Takeover Tuesday with Nocky Dinh
Q&A with Nocky Dinh: a freelance motion graphics designer and animator currently living in NYC, but originally from Vietnam.
Q&A with Nocky Dinh
Read time: 10min
“Vase” — Created by Nocky Dinh.
Madison Caprara:
Hey, Nocky! Why don’t you give me a brief introduction to yourself and your work for folks reading at home?
Nocky Dinh:
I’m Nocky Dinh and I’m currently a freelance 2D + 3D motion designer. In the past few years, I have mostly focused on 3D works. I strive to tell compelling stories with a cinematic approach and pleasing composition.
Madison Caprara:
I see you are originally from Vietnam, was there anything cultural-specific you can think of that fueled your passion for motion graphic design and animation?
“Fish Flags” — Created by Nocky Dinh.
Nocky Dinh:
Yes, I went to school for Digital Filmmaking because I was watching some Vietnamese TV shows and realized that I wanted to contribute to my country’s film industry. When I was in film school, I only took one 3D class - in Maya - and two After Effects classes. I wasn’t very good at motion graphics during my school years at all. I graduated without knowing what easy ease is, to be honest. Being an international student, if I wanted to work in the U.S., I needed to score a job that would sponsor me immediately.
At the time, I noticed that there was a demand for motion graphics, so I promoted myself as an “editor with motion graphics skills.” Luckily, I found a full-time gig a few months afterward and learned everything motion graphics-related on the job. Slowly I moved away from doing editing and focused solely on motion graphics at the company. After six years, I decided to freelance to expand my horizons.
Nocky Dinh:
Lately, I’ve been trying to fuse my cultural background into my personal projects. I’ve been chasing the Western aesthetic for so long, as I’m getting older, I realized that my own background is full of inspiration to pull from as well.
“I’ve been chasing the Western aesthetic for so long…I realized that my own background is full of inspiration to pull from...”
Madison Caprara:
Is there anything special you’re working on now that you’d like to share?
Nocky Dinh:
Yes! Aside from client work, I’m currently working on another one for the Kokeshi dolls series. I’ve made one before featuring Frida Kahlo and this new one will be focusing on Van Gogh.
I recently read that in order to know something well enough, you need to explore it more than just one or two ways. Instead of working on just a one-off idea (which I’ve done in the past), now I am exploring the concept in several ways before I make a series out of it. I highly recommend everyone trying this mindset.
Madison Caprara:
That’s an interesting way to go about re-learning the actual learning process!
What are some of the best and worst aspects of working in the motion design and animation field that you’ve experienced?
Nocky Dinh:
Best aspect: you can create anything and not be constrained to real-life physics. Working in animation makes me slow down, observe, and appreciate the small things. For example, how people walk or how cloth flutters in the wind.
Worst aspect: people think it’s easy and often underestimate how long or how difficult it is to make something from nothing. They think in minutes, while I’m thinking in frames. Not to mention the “fix-it-in-post” way of thinking.
“A Moonlit Night” — By Nocky Dinh.
Madison Caprara:
Do you typically work remotely, or have you transitioned due to the pandemic?
Nocky Dinh:
I used to do a mixture of working remotely and being on-site. My dream is to be able to work completely remotely. Commuting is a waste of time and energy. Ever since the pandemic hit and lots of studios opened up to remote working, I have been able to collaborate with people from all over the world. It’s so refreshing because you realize how big the pool of talent is when not being limited within the U.S. or Canadian borders.
Madison Caprara:
How do you stay focused? What do you perceive as your biggest distraction?
Nocky Dinh:
I must always trick myself into working for just 15 minutes. After that initial 15 minutes, then I’m able to get in the zone. Sometimes, I’ll even become so into the work, that I need to schedule an alarm to remind myself to eat lunch. Having a routine has definitely helped me get into focus mode a little easier.
My biggest distraction is social media! I often put my phone faced down during work hours if I can.
Madison Caprara:
What studio, designer, or artist - dead or alive - would you want to have a Zoom meeting with? I’d say dinner, but you know…
“you can create anything and not be constrained to real-life physics.”
“D is for Daggers” — Created by Nocky Dinh.
Nocky Dinh:
Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. I think he needs no introduction.
Madison Caprara:
When you feel stuck, or are in need of some inspiration, what - or where - are your go-to’s?
Nocky Dinh:
I discovered that my brain tends to come up with ideas when it is in a relaxed state. Often time, I have “wow why can’t I think of that before”-solutions when I’m in a shower. However, it’s unrealistic to shower 20 times a day so mind-mapping works wonders when I need to dive deeper than the low-hanging fruit ideas.
I also look into the adjacent fields of motion design - such as photography, sculpture, museum installations, fiber arts - and I subscribed to some curated websites like The Colossal, HypeBeast, AIGA Eye on Design — where they curate all sorts of cool projects in lots of different fields. It’s important to look for inspiration in places outside of the direct connections to your work. You never know what could spark interesting ideas.
Nocky Dinh:
I recently read that Joyce N. Ho went to the library to look for inspiration for the Semi Permanent title sequence and I thought that was a fantastic idea. When things are open again, I can’t wait to venture into random sections of local libraries.
Madison Caprara:
Speaking on inspiration, is there anything particularly interesting you’re reading, watching, or listening to right now?
Nocky Dinh:
I’m re-listening to a podcast called, Hardcore History: Wrath of The Khans, by Dan Carlin. I highly recommend all the podcasts from him. I’m also reading, Thoughts on Design, by Paul Rand. It’s very interesting.
Madison Caprara:
Can you share one of your personal failures and what you learned from it?
“…my brain tends to come up with ideas when it is in a relaxed state…however, it’s unrealistic to shower 20 times a day…mind-mapping works wonders when I need to dive deeper than the low-hanging fruit ideas.”
Nocky Dinh:
My Psychedelic Hot Dog poster was done in 2016 but it was the most memorable failure that I had to date. I was doing an “everyday project” challenge where I worked on one of my 3D personal projects every day (though it’s not necessary to actually finish in a single day.) I was trying to model a hot dog and at the time, I did not know what a proper UV was in 3D for texturing, so I was struggling very hard to texture the buns correctly.
I was cycling through all the projections then it hit me: “hey, if I can’t get it to work properly, why don’t I take advantage of it being NOT correct?” and so this trippy texture came about. With some design in photoshop, I was able to turn it into something really interesting. The lesson I learned here is that sometimes if you cannot get something to work generally, turn it into something that works for you.
Madison Caprara:
What about three general habits to improve workflow? Or some insightful dos and don’ts?
“The Anatomy of a Psychedelic Hot Dog” — Created by Nocky Dinh.
“my entire career was built upon personal projects. they’re not just a calling card but also an exercise to discover who you are and what your voice is.”
Nocky Dinh:
1.) Be super organized with your project files. Label all the layers and objects in your scene.
2.) Take breaks and come back to the projects later. You’ll see things you didn’t see before.
3.) Save your projects in increments! In addition, also store your current working project files on Dropbox. There are times when the ‘delete history’ of Dropbox saves the day!
Madison Caprara:
Perfect! Well, do you have any closing advice, points, or statements you would like to share?
Nocky Dinh:
Personal projects. I cannot stress how important personal projects are for freelancers. My entire career was built upon personal projects. They’re not just a calling card but also an exercise to discover who you are and what your voice is. Don’t chase what’s trendy. Focus on what you like, and you will naturally find yourself different from others.
Also, in terms of work, it’s so important to be somebody who is fun to work with. I’ve seen people getting hired consistently because they are team players and easy to collaborate with, even if their skills are not at the top level. And vice versa, super talented people not getting hired again because they are difficult to work with.