Takeover Tuesday with Mike Healey
An interview with Mike Healey: a director and animator based in NY.
Interviewer: Matea Losenegger.
Read time: 5min
Matea:
Thank you for taking part in our Tuesday Takeover series! Can you please tell us a little about yourself and your work?
Mike:
I’m a director/animator based in NY. I fell in love with animation at an early age watching stuff like PeeWee’s Playhouse and Space Jam. After graduating from NYU, where I studied Film/TV with a focus on animation, I founded //kneeon studios and have been lucky enough to be doing that ever since!
Matea:
Many of your projects are very striking and illustrative. Do you have a background in illustration and what was your path to becoming a successful art director?
Mike:
Thanks! I don’t have a huge illustration background but I am always checking out work by illustrators and designers and keeping an eye out for potential collaborators. Whenever a project comes up, I try to find the right fit stylistically and tonally, then reach out to illustrators I know or have been wanting to collaborate with. I love to concept work out with illustrators and then let their imagination run wild. I am a firm believer that two (or more!) brains are better than one, so throwing around ideas in the concept phase is really fun for me and there’s usually a nice blend of all of our ideas in the final product.
Frames from “Curt Schilling’s Imperfect Game” - a film Mike directed.
Matea:
Where does the name //kneeon come from?
Mike:
When we first started out, my former business partner and I wanted a name that evoked bright colors and fun, so the name Neon came up. Sadly that name was already taken so we decided just to spell it differently instead and then it stuck. Wish I had a better answer!
Matea:
What made you want to start your own studio and do you have tips for artists aiming to do the same?
Mike:
I graduated from NYU in 2009 and there were very few job opportunities at the time so I decided to try to start my own company with a friend. We had been freelancing throughout college and trying to direct and animate as many projects as possible before graduating so we already had some potential clients when we got out of school. I had an internship at a production company in my senior year and the producers there were super helpful and gave me lots of good advice on everything from writing decks to bidding to budgeting and producing jobs.
In terms of advice for those wanting to start their own studio, I would say make sure you have a pretty good grasp at the business side of things, or partner with someone who does. It’s also important to have some projects that showcase the kind of work you want to make. Doesn’t necessarily have to be client work—it can be a personal project or short film. But you want your website and work to be a reflection of your talents and give an idea of why a client may want to hire you over some other animation studio. Lastly, keep your overhead as low as possible for as long as possible. It can help you take on projects you truly want to work on instead of expanding too quickly and being forced to take on anything and everything.
Frame from “J.R. Smith Redefined.”
Matea:
You've collaborated with many talented folks. How do you find artists and what goes into putting together a strong team?
Mike:
I always spend time (but not TOO much time) each day on Instagram, Behance and other sites. Whenever I see something I enjoy, I bookmark it. A lot of relationships with artists I have collaborated with have come from me reaching out to them when I enjoy their work. Word of mouth is another great way to find artists. I’m always asking friends and collaborators for any recommendations when I need some help with a project.
To put together a strong team, I think it’s important to find people you really enjoy working with. Many freelancers we have worked with have been with us on a ton of projects over the years so there’s a good short-hand between us. The best projects are the ones that don’t really feel like “work” and everyone has a creative say on.
Matea:
From sports to food/bev, retail, music, and more what is your favorite type of project to work on?
Mike:
My favorite types of projects to work combine sports with documentary audio. We have done so many sports-related projects that we recently started up a sports animation wing at //kneeon called Slam Dunk Club! I love being able to take interviews/doc-style audio and adding fun visuals to tell stories.
Slam Dunk Club brings together a team of directors, designers and animators from across the globe.
Matea:
As someone with a pretty diverse portfolio, is there an area of animation you would still like to explore?
Mike:
I’d love to work on some more long-form projects. We do a lot of work ranging from 15 seconds to 2 minutes in length, but would really enjoy making some longer films. We’re currently in the process of finishing up a 20 minute piece. And since my wife and I recently had our first child, I’d love to explore making some more animation geared toward kids!
Matea:
Your studio's work has a very distinctive voice. Where do you find inspiration and how do you make sure your work stays fresh?
Mike:
Thanks! I’m always trying to look at animation, design and art whenever I have a chance. It can be good to be aware of trends in animation and art so you know what to avoid to try to make something unique. And we try not to make something with the same style twice (unless of course it’s part of a series).
Matea:
As someone who's been in this game for a while, what do you think is in store for the future of motion design?
Mike:
There are always trends and advances in technology that will make animators’ lives easier, and some like AI that may make animators’ lives and livelihood more difficult. I’m not entirely sure what the future holds for motion design to be honest…I think there will be needs for more interactive animation and AR/VR as the tech catches up and becomes more mainstream.
Shot from “Ben’s Original” project.
Matea:
What does the rest of 2023 look like to you? Anything we should keep an eye out for?
Mike:
We have a long-form fully animated documentary being wrapped up and hopefully coming out sometime soon. Recently wrapped up animated segments for a documentary about J.R. Smith that just came out on Amazon Prime.