every project, put in your best effort, don't ever throw in the towel on something just because you're not feeling it, because it gets around.

Bhakti Patel:

Definitely, and everyone hits a project or two where their reputation takes a little bit of a hit because either something personal came up or they made a stupid mistake. I know early on I got burnt out and I didn't give a project 100%. At that point, first, know that everybody messes up to some degree. Second, make sure you do something to make it right because it could stick with you. It could be a problem in the future. I learned early on that reputation sticks.

Mack Garrison:

One thing Meryn and I have been talking about is how male-oriented the industry is. It's refreshing to see this resurgence of more prominent female artists, designers, and animators that are pushing their way up to the echelons; to very elite levels, breaking through what traditionally had this glass ceiling. Have you run into any diversity in your career path when trying to grow? Any recommendations for other women and minorities in the industry? What can they do to position themselves in the best way possible as they move into the world?

“don't be cocky that you already know it, but be confident in your skillset and what you can learn.”

Bhakti Patel:

I did this talk on hiring for diversity, it's more so just talking about where you could take it, and what the benefit is of hiring for diversity. Have you guys noticed that everybody's telling the same stories, and all the work is becoming similar?

Everybody follows the same artists. They keep copying the same words; telling the same stories over and over again. The way to fix that is by hiring for diversity. If you have artists, designers, and creators on your team who think differently - they were raised differently, they grew up with a different culture, they have a female perspective instead of a male perspective - it can completely change how you do business. It can change how you create work, the kind of work you create, and could ultimately end up being better for you and the company in the long run. I don't think people realize that diversity is an asset. It's more than just a check box, you know?

Mack Garrison:

Right!

Bhakti Patel:

When you hire somebody and consider their diverse background, you're considering that they can tell stories in a very different way, and that's what we are at the end of the day. Storytellers.

“you don't ever want to be confident in your ability to know everything, but your ability to learn...one is ego and one is a student mindset.”

Mack Garrison:

It's a great conversation to have. I feel very lucky that, at dash, we're still in such a small studio. There's a lot of input from our entire staff. It's not just the executives or the leadership team making decisions on who to hire, it's everyone involved talking through it while being transparent. But you start thinking of bigger studios and agencies, all of a sudden, it's still a very select few that end up making the decisions about who to hire and why they're hiring. Would you give any advice, if there was a hiring director out there, reading this or listening to this? What are some things that people should be doing to be more proactive about diversity so it is not just a checkbox? How can they be proactive when bringing in that other side of design?

Bhakti Patel:

First is understanding what I just mentioned. Why is it important to hire with diversity in mind? The second is proactively reaching out to groups. There is Panimation, which is full of women of diverse backgrounds as well. There's a Facebook group, but they also have a website with a lot of different portfolios. Talk to your existing employees. Ask, "Hey, we would like to bring in more diverse thought into this company, do you have recommendations?" It's not necessarily about giving preference to female artists over male artists or anything of that sort, but leveling the playing field. There are so many extra steps that we have to take to just get a seat at the table, so it's making sure that we at least have a chance to get our foot in the door. That's what hiring for diversity looks like.

Mack Garrison:

That's great, Bhakti. And that's the proactive nature of what you were alluding to as well. Companies have to be active. They can't be passive when it comes to that.

Bhakti Patel:

Also, it’s easy for there to be a bit of a bros club, at certain places. The people that you get along with the most are those you tend to recommend and hire. So if hiring managers get along with a lot of different male artists or male designers, they're more likely to only recommend men. They have something in common with them. Because of that, the entire culture of the motion design industry has become a bit of a bro's club. Instead of saying "Oh, will they fit into our culture," i.e. bro's club, we need more of, "Does our culture need to change, and will this person help round it out?" That's something that doesn't always get asked.

Meryn Hayes:

Yeah, this is a hard question to pose. It’s not just for you to figure out, but what are some practical ways that studios and freelancers - male or female - can take to chip away at that bro culture? As Mack mentioned, it's something that we're aware of. We want to make sure that we’re looking for a diverse group of people when we are hiring and not just, "Oh, we know so and so who might be someone that we know," it might be another white male. What do you think about how we as an industry can start to reshape that culture?

Bhakti Patel:

A lot of women tend to only get hired for junior positions. Then somehow, they disappear when it gets to the director level. They all get stopped somewhere. I know so many more female designers and artists that get to an intern level, and then that’s it for them. But a lot of their male counterparts end up leveling up. Even just thinking about proactively being invested in their careers makes a huge difference. Talk to them about how they can progress to an animator, art director, or creative director. Make sure that there aren't just women in the lower part of your company, but also in the more executive positions as well. That makes a huge difference. Especially if they can see that they can get to a creative director level. The company values; that thought and that leadership, make a huge difference. Making sure that there's some sort of opportunity or possibility for a mentorship.

Meryn Hayes:

Mentorship is huge. You don't know what's attainable in your career until you see someone else doing it. Being paired with one or trying to find someone that would be in a role that you would want, trying to learn from them and feed off of what they've done, that's so important. Our community is so welcoming and inviting, I know so many people who would be happy to reach out, give advice, and share their experiences just to help set the groundwork for other people; other minorities, or for women.

Mack Garrison:

It's systematic too. If you have these bro cultures, you foster this industry that's filled with white males. Then, all the bonds that form and mentorships created are catered for white men. The folks that get left behind are the women or minorities who are trying to move up to those leadership positions. They don't have the same opportunities that their peers do, and that’s another unfortunate layer of separation in the industry. It goes back to what you talked about earlier, Bhakti, about reaching out and being more proactive in trying to foster some connection with folks in the industry. Maybe even starting earlier on, and connecting with leadership positions who resemble where you want to be and what you want to do so you can have those mentorships.

Bhakti Patel:

For sure. Having more women involved helps change that culture as well. There's a company that I was at, it was all white men. They would always talk about sports, and I just didn't know enough about that, so I could never have any conversation with them that wasn’t design-related. It made it almost impossible, being the only person coming from a different background. So, there was nothing that I could bring to the conversation in any way. During lunch, they only talked about these two or three things, it was impossible to break into it.

“everyone is going to know someone…work hard on every project, put in your best effort, don't ever throw in the towel on something just because you're not feeling it because it gets around.”

Mack Garrison:

Absolutely, and was that a freelance position or full-time position that you were doing there? Did you stick around a long time or a short time because of it?

Bhakti Patel:

It was freelance. I didn't choose to stick around because of that reason. I left because I got a better opportunity somewhere else that paid more, along with other things. They also negotiated my rate down, I wish I stuck with my guns on that one, but I didn't. I was just two years out of school so I compromised, but I feel they never negotiated down for anybody else. They pushed and pushed down, and then added two more hours into the day as well.

Mack Garrison:

Wow, yeah. That's pretty negative. On a positive note, with the Me Too movement and other recent events, I see a progression. People are more cognizant of it than they have been over the last 10 years. I think back to when I first got into the industry, even compared to where we are now, it feels like we're making steps forward. I would be concerned if it was still the status quo. So, in the light of looking forward and thinking about where this industry is heading, where do you see motion design going?

Bhakti Patel:

There is a lot of potential in how bigger companies are approaching motion design in a branding form; thinking about motion design systems. Google has one, IBM has one, Facebook has developed one as well. There's a lot of potential with systemic thinking when designing for motion, and that's a huge conversation with so much potential. But, I don't know where all the motion designers are on this one, so we need you.

The second thing is regarding the AR and VR realms, mixed reality as well. There's potential there. The problem that you run into right now is more so that you have 3D artists with a lot of skill, but not enough design chops. Sometimes you'll have a lot of graphic designers or artists who have these amazing ideas and can design them well, but they don't have the skills to bring them into reality. Motion designers stand in the middle because they can do both. They have the design skills and the motion skills. They can bring these from 3D into AR and VR, so they have this unique opportunity that I don't know if everyone realizes that they can push into this realm. And, there's a lot of money to be made there.

Bhakti Patel:

In terms of advertising, it's interesting. I haven't done too much lately, but I think the projects have dried up a bit. It’s not because motion design is getting smaller by any means. If anything, it's expanding. Expanding beyond the 55 inch TV. If you think about it, AR/VR advertising happens a lot. When it comes to global brand experience as well. That's something that I noticed that Pepsi has done a lot of. They're more focused on building an entire experience around their brand, so instead of doing an ad during the Super Bowl, they'll have the entire Super Bowl Halftime Show to put their logo all over, in motion. Things like that are huge, and I think it's just breaking away from what we understand motion design to be, its application, and thinking about where else it could be applied.

Mack Garrison:

That's great. It's one of the things that is so nice about our industry. You talked about the background and how people get into motion design. You can have a graphic designer with motion skills that come into play. You could have a more traditional animator. Someone who knows code can come into it. You have this melting pot of different characters, personality traits, and skillsets. That creates a lot of opportunities. There are so many different avenues that people can place themselves in, which is really inspiring and very optimistic for folks who are in this industry.

One thing that I was interested in was your comment on systems. You talked about where the future's heading. Animation motion graphics is a great conduit for organizing information and distilling complex materials into something easily digestible. So, I think the systems side of it is really interesting. I was curious if you could talk about your thoughts towards the systems or when you say system design and what that means when it comes to motion.

Bhakti Patel:

When we talk about branding, we talk about logo design, we talk about color palettes, and things like that. How a brand moves is something that people don't fully get into, but it's just as important as what colors you choose. For instance, Google gets away with doing these very bouncy movements, and that's because their brand allows for it. It's more playful in that way. But when you talk about something that's more business-oriented, something that's a little bit more serious as a brand, how does that move differently than how Google might move? These are things that are more interesting to think about, and they’re more like problem-solving, brand directives kind of thinking. There's a lot of potential in that realm. Companies are starting to realize that the way they apply motion to aspects of their brand makes as much of a difference as what colors they use, what types they use, what layouts they use.

This is a huge area that we can get into. And the thing is, this is the one area I haven't seen outdated tutorials on. But in terms of an actual full brand, talking everything from advertising, all the way down to button clicks, that's the entire system. So thinking about how people see it on TV, all the way down to how they experience it.

Mack Garrison:

Especially if that ecosystem evolves and becomes more complex, has more deliverables. There are all these different channels, you have to think about that, right? How are people going to be interacting with your brand as motion becomes more popular, as far as the content that people digest? You need to think about, to your point, UX, button clicks, how is the interactive experience going to affect their brand? How is the video someone watches, Instagram fascinating?

Well, awesome! Bhakti, this was great. I know you've got to run so I'll let you go, but thank you so much for chatting with Meryn and I. I think this was incredibly informative.

Bhakti Patel:

Sounds great. All right, have a good one, guys.

Mack Garrison:

Thanks, Bhakti, talk to you soon.

Meryn Hayes:

Thanks, stay safe.

Guest User 3/23/21 Guest User 3/23/21

Takeover Tuesday with Caroline Le

Introducing this week’s Takeover Tuesday guest, Caroline Le. Caroline is a motion designer based in the greater NYC area with a passion for storytelling, problem-solving, and entertainment.

Q&A with Caroline Le
Read time: 5 min

Why did you choose your profession? How did you go about starting out?

I've wanted to be an animator ever since I was a little girl, I loved to draw growing up. Disney movies and the Sunday comics were always big sources of inspiration. Although, It wasn’t until I saw a visual effects breakdown from one of the Star Wars movies that I really got hooked. It was so cool and I knew from that moment on that I wanted to do something with animation and CGI.

What does Women’s History Month mean to you? Why is it personally significant in 2021, particularly?

Women’s History Month for me is a time for reflecting on how women have contributed to society both directly and indirectly over the years, and how they continue to do so today. Reflecting on the enormous amount that women have contributed encourages the confidence necessary to fuel continued change in our society. That in and of itself is really empowering. We’re witnessing some real change in 2021, and with more people aware, it’s an opportunity to put our strengths on display and to show the world what we’re capable of as women.

What do you love most about what you do? What would you change?

It may sound cliche, but I really do love the storytelling aspect of animation and motion graphics the most because it has the ability to ignite an emotional connection between the audience, the art, and the message itself. When you can make someone really feel something-excitement, nostalgia, happiness, hope–that’s when the true magic happens. Every project that I’ve been given the opportunity to be a part of has allowed me to create, dream, and problem-solve. Because of that, I honestly wouldn’t change a thing about what I do. It’s the perfect mixture of right-brain and left-brain thinking, and I enjoy it a lot.

“reflecting on the enormous amount that women have contributed encourages the confidence necessary to fuel continued change in our society. That in and of itself is really empowering.”

Tell me about a woman you look up to and why.

There are several women that I really admire, but the most inspirational woman in my life is definitely my mom. I’ve always admired her confidence and drive in her career, her compassion and loyalty when it comes to her relationships, and her generosity and optimistic attitude when it comes to her demeanor. She’s taught me to be a good listener, to always be kind, to be patient, and the importance of one’s relationships. I believe these life lessons have shaped who I am today. She’s also been a cheerleader in every endeavor that I’ve ever pursued, including wanting to be an animator, and I am forever grateful for that.

What’s the best career (or life) advice you have ever received?

The best piece of career advice I ever received was “don’t be afraid to ask questions” and it’s been useful in every aspect of my life.

Do you have any advice for young women first starting out in this industry?

Nurture your professional relationships. Get to know your teammates and managers, really pay attention in meetings with your team or with your clients. Step away from the computer and grab coffee or lunch with a coworker. Help out wherever you can. Hold on to anyone that you consider to be a mentor, and most importantly don’t be afraid to be yourself.

Do you currently prioritize your work-life balance? If so, how?

Absolutely! Especially working from home due to COVID. I do my best to not bring work outside of my office space, stick to solid business hours, and allow my mind to unwind at the end of the workday. This usually includes watching TV with my husband, playing the piano, or reading a book. I don’t typically work on the weekends, but if an emergency arises with a client project or if I have a passion project that has been sitting on the back burner for a while, I’ll put some time in so that everything stays on track. I also plan the week ahead for an hour or two on Sunday mornings so that I am aware of my biggest priorities to tackle Monday through Friday.

“continuing to show up, doing good work, and supporting one another are great ways to advocate for ourselves.”

What barriers are women still facing in the industry? How do you think they can go about breaking them down?

My observation would be that women may still not be taken as seriously as men in the industry, but continuing to show up, doing good work, and supporting one another are great ways to advocate for ourselves.

“I really do love the storytelling aspect of animation and motion graphics the most because it has the ability to ignite an emotional connection between the audience, the art, and the message itself.”

Where do you go for inspiration?

I typically go to sites like Vimeo, Pinterest, and Behance for inspiration. Lately, however, I’ve been pulling a lot from books that I’m currently reading or have read, and even personal experiences of my own. It’s a nice change of scenery.

Do you have any closing advice, points, or statements you would like to make?

There are so many talented and genuinely wonderful people in the animation and motion graphics industry. It’s been a real pleasure getting to know members of the community over the past few years and I look forward to connecting with and meeting even more amazing people in the months and years to come!

Guest User 3/16/21 Guest User 3/16/21

Takeover Tuesday with Jessica Herrera

This week for our Takeover Tuesday, we sat down with Jessica Herrera; a freelance 3D character artist based in Australia who swears that a Herrerasaurus is a real dinosaur.

Q&A with Jessica Herrera
Read time: 5 min

Why did you choose your profession? How did you go about starting out?

Well, to be honest, when I was younger I planned on being in the science field. I hated computers as I never understood them well, but I always loved drawing and the arts. With support from my family and teachers, I decided to try out digital technology. It was only in my second year at university that a friend recommended I enroll in a 3D class. I hated it. Barely scraped a passing grade. It was the first time I had done so badly in a course. That led me to learn on my own time using tutorials I could find online. This was great for me as I could do it all at my own pace. Though my 3D career started with passion projects, I slowly got recognized for my work professionally!

What do you love most about what you do? What would you change?

I love freelancing! I have had a lot more exciting challenges that I usually never would have gotten the chance to do when I was full-time. It’s empowering to be able to pick and choose what I work on. Basically, I’m doing my hobby as a career.

“I’m doing my hobby as a career.”

Tell me about a woman you look up to and why.

Is it corny to say, my mum? There are so many amazing women in the creative industry, but she’s the most influential woman to me. Though she may not have a creative career, my mum definitely has an eye for design. When they say your mum knows best, she really does! I can’t say she has directly influenced my creativity, but she has guided me to be a strong, independent woman who has worked hard to get where I am now!

What’s the best career (or life) advice you have ever received?

Don't compare yourself to everyone else. It's bad for your mental health and can sometimes hinder you from finding your own path in life. I know social media can make you feel as if you have to consistently post or make art a certain way, as it seems everyone prefers that. The algorithms definitely favor those who post more often, so just make what you like to make and not what you think everyone else likes to see. Not to discredit the amazing work people with large followings have made on socials. Just pointing out the algorithms nowadays are very cutthroat.

Do you have any advice for young women first starting out in this industry?

When I first started, I found it uncomfortable to voice my ideas or concerns in a project. I still can get a little shy, but over the years I have had more confidence. I think that can go for anyone who is inexperienced. With time, things get less daunting. It’s only human to sometimes be afraid to voice opinions to other people, but don't let anyone walk over you if you can't find the words in a workplace.

Do you currently prioritize your work-life balance? If so, how?

I do tend to spend a little TOO much time on my PC. On some jobs, when I am having fun, I can work overtime because time fly's by so fast. Despite that, I have a lot of hobbies outside of my PC, so they do a good job of keeping me away from the screen. Being freelance, I can have some time between jobs to do whatever it is I like.

“don't compare yourself to everyone else. It's bad for your mental health and can sometimes hinder you from finding your own path in life.”

What barriers are women still facing in the industry? How do you think they can go about breaking them down?

These barriers can vary from person to person. I know some that have had no troubles in their motion graphics career. On the other hand, I know others that get underpaid or walked over in the workplace. I myself have had some ups and downs. Some instances I fought against, some I didn't have the energy to do so. Some of these people don't realize what they have said or done as being sexist until you tell them. It’s a hard thing to bring up in the workplace. It also sucks that as a woman, we’re usually the ones who have to bring it up. If you are a man and see a woman feeling uncomfortable, please help them. Sometimes when being the victim, it can be hard to speak out.

The biggest barrier I personally have faced has been not getting paid the same as other men in the workplace. Knowing a male counterpart was being paid 20% more than I when doing the exact same job was heartbreaking. In this case, I was very vocal to my HR manager in the performance review process. It felt petty fighting to have the same pay as others, trying to prove my worth when they had given no negative feedback about my performance. Only then to be knocked back and punished for knowing what my coworker was being paid. My choice was to leave after failing to prove my worth, funnily enough, when I went to leave they gave me the raise I had asked for. Since going freelance, I have not had any problems. I state my rate and most studios and clients understand.

“knowing a male counterpart was being paid 20% more than I when doing the exact same job was heartbreaking.”

Where do you go for inspiration?

Everything can spark inspiration; whether it is an animation I watch, to the way my fish swims in the tank. Also, I am very active on social media platforms so I see a lot of the amazing art and designs my friends in the industry are posting. I like to have a good chat with people online, I am sure people can relate to that working from home these days.

Do you have any closing advice, points, or statements you would like to make?

Have fun in what you do, if your day job isn't what you love, make what you love in your own time and maybe someone will see that and hire you for it. It seemed to work for me! But, everyone's story is different.