School of Motion Podcast

Have you ever thought of starting your own studio? How do you even begin? There are so many questions that many people don't get past step one, which is why we brought in an expert to share some much-needed wisdom. Mack Garrison is the co-founder and Creative Director of Dash Studios . He's not only an outstanding artist, but he has an intimate understanding of how our industry functions—and how i...

You've worked hard to build a freelance business as a motion designer. It seems like you've got this train firmly on track...until suddenly it's not. What causes a career to derail? How are you burning bridges. And can you rebuild them? Amanda Russell, co-founder and Creative Director of Cream Studios, shares her experiences on both sides of the hiring table. Don't miss this one.

Defining your style is one of the most challenging aspects of any creative career. Emonee LaRussa is the founder and CEO of Pamanama Studios LLC., a studio filled with a diverse set of talented artists from all over the world, collaborating with musicians to produce top of the line lyric videos. Her hard work has earned her two Emmys, as well as high end clients such as Ty Dolla $ign, John Legend,...

Building a career in motion design can sometimes feel like getting started in Cross Fit. There's a ton of new terminology, you have to buy specialized equipment, and you end up spending a bushel of money just to get started. It's hard to know how to take your career by the reins and steer it in the right direction. Our guest Remington Markham is a motion designer at Facebook, and he might just hav...

Do you have a logo? A set of colors that you use on your site, your social media handle, on – gasp – your business card? Your brand is more than just a collection of assets—it's your reputation, and sometimes it needs a refresh. The question of rebranding was recently brought up by Macaela VanderMost and the team at Newfangled Studios – and we sat them down to talk all about it.

Imagine you've spent the last few years building up a sizable portfolio for 3D work...but 2D is what your heart desires. Is it possible to rebrand this far into your career? Our guest today has DONE IT… and she is sharing her secrets. The multi-talented Monique Wray is here to spill the beans about how she made a fairly drastic change to her personal brand, the type of work she does, and the impac...

Imagine if you had the chance to work with one of the greatest bands of the modern age. How hard would you work to get there...and what did it take? Bomper Studio's Emlyn Davies and Josh Hicks challenged their team to learn how to produce high-end character-driven work, and that effort directly led to a contract...with the Foo Fighters.

Chris Schmidt is a really good 3D artist. He was one half of the wacky Greyscalegorilla team back in the early days of the site, and quickly gained a reputation for his MacGyver-like ability to rig things up in the most clever ways imaginable. Some of his tutorials were instant classic, and helped many artists learn their way around Cinema 4D. Now, we're talking to him about his new site, Rocket L...

Even if you don't pay close attention to industry news, you've likely heard of NFTs. Crypto art, led by a growing list of pioneering artists, is revolutionizing not only our industry but art as a whole. However, there have been some valid concerns raised over the viability of the market and the environmental impact of cryptocurrency. That's why we gathered to grapple with this topic and share our...

What do you do when you get a great idea? Not just something you enjoy thinking about, but a brain worm that burrows deep and won't let go. Even when we're confident that we have a handle on something great, the road ahead can be so daunting that we just give up. Today we're joined by Max Keane, creator of the new Netflix animated series Trash Truck, to hear about his journey from concept to reali...

Demo reels aren't just a reflection of your past—they're also a signpost to your future. The work you show can directly connect to the jobs you'll land...which adds all sorts of pressure to an already stressful task. We're getting real about reels and talking to Laura Porat, a freelance motion designer with a seriously impressive client list. In this conversation, we cover her most recent (and mag...

No matter where you are in your career—whether you're just starting out, freelancing like a boss, or running a studio—marketing is a key to your success.  It's easy to say, "Have a social media presence," but what does that actually mean? Our dear friends at Motion Hatch have been helping artists and designers find their paths forward, and now they want to share actionable tips on mastering market...

Katie Menzies and Abel Reverter founded Cabeza Patata in Barcelona, Spain in 2018. There, they consider themselves artists first and motion designers second, with a focus on inclusiveness, positivity, and having a hands-on approach to motion design. Cabeza Patata just opened up their new studio where not only do they work for big clients such as Spotify and Google, but their studio is also a galle...

Mike Winkelmann is well known in the digital art world. His work is often provocative, sometimes downright shocking, but always has a style that is uniquely his. Better known as Beeple, Mike has demonstrated an incredible focus on his craft, releasing a brand new piece every day for over 5,000 consecutive days. Now he's revolutionizing the art world as a pioneer of crypto artwork...and we've hogti...

Our mission at School of Motion is to break down the barriers to the Motion Design industry so that everyone can share their voice. That is a journey more than a destination, and we have a long way to go. Macaela VanderMost is a titanic talent, but she has faced some—unfortunately—all-too-common barriers to entry along the way. Listen to Macaela VanderMost's journey as a driven creative director. 

2020 was...well, it was certainly a year. Not just for the MoGraph industry and for School of Motion, but for everyone. We know you don't need a recap of all the challenges and craziness that made this year what it was. Instead, we want to focus on the positive. While 2020 certainly presented a difficult road, we have seen our community emerge stronger and better than ever. On the 2020 End of Year...

When we talk about motion graphics, we refer to motion and design. Our guest today, Cartoon Saloon, takes that approach to the next level with their animated feature films. From Secret of Kells to Song of the Sea to their new film, Wolfwalkers, their unique style stands out even in an incredibly saturated market. Join directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart as they discuss the new film and the art o...

What is the future of advertising agencies? As the world modernizes and the old methods give way to native, targeted, and subversive advertising, how is a studio meant to keep up? Strange as it may seem, the issues facing independent ad agencies are very similar to the evolution of the motion design industry. We're chatting with Creative Director Roger Baldacci of Strange Animal!

We've mentioned it a few times, but one of the most important steps in any project is the storyboard, and specialized artists work tirelessly to bring the story to life. Alex Quintas' career path took a few turns before she wound up creating artwork for some of the biggest animated shows on TV and streaming today, from BoJack Horseman to Paradise PD. Grab a snack and check this out!

Animated movies are a part of the fabric of our creative culture, and as motion designers, we share the same principles and design foundations.  Our guest today helped shape the animation industry, creating iconic characters and unique worlds. He is an Academy Award-winning director, and he just released an amazing new animated movie on Netflix, Over the Moon . Strap in tight, because we're blasti...

Adobe MAX 2020 is on, and they just announced a slew of improvements to their After Effects 3D Workflow.  We had a chance to sit down with Victoria Nece , Senior Product Manager for Motion Graphics and Visual Effects at Adobe, to discuss how this new workflow will affect the Motion Design community. More than that, we had a chance to discuss Adobe MAX, building a MoGraph career, and staying ahead...

Medical Illustration is a fascinating path for Motion Designers. This challenging work requires a clear understanding of anatomy, and the ability to toe the line between style and accuracy. We talked with Director Emily Holden of Campbell Medical Illustrations on how her studio brings the human body to life.

It is incredibly difficult to know where our industry is headed—almost as challenging as defining "motion design" itself. Where is animation or experiential or VR/AR going over the next five years—or even the next five months? Then there are the tools we use everyday, and the ones on our list to learn. Does anyone have the answers? We asked some industry experts to sit down and think about the fut...

In the wild early days of the Internet, Motion Design was a much smaller community. Unless you had proper training, it was easy to feel overwhelmed by the learning curve. With many people struggling to get their careers off the ground, one person decided to be their copilot. Andrew Kramer is synonymous with Motion Design. As an artist, a teacher, and a friendly cohort, Andrew inspired countless pe...

Motion design can be used for a number of purposes. It can be an advertisement, a stunning piece of art, or even a moving message. Kentucky-based studio The Furrow partnered with some of the top artists in the industry to collaborate on a powerful project, providing information and insight into a changed world following COVID-19. We joined Creative Director Seth Eckert to talk about his journey in...