Motion Hatch: Helping Motion Designers Do Better Business

As motion designers we create content for our clients. But how can we use the content we create for our own marketing purposes? How can we use it to get clients who don’t even know what motion design is? I’ve brought two guests on today who are going to answer those very questions! Today we have Andrew and Pete on the podcast. They are content marketers who help small businesses grow and find cust...

Are you worried that being a freelancer and a parent are incompatible? It’s not uncommon for freelancers to have concerns about taking care of their kids among all their freelancing commitments. Since questions about this are so common in the Motion Hatch community , I’ve brought in the experts to answer all your burning questions. With their own podcasts and communities for freelance parents, Ste...

It’s no secret that having a large social media following can help you share your work with a large audience as well as find more opportunities to work as a freelancer. However, actually gaining and maintaining a following is a tricky pursuit. Fortunately, you’re about to hear two experts who have helped their studio gain tens of thousands of followers share how you can make social media work for...

Do you find yourself spending too much time on the phone trying to get potential clients instead of doing the work you’re actually passionate about? Have you thought about automating this process but aren’t sure where to start? It’s not as daunting as many might think and my guest on this episode is an expert at getting it done! Greg Hickman runs a company called System.ly , where he helps service...

As freelancers we often feel like we’re all on our own, that we have to come up with everything ourselves. But there are communities of us, both online and offline, that we can lean on and use to learn from each other. Whether you’re just starting out or have been running your own freelance business for years, the power of community and networking can be a major benefit. Few know this better than...

This is part six of the mini-series Making Money in Mograph where we talk about some unconventional ways to earn an income in animation. Did you know that as an animator you also have the skills to make money as an illustrator? There are people like my guest today who are using these two sets of skills to showcase their creativity and earn more than they would in just a single field. Hannah Jacobs...

In Part 5 of the mini-series, Making Money in Mograph, we’re looking at more of the non-conventional ways to earn an income as a motion designer. We spoke to someone who definitely plays a big part in the motion design industry but she doesn’t have a role many people are familiar with. Victoria Nece is the senior product manager for Adobe After Effects. Motion design is truly a life calling for Vi...

Do you hate networking? Maybe you imagine that it's just sucking up and brown-nosing. Maybe you’re just feeling shy. These are common concerns, but they shouldn’t stop you. Today’s guest will tell how to set these worries aside and start making important connections that will help your business grow! This week, I speak with Marsha Shandur , a Networking Mentor and Storytelling Coach. In short, she...

For part four of the mini-series, Making Money in Mograph, we’re going to talk about how you can earn an income in a few non-conventional ways as a motion designer, using content creation. As a content creator, you can put your skills to use to attract clients and even earn passive income. Matthew Encina is the chief content officer at The Futur and creative director for Blind . He started off his...

For part three of Making Money in Mograph, we’re talking about how you can earn extra money or even replace all your income by sharing what you know with other motion designers as an online instructor. Even if you’ve never taught anyone anything about your work before, today’s guest will tell you how and why you can teach starting right now. Jake Bartlett teaches motion design on Skillshare as wel...

For part two of our new mini-series, Making Money in MoGraph, I’m talking with someone who does something that not to many of us in this industry do - 2d technical directing. It’s just one of the many different and less than conventional ways that people who work in motion design can make a living. Zack Lovatt is a technical director with a truly diversified income stream. He writes and sells scri...

This is part one of a new mini-series we’re doing here at Motion Hatch called Making Money in MoGraph. We’ll be hearing from people who are making money as motion designers in a number of different and less than conventional ways. Today, I sit down to talk with one of the most well known After Effects tool designers in the industry. Adam Plouff has created some of the most amazing After Effects to...

Happy New Year Hatchlings! It’s a new year and time to reflect on 2018, what’s happened to Motion Hatch and this podcast, and go over my goals for next year. There’s a power to reflecting on the goals the goals we set, and I’m so glad you can be here with me as I do it. I hope this will help you reflect on your 2018 and set your own goals for next year. Today, I’m going over the goals I set for th...

One of my favorite parts of being a motion designer is that it is possible to work from almost anywhere. However, finding clients when you’re not attached to a studio or location is a challenge. Don’t despair! There are strategies to use to allow you to get clients directly and make it all possible. Mair Perkins is an independent creative freelance business owner. As a motion designer that works r...

Do you ever find yourself so busy with work for clients that you never create or do something just for your own enjoyment or personal fulfillment? It’s a tricky balance to have a career that pays the bills but that still leaves you time and energy to do what fulfills you as a person and a creator. Joe Donaldson knows this struggle as well as anyone. In addition to being the founder of Holdframe ,...

Making career decisions that are based on your heart and not your wallet is tough. It’s also important if you plan on having a fulfilling career. Don’t be scared, others have made the difficult transition and my guest today might just inspire you to follow your passions too! Laura Peña  is a motion designer who transitioned to working remotely from all parts of the world as a digital nomad. Recent...

Constructing good habits and sticking with them can be hard. With all the different parts of being a motion designer, let alone just being a functioning human, there’s so much to do all the time. Having good and productive habits is the key, and that’s what I want to talk with you about today. This solo episode is inspired by a book I just read called Atomic Habits by James Clear . Essentially, it...

Sharing your work and asking for feedback is nerve-wracking. It’s a vulnerable place to put yourself, but as today’s guest emphasizes, it may be the most important way to furthering your career and growing your craft. If you want your career to take off, you have to take chances. Today, Sabrina Curry tells us how she did it! Sabrina is a motion designer at Facebook and former animator at College H...

Let’s face it, we’re motion designers, not legal experts. But in this business, there are myriad legal concerns from understanding contracts to protecting intellectual property. This all may seem scary, but as my guest will tell you, they are nothing to be afraid of. Jamie Lieberman is a founder and partner in the US-based law firm Hashtag-Legal . She specializes in working with creatives, content...

As freelancers, we often miss out on the team building and community that people in companies and studios have. There’s so much we can learn from each other, but miss out on because we are off on our own. I know this is something I’ve experienced. Today, we’re diving into the topic of how to build those connections and how it will support you in your work. Jorge Canedo  AKA Jr.canest is a freelanc...

So you want to be a motion designer. To go to art school or not? There is a healthy debate over whether or not a formal education is worth your time and money. Especially now with the proliferation of online courses, many aspiring designers are wondering if art school is still worthwhile, and today we’re diving into the topic with Dorca Musseb and Ryan Summers . Dorca and Ryan have been in the fie...

As a freelancer, it can be tricky finding the right balance between pleasing your clients and building the work-life balance that is best for you. Tom Davis joins us today to discuss how he has built a business that is fulfilling on both a personal and professional level. Tom is a freelance motion designer and creator of Loop , an online store full of his own creative resources for other motion de...

I don’t know about you, but it often feels to me like there’s a pressure in our industry to always be doing absolutely everything at once. Client work, personal projects, posting daily to Instagram, reaching out to potential clients, updating websites, and oh, don’t forget about family, friends and actually living your life! With all there is to do to move our careers forward, it’s easy to burn ou...

How much networking do you do in the motion community? Have you ever done a speaking gig? Even though these might not be first things that come to mind when it comes to advancing your career, they’re the kinds of practices that can make a huge difference, especially if you don’t live in a location with a lot of motion designers. Caitlin Cadieux is currently an animator for The Atlantic. She grew u...

Over the course of an entire career, spanning different jobs, companies and goals, a lot of people find that their priorities shift, and so do their personal definitions of success. Michelle Higa Fox joins us today to talk about how those concepts have shifted for her throughout her career working as a freelancer, collaborator, agency owner, and now parent. Michelle is the founder and Executive Cr...