Takeover Tuesday with Tomasz Czajka
Q&A with Tomasz Czajka, a freelance Motion Designer from Poland.
Q&A with Tomasz Czajka
Read time: 5min
Madison Caprara:
Hi, Tomasz! How’re you doing?
Could you give a brief introduction to yourself and your work? How would you describe your style for the readers?
Tomasz Czajka:
Hello! I’m Tomasz, and I am a freelance Motion Designer. I’m originally from Poland and am currently living here. I don’t feel like I have a well-defined style yet, though I‘m starting to notice that geometrical stylization, intense colors, and subtle textures appeal to me most. Even so, I’d say achieving different looks in After Effects is what excites me a lot.
Madison Caprara:
Taking style out of the equation, you have a pretty wide skillset: graphic design, illustration, motion design. Do you have a favorite focus?
Tomasz Czajka:
Thanks!
Currently, I enjoy motion design the most, specifically the animation part, though I wish I had more opportunities to design style frames. For a long time, I was very hesitant about what should be my specialisation. I’ve spent endless hours playing video games, so I was almost sure that I want to pursue a career in game development. Before that, I thought that web design was a reasonable choice. The idea of becoming a Motion Designer came to me quite late but allowed me to utilize everything I’ve learned so far. Our industry feels special to me because it combines so many fields.
Madison Caprara:
Definitely brings into mind the ongoing debate of specialism vs generalism.
What did your education journey look like? How did you go about landing your first gig after graduating?
Tomasz Czajka:
I started in a little different field, which was web design. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with computers, so my uncle gave me a book about HTML. I quickly began making multiple small websites, which taught me enough to design a page for my high school. Some people noticed and asked me if I could create something for them as well. That earned me my first income from creative work and motivated me to prepare a portfolio for design school. Eventually, I got into the graphic design program at the Polish-Japanese Academy of Technology. It was a very comprehensive course, but in the final year, I focused on 3D animation. While studying, I worked part-time at a local agency as a Graphic Designer, and soon after graduation, I got my first job as a Motion Designer at Studio Pigeon.
Madison Caprara:
You have gone freelance now, however, correct? How’s the independent life been treating you? Did you experience much of a change with the pandemic? Did it play a role in that decision?
Tomasz Czajka:
When the pandemic hit I was working full-time in Stockholm as a Motion Designer at Essen International. Soon after, my wife and I decided to move back to Poland (where we own an apartment), go freelance, and wait a bit until everything stabilized. I handed over my resignation, but my boss asked me if I would be interested in working with them daily. If the pandemic brought anything good, I think it would be the fact that people are more open to the possibility of remote work. Fortunately, I’m busier than ever, still working with Essen and taking some extra projects from time to time.
Madison Caprara:
I 100% agree with that point. The accessibility to remote work is one of the positive outcomes to come from this situation.
Pivoting a little bit away from your journey, would you say that professional pressures stem more from within yourself or external factors?
Tomasz Czajka:
Definitely from within. A few times in my life, I was lucky to be in a position when I had either a steady flow of freelance work or stable full-time employment. But after some time, I always ended up looking for new challenges. I’m still curious and eager to learn, and I hope it won’t change any soon.
Madison Caprara:
I’m not sure how often you work with U.S.-based clients, but how do they differ from those in Poland?
Tomasz Czajka:
To me, the significant differences are in communication and finances. Not even within budgets (which are definitely lower here), but I think that people in the U.S. are more comfortable talking about money. Whenever I was talking about picking up a larger project, I felt safer to ask for partial up-front or split payment, no matter whether it was direct client work or through the studio. When I was asking about the same things here, it could even mean the end of the conversation.
Madison Caprara:
Wow!
Other than the comfortability with talking money, are there any Polish practices that you wish American studios would adopt, or vice-versa?
Tomasz Czajka:
I’ve heard people in the industry saying that our Art Directors, or Eastern European ones in general, are straight to the point, addressing only the issues and rarely mentioning positive parts of the project. I can confirm that, and I think that when the deadlines are super tight, this approach can help to limit the vagueness and number of revisions. On the other hand, it can feel draining and confusing long-term. Ultimately making people insecure about their work. It would be great to add some American positiveness to the mix.
Madison Caprara:
What has been a career highlight for you?
Tomasz Czajka:
I’d say it was a period right after I released my most recent reel. It gathered very positive feedback and allowed me to work with amazing people. I had the opportunity to work with Moth Studio on the NASAxGoogle project, which is one of my favorites so far!
Madison Caprara:
Amazing!
When working on personal projects, where do you tend to go for inspiration?
Tomasz Czajka:
I go to popular places like Motionographer, Motion Gallery on Behance, or curated channels like Wine After Coffee for motion-related inspirations. Also, Motion Design Twitter is a fantastic community. Extremely talented people share their tricks and tips every day, fueling conversations that often lead to surprising solutions.
When I start a design project, I love to start by browsing through my books and albums. Recently I’m fascinated by graphic design and typography in Eastern Block from the Cold War era.
Madison Caprara:
I can definitely attest to the Motion Design Twitter community. It’s a bit addicting, really!
Before we wrap up, are there any closing advice or statements you would like to share?
Tomasz Czajka:
As a person who struggled a lot with picking up a career path, I could only say that all the experience and knowledge you’ll gather on your way will probably benefit you in the future. Saying ‘yes’ to opportunities can take you to unexpected places, even if you think at first that you are not qualified enough.