Takeover Tuesday Reece Parker
An interview with Reece Parker: self-taught Animation Director and illustrator.
Q&A with Reece Parker.
Read time: 5min
Matea Losenegger:
Hi Reece! Thank you for contributing your time to our Tuesday Takeover series. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your work?
Reece Parker:
Of course! Thanks for having me. I'm Reece, self-taught Animation Director and illustrator. Subscriber to the famed philosophy "fake it til you make it'. My work leans hand drawn with dark color palettes, but I dive into briefs that range the full spectrum of 2D - and love it all. The more corporate, the more bright and poppy. The more Reece, the more scribbly and dark. 2 sides to one coin really.
Outside of work, I'm a husband and dad to 3 beautiful and intelligent children (Not sure if they actually have my DNA). I also grew up skateboarding religiously, which persists as the foundation of my own personal culture. Fail, start again, fall, get up, on and on. These things influence my work consistently.
Matea Losenegger:
You've been well known in this industry for a while now. How much has motion design changed since you started and what are your thoughts on its future?
Reece Parker:
I discovered and jumped into the industry in early 2016. It was a breeding ground of beautiful and inspired work, from every direction you looked. It was perfect for myself (and young artists like me), with an ambition to join the ranks of those considered great in our field. It was a beautiful time looking back. Empty bank account mind you - but a bursting industry and one that accepted me almost right away.
In 2023, it's still full of beautiful work, but you might have to dig a bit deeper to find it. Industry expanding, client deliverables following suit. But close-knit community might be shrinking a bit. That might be my own small perspective as I become more and more my own island. Or, maybe that's the natural progression of things. This industry is fascinating and beautiful, but maybe less curated and served up on a platter. It has certainly been a shifting landscape for the past several months.
Technology is doing its best to shake up working artists at the current point in time. We will see how that progresses, but I for one stand firmly in the "not worried...yet" camp. It's funny, I was just chatting with a legacy artist in our industry, whose work was among the first of which I was exposed to, about how we might be affected and the validity of our industry moving forward. We all share commonalities but have different perspectives.
To summarize my thoughts on that convo:
Real clients that deserve our protection are the ones that value our input and collaboration. Skillsets might be outsourced, but tastes and ideas are best formulated as a team and in collaboration with clients - relationships. This is something that isn't replaced by technology and is actually the most valuable. For clients that wish for cheaper, easier, faster, and shittier - those clients might flock to AI. Great! Let them. They also have to know exactly what it is they want, how many times have you encountered a client with that certainty..? Taste, ideas, expertise, and collaboration stand as powerful pillars in our industry - despite the tools.
I may eat my words, but Im comfortable with that if it comes in the future. Screens are king, and content is not decreasing in demand.
Looping gif from Reece’s reel.
Matea Losenegger:
As an expert in cel, what makes a compelling animation or character movement?
Reece Parker:
I found myself thinking about this the other day in-depth...by myself.
I think that answer might not be so obvious, animation is diverse - and styles range. Once you have an understanding of timing, you can manipulate it, exaggerate it, work in and out of many softwares, and it be equally beautiful completely realistic, or totally unique.
I think what makes great animation is great design. Strong posing. That's how I see it lately.
For cel or characters specifically, understanding how the body moves and how to position it in your animation. Action is formed first in our brains, and that is limited by our comprehension of how a character might react in reality. Then it can be manipulated or stylized appropriately per the creative, but the foundation is based in reality. Our level of comprehension of that reality "makes or breaks" our shots.
Matea Losenegger:
How did you develop your distinct visual style and how do you keep your ideas fresh?
Reece Parker:
My style is an exercise in evolving over time. I started in this industry with what I thought "motion graphics" was, that being clean vector shapes bopping around. Turns out I had only been exposed to a small (but impressive) corner of motion design at that time. I'm glad I was so short-sided, because the foundation of After Effects forward workflows really balanced my lifetime experience of drawing by hand. When the right time for me to be more artistically driven came along (rather than driven purely by survival) I found my hand-drawn roots ready for me to tap right in. That mixed with a new breadth of knowledge of a whole other form of artistry, more graphic and math driven. The combination of the 2 is really where my style lives. My preference might be to scribble on everything, but that's realistically not the right solution for everything - I understand that. My evolution through this industry has allowed me to deliver on "different" expertise' under the 2D umbrella with confidence and vision indiscriminately.
Still from Trifilm’s short for Microsoft.
Matea Losenegger:
In a similar vein, do you have any tips on how to combat burnout?
Reece Parker:
Burnout! The dreaded burnout. There's no one size fits all solution here. I have had small symptoms of burnout that I have powered through and left in the dust. Other times it has been more all-consuming. Depending on its severity, my first course is to identify it and try to trace it back to its inception. Might have been a lost pitch that I loved that has a lasting effect I wasn't considering. Could be anything! If It's correctly identified, it's a more seamless path through the tunnel and out the other side. If it's being ignored or unacknowledged, how can we realistically work through it? For me it's not always as simple as "take some time off", my work lives and breaths in my head - on and off the clock. "Taking time" off is only beneficial if I've overcome what's affecting me first.
Matea Losenegger:
On your site you say that "from time to time, I will join a project as an animator or illustrator- if the shoe fits." What about a project entices you into those roles?
Reece Parker:
Working in multiple capacities with clients allows me to be more particular about what I take on. It might be as simple as an awesome brief, don't get me wrong - I love this stuff. If there's something that seems challenging and interesting, then great. Or, It might be a legacy client that has supported me from the start, maybe they are in a bind, or maybe they only see me fitting the job. Great, let's knock it out. Relationships above my own ego, and I'm not in the business of burning those that have been there for me.
That being said, what I find most compelling in my current project landscape are projects that mix leadership and artistry. If I can take one shot, while directing the rest of the shots with an awesome team - I'm very stoked. Put simply, I've found that mix of responsibilities really suits my skillset, and the more I've done it the more clear that has become.
Shot from the TIMELORD spot for Battleaxe.
Matea Losenegger:
When pitching for projects, how do you make sure yours stand out in a sea of other amazing studios and artists?
Reece Parker:
I've been pitching like mad! Sometimes we snatch it, sometimes it blows away. It's the nature of the beast. Luckily I'm not completely reliant on pitching, so it's less depressing to be kicked aside. I don't consider myself wholly unique, I just try to be proud of what I present to clients. If I'm not proud of it, I know that there was more I could have poured into it. If I'm proud of it but it goes another way, then I wasn't the artist for the creative. It's really that simple. Stiff competition at the top of the mountain, really really stiff. But Im proud to be considered in those conversations so frequently now. Learning and absorbing all I can.
Matea Losenegger:
What's it like working for a studio like Hornet? What does it mean to be repped by a studio vs working for them as a staff member or freelancer?
Reece Parker:
They are great collaborators, and supportive. We are more intimately collaborative now, more open, and more frequent communication on and off jobs. I'm really excited to be partnered with them and excited about what the future brings.
Outside of that, I work as I always have. My independence is unshakably important to me, so I made sure that was clear in our negotiations. They were and have been supportive through and through.
Being "repped" means that Hornet (in my case, there are many reps) packages up my work and sells it through to their contacts and clients. If there are jobs that come in that feel like they fit my capabilities, they will poke me to see If I'm free and interested. If so, they pair me up with them in their communication and presentation to clients. From there, I champion the vision and creative treatment of the project. Client presentations, team building and expectations, project style and execution, etc. They help me resource the job, schedule it, budget it, communicate with clients, all the things that can be not so-fun solo.
Hornet's reach is as wide as it gets. They also serve a tier of client that Reece Parker as a solo act doesn't reach. They act as my team if we win the project together.
If I win a project solo, and want to bring them in, I also have that ability. Take some of the load off of my plate. But I also have the freedom to tackle it myself, as I have been doing comfortably for many years. Depends on the context rather than one size fits all.
Staff - Im not sure! I've never been staff anywhere but Taco Bell and Costco. Staff artists are there to support jobs that are being directed, and are assigned and scheduled according to their skillset. Hornet also has strong staff artists, that are super super helpful when building out teams in tandem with freelancers or if we can't resource freelance talent for whatever reason.
Freelance - freelancing has a bit more commonality with being repped, and with being staff. You are poked to join a project that is being directed, to fill a need on that production line. That project ends and you join the next team and next project. Instead of jumping to other people's creatives, I find myself more often owning the creative, and trying to source great talent to join me.
Gifs & illos.
Matea Losenegger:
As someone who is revered for their work, is there anything you would like people to know about you outside of your art?
Reece Parker:
The work may be revered, but I don't think Im special. I think the path I've carved may be at least partially unique but also serves as proof of concept for those willing to do the same. LOVE what you do, and keep working at it as a consequence.
Outside of work, I love life. I love my family to death. Wife, kids, parents, siblings, and friends alike. I've been really fortunate, I try to be considerate of that. I love overthinking, analyzing things with Kiara, building things with my dad, and teasing and dancing with my kids. I try to be carefree when it's beneficial to be, and take things seriously that ask for it. It's served me well in life.
I'm a product of independence, my path throughout my life is proof of that. Skateboarding is an individual activity, it's no coincidence that I have remained solo in my eventual career. But I'm not here without the influence and help of so many others. Indirectly or directly from those close to me. Shout out those folks! Much love.
Matea Losenegger:
What does the rest of 2023 look like for you? Are there any projects you're excited about?
Reece Parker:
Some interesting things! I am nearing the end of building out a new warehouse studio. Sort of a dream come true, but so is my current studio honestly. The new endeavor is symbolic of where the business is going, and I wouldn't have invested in it if the business hadn't earned it.
That's something I've really been contemplating. When I was commissioning my shipping container conversion in late 2019, I remember really carefully considering the financial implications of the commitment - mostly just full of anxiety and fear. But I did it because that was what the business deserved at the time. I had those same feelings and reservations about buying my first iMac, as a replacement workstation for my original MacBook that my wife secretly saved for and bought for me to start my career.
It seems so small now in comparison, but those memories serve as a strong example of my commitment to investing back into myself and the business when the time is right. You can feel it, and it's always scary. But the clear lesson is to invest in yourself.
Projects and new things are hush-hush for now, but yes I am excited, and will share more soon! Thanks, Dashers!
Takeover Tuesday Tory Van Wey
An interview with Tory Van Wey: Senior Brand Designer & Illustrator at deel.
Q&A with Tory Van Wey.
Read time: 5min
Mack Garrison:
Thanks for participating in the Tuesday Takeover, Tory! For those that are unfamiliar with you and your work, tell us a bit about yourself and how you found your way into the creative space.
Tory Van Wey:
Thank you! I'm Tory, and I'm a designer and illustrator based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. I have been drawing pictures professionally for 10 years, both freelance and in-house and I am currently a Senior Brand Designer/Illustrator at Deel - a global hiring and HR platform.
Mack Garrison:
Your work is very illustrative but also has a very graphic design feel to it. How did you develop this style over the years?
Tory Van Wey:
This was a natural consequence of being both an illustrator and trained as a traditional graphic designer as well as the influence of my history as a letterpress printer. Over the years I have pivoted my career to focus almost exclusively on illustration and illustration systems, but my history as a graphic designer and printer always informs the way that I approach a project. Most of my work is built using simple geometric shapes stacked on top of one another to create more complex objects. This lends a graphic quality that is hard to achieve with hand drawing. Combine that with my everlasting respect for designers like Marian Bantjes and Saul Bass and love of graphic structure, and I'll likely always be straddling the line between designer/illustrator.
Some of the work Tory has illustrated for deel.
Mack Garrison:
One of the harder aspects of being a designer in a corporate space is pushing creative boundaries. How have you navigated that? Avoided burnout?
Tory Van Wey:
This is a hard balancing act as the diversity of companies hiring creatives means that there are endless philosophies and attitudes about how design fits within the corporate ecosystem, so the creative experience can vary wildly. I am personally selective about who I work for because my skillset is not a perfect fit for every "Brand Designer" role and over the years I have learned to be honest about what I am looking for in a role, and to not hesitate to say if I don't think it's a good fit. This has certainly cost me jobs, but saved my sanity. I also try to bring creativity into corporate creative in unexpected ways. Perhaps there is a vibrant color pairing that feels a bit more contemporary, or I can learn a new technique that I can apply to a project that would otherwise be on the dull side. If I am pushing my own creative boundaries, or learning a new tool, then I am generally happy.
Mack Garrison:
Who are some of the creatives you've looked up to over the years for inspiration?
Tory Van Wey:
I often look to music and children's books for inspiring design. Carson Ellis and Edward Gorey were very inspiring to me in my early career when I focused on work that had more of a hand made quality to it. I also love poster artist Dan McCarthy and have a healthy collection of his prints. Lately I have really been appreciating the work of MUTI, a design studio out of Cape Town.
Some editorial and marketing illustrations from Tory.
Mack Garrison:
It's hard to choose a favorite project, but do you have one that particularly sticks out to you?
Tory Van Wey:
I had a great time designing this Trippy Tropical shirt for a local SF company called Betabrand. It was a really fun synthesis of my interest in botany, and psychedelic creative freedom!
Mack Garrison:
Looking back at your career, what advice would you give to the next generation of illustrators making their way into the space? Anything you would do differently or think is really important to know?
Tory Van Wey:
My biggest piece of advice would be to produce the kind of work that you want to create commercially, even if you need to do it on your own time. People hire you based off of what they have already seen from you, not what they think you might be able to create. That means you need to push yourself creatively on your own time (or perhaps pro bono for friends) to explore the kinds of styles you want to get paid for later on. I would also tell a new designer to not sweat it if they haven't found their voice yet. There's a lot of pressure to find your voice as an illustrator, and I think it's valid, but there's also a lot of room and opportunity for illustrators that are more flexible and can produce work in a range of styles. I might even suggest it's more enjoyable.
Trippy Tropical shirt for a local SF company called Betabrand.
Mack Garrison:
What do you think the future holds for designers and illustrators? Should we (creatives) be nervous or excited about these new A.I. tools?
Tory Van Wey:
I'm as curious as you are about this! I think the industry might become more specialized as illustrators niche down into areas like product/iconography or editorial or motion. We also might see a more global talent pool as remote and contract work become standard and there are fewer limitations in hiring designers abroad. As far as AI, I think it will likely be a new tool that designers will have at their disposal but I'm not personally too worried about it taking over a creatives' role quite yet. After playing around with most of the AI generators, it's apparent to me that a lot of work goes into creating the right prompt to generate an accurate image and often I could have simply drawn it out faster. I'm curious to see where it goes and how AI is incorporated into our daily lives in an ethical way that compensates creatives, and minimizes bias.
Mack Garrison:
Outside of being an illustrator and designer, what are some of your hobbies?
Tory Van Wey:
When I'm not drawing for money you can find me putzing around the garden like an old lady, attempting to learn a new skill (currently taking a School of Motion course!) or herding my two kids up a hiking trail.
Mack Garrison:
Last but not least, anything you'd like to leave our audience with?
Tory Van Wey:
It's a unique privilege to make a living as a creative. Let's appreciate the folks that came before us that paved the way for our skills to be valued, and the folks that continue to advocate for creatives today. And let's not take ourselves too seriously. I think us creatives can get wrapped up in the idea of our own legacy. Do good work, live a thoughtful life, and don't be a jerk.
Takeover Tuesday Vanessa Appleby
An interview with Vanessa Appleby: an art/animation director who straddles the divide between motion design and traditional character animation.
Q&A with Vanessa Appleby.
Read time: 5min
Bella Alfonsi:
Hi, Vanessa! Thanks so much for joining us for Takeover Tuesday. For those who are unfamiliar with you or your work, please give us a lil' intro!
Vanessa Appleby:
Hi! I'm an art/animation director who straddles the divide between motion design and traditional character animation. I've been in the business for almost 15 years now, and I've had a chance to try on lots of hats over the years.
Bella Alfonsi:
How did your career begin? Did you always know you wanted to be in this field?
Vanessa Appleby:
I did not! I've always been a bit of a renaissance woman. I have a lot of varied interests.
In high school, I started drawing caricatures at a local amusement park. I think this is probably the most influential experience of my youth. It taught me a lot about life, but most importantly, it taught me that I could make money with my art. Funnily enough, I still have friends from this time working in the NYC animation industry today.
When I entered college, I had narrowed down my career path to fashion design or animation (odd, I know), so I chose a school that had strong programs for both. I ultimately decided on animation for what I thought was a shallow reason, but turns out was actually a smart one. I liked the people who were going into the animation major much more than I liked the fashion design students. They were funny, and I love to laugh.
I started my career working as a 2d cel animator in Flash, mostly working on childrens' TV. Over the years I transitioned to AE character animation, which led to compositing, which led to commercial motion design, which led to art directing, which led to now. It's been a wild ride.
Personal project from Vanessa.
Bella Alfonsi:
On your website you explain how out of every job you’ve done, directing is by far your favorite. Why is that?
Vanessa Appleby:
The short answer? I like making a plan and executing the plan. That's easiest to do when you're the director ;)
I also love finding out what my team is passionate about and delegating those tasks appropriately. I want to foster a sense of excitement for everyone who works on my projects. It makes the outcome so much stronger.
Bella Alfonsi:
Do you have any advice for someone trying to become a director themselves?
Vanessa Appleby:
You'll have to pay your dues in the industry before people start trusting you to direct. Be patient, keep trying, and don't be afraid to take on a lower paying gig if you get to run the show. You're not going to get to start directing at one of the big studios right out of the gate. Try working directly with clients (think music videos for example) to get some directed spots under your belt. Once people see what you can do when you're in charge, opportunities will come knocking.
Love is at 35,000 feet - directed by Vanessa.
Bella Alfonsi:
You’ve worked with a ton of different art styles over the years. Do you have a favorite?
Vanessa Appleby:
Nope! I'm ADHD and have always loved experimenting in different mediums and styles. I like to push myself and create something unique. I do especially enjoy vector workflows, but that's not exactly a style per se.
Bella Alfonsi:
Your personal illustrations are so colorful and full of life. I think that although each piece is unique from one another, it is still evident that you created all of them. What insight would you give to someone trying to find their “style”?
Vanessa Appleby:
Ha! I may be the worst person to ask. To be honest, having a "style" has always been a point of contention I've internally wrestled with.
In our business, popular looks/styles come and go. A director who has the current "it" look may not have a long lasting career unless they are able to adapt and change with the times. I wanted to be in this business for the long haul, and being as diverse as possible was key for that. I think no matter what, your hand will always shine through even though you're trying to emulate a different look. Your hand will give you cohesion even if your brain is trying to avoid that.
Style frame for QUEST FOR THE LOST CONSOLE.
Bella Alfonsi:
Where do you find inspiration when starting a project from scratch?
Vanessa Appleby:
Everywhere! I go on long walks through the city and often see funny and inspiring things. I'm also a history dork, so I tend to find inspiration from decorative arts and pattern motifs of the past. Most recently I became obsessed with Medieval illuminated manuscripts and scoured thousands of pages collecting funny marginalia creatures. Explore your passions outside of art. Inspiration can come from anywhere.
Bella Alfonsi:
As someone with 15 years of experience, what do you think the future of motion design looks like? And how is it different now from when you first started out?
Vanessa Appleby:
Motion design is already so different from how it was when I started. The biggest shift I've seen is an uptick in women in the field. Between 2008 - 2015 I was usually the only female on a team. This boggled my mind since my degree program was predominantly women.
Despite this, there were, and still are unfortunately, not many women at the top. I do think with the advent of groups like Panimation that things are beginning to change even more. I just hope it keeps going and the industry becomes even more diverse and inclusive.
Bella Alfonsi:
What is your proudest moment in your career thus far?
Vanessa Appleby:
This is a tough one- I kind of hope it's still to come!
Bella Alfonsi:
Any final takeaways?
Vanessa Appleby:
Keep going! This business can be tough, especially when you're just starting out. If what you're doing isn't getting you the results you want in your career, try a different approach. We're creative people. Don't be afraid to apply that creativity to how you grow your career or earn your money.