Takeover Tuesday with Tatiana Shchekina
Q&A with Tatiana Shchekina, a motion designer, animator, 3D artist, and storyteller with more than 10 years of experience.
Q&A with Tatiana Shchekina
Read time: 10min
Madison Caprara:
Hi Tatiana! Really excited to learn more about you. Could you give us a little overview of yourself and your work?
Tatiana Shchekina:
Hi Madison, I’m very excited about this takeover! I’m a Motion Designer and Art Director originally from a Russian city in the far east with an unpronounceable name. Over the past 15 years, I was fortunate to work as a Motion Designer in television, advertising agencies, as well as in-house at big companies like Microsoft, AT&T, and Amazon. I’m also constantly working on personal projects. I’ve been incredibly lucky to live in places like Seattle and New York City.
Madison Caprara:
So, how did you initially get into the industry?
Tatiana Shchekina:
I studied Architecture and Interior Design in college and I was making a lot of 3D stuff for my student projects. I became fascinated with Cinema 4D and how powerful and intuitive it was. Around 2005 or 2006, there were very few tutorials or resources online. I wanted to find a mentor who could help me learn C4D properly. By total accident, I found out that our local TV Network had a bunch of designers working in Cinema 4D.
I went there, showed them my ugly C4D renders, and asked if I could help with anything. They let me hang out at the office and I ended up picking up a lot of design and animation basics there. Since I was there almost every day, they would have me do small tasks, and eventually ended up hiring me as a full-time Designer while I was still in school. Only later I found out that I was actually working as a Motion Designer!
Madison Caprara:
From Architecture to Motion Design. That’s incredible!
You relocated pretty far. How difficult was it for you to go from working Motion Design in Russia to the U.S.? Were there any significant challenges?
Tatiana Shchekina:
It was relatively easy for me because I didn’t need a visa sponsorship. I am a lucky Diversity Visa Program winner. The program gives an opportunity to people from all over the world to get a Green Card by randomly selecting them. After winning, I could pick anywhere in the U.S. to live and to work. I picked Seattle as my destination, it wasn’t too big or too small, and had a decent amount of Motion Design jobs. Also, the winter is pretty mild there!
Fortunately for me, American Motion Designers use the same software as Russian Motion Designers (Ae and C4D). The work process is also very similar - from brainstorming to animation. I had eight years of experience working as a Designer in television by the time I moved to the United States, and I was lucky to find a full-time job in an advertising agency just a month after my move. One big challenge I had that is not connected with Motion Design is driving. In Russia, you don’t have to have a car if you live in the city. Most places are accessible by public transport. So I never learned how to drive before I got to the U.S. To get to my first job here in Seattle I had to get up at 5 AM and take three buses. But I was happy to do it because I was still able to do Motion Design on the other side of the world. It seemed like a miracle at the time.
Madison Caprara:
I’ve lived here my entire life and still can’t parallel park, so I 100% feel you.
What is your favorite part of the animation process: pre-production, production, or post-production? Why?
Tatiana Shchekina:
I enjoy the production process the most. When I have a fully defined idea and I know what I am trying to say, I have a lot of fun with the process of experimenting with different approaches and techniques.
Madison Caprara:
In your opinion, Is there any radical distinction between an Animator and a Director?
Tatiana Shchekina:
I usually direct and animate most of the things I work on, and I think of myself as an Art Director. Most creative people want to have input and direction within their work. Once you get more and more experience animating, it's a very organic process to become a director as well.
Madison Caprara:
Do you ever allow yourself to be picky when agreeing to work on a project? What is it that you look for? What boxes need to be checked for you to say, “yes?”
People usually have different answers to this question, and I love the variety I get when it’s asked.
Tatiana Shchekina:
I’m always excited to work with people who are very passionate about Motion Design. I look for opportunities, where I can work with talented people and learn from them, or projects where I can take on new challenges and grow as an artist. I’m also a huge metalhead, and if Metallica ever reaches out with any project, I will absolutely say “Yes!” One time I met a Graphic Designer who worked with them on one of their tour posters, and the only direction that they gave him was to have skulls in that poster. I think that’s the most awesome brief ever!
Madison Caprara:
Going from the ‘potential future’ to the ‘now’, what excites you most about the work you’re doing? Is there anything in particular we should be looking out for?
Tatiana Shchekina:
I love working on personal projects whenever I have a chance. Working on my own stuff gives me complete creative freedom and helps to push the boundaries of my work, and to try out new things. I’m currently working on my new showreel. I want to update an opening for it, and it’s actually one of the hardest things to do because creating a brand for yourself is not easy. I’m very excited about this process though. I’m also working on a few other short animations that I can hopefully publish soon. At my full-time gig at Amazon, I’m excited to drive and define new visual styles and build out a creative team.
Madison Caprara:
Sweet! Well, we will definitely be on the lookout.
Who would you cite as your artistic influence(s)?
Tatiana Shchekina:
There are so many! From Rene Magritte, Frida Kahlo, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, and Antoni Gaudi to Nidia Dias, Peter Tarka, Luke Doyle, Johana Kroft, Handel Eugene, Jonas Mosesson, Justin Lawes, César Pelizer...This list is really really long! My mom used to collect art magazines and postcards with different artworks from all over the world. I loved going through her collection as a kid, and it definitely influenced me as an artist.
Madison Caprara:
That’s quite the roster!
Right now, how would you define success in your life? And in the future, how would you determine if you’ve reached that success point?
Tatiana Shchekina:
For me, success is the balance in life. The balance is when I can work on something that I’m very passionate about, keep growing as an artist, and also have enough time to enjoy life and to live in different places around the world.
Madison Caprara:
I would have to agree.
So, I know we went over what individuals inspire you, but which hubs or communities do you go to for inspiration?
Tatiana Shchekina:
I get inspiration from lots of different things. I really enjoy traveling and getting inspired by architecture and art. I loved living in Manhattan because I was always surrounded by beautiful buildings and could go to a new museum every week. I tried to walk around every day during lunch or after work to discover new parts of New York City.
Different Motion Design conferences are incredibly inspiring too! You go there and meet a lot of talented designers, listen to talks from the best people in the industry. I was full of new ideas after Blend 2019. It was an amazing event! I’m also keeping up with motion design trends on Instagram, Behance, and Pinterest. There is always so much new work being made!
Madison Caprara:
BIG Behance fan right here!
Well, we’re wrapping it up, Tatiana. Do you have any closing advice or statements you would like to share?
Daniel Moreno Cordero:
Being a Motion Designer is not easy. People that get into Motion Design need to really love the process and be willing to constantly learn and try things out. I have been a Motion Designer for a long time, I’m still learning something new every day and I will never stop learning. The consistent process of growing as an artist can be hard. Don’t let self-doubt and procrastination stop you from making art. Just keep going, and you will see the result!