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. Recently though she put her career on hold to pursue a truly inspiring and meaningful passion project. It a...
Nov 20, 2018•48 min•Season 1Ep. 27
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 speaks to how making tiny changes in our lives can lead to amazing results. James writes about four...
Nov 06, 2018•21 min•Season 1Ep. 26
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 Humor. Her road to landing a coveted position at this giant company is truly fascinating and illumina...
Oct 23, 2018•31 min•Season 1Ep. 25
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 providers, and service professionals, many of whom work online. Jamie is an expert in copyright and...
Oct 09, 2018•32 min•Season 1Ep. 24
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 freelance animator and creative director in Vancouver, Canada. Also the Founder of Wine After Coffee and Blen...
Oct 02, 2018•44 min•Season 1Ep. 23
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 field for many years and offer a wealth of experience and advice on the topic of arts education, and we...
Sep 18, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 23
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 designers and an outlet for his passion projects. He’s recently transitioned into working remotely and...
Sep 04, 2018•42 min•Season 1Ep. 21
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 out and end up moving backward, so this episode I want to share 6 tips to avoid burnout and achieve yo...
Jun 19, 2018•14 min•Season 1Ep. 20
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 up in Oklahoma and currently lives in upstate New York, both locations which are lacking in much of a...
May 29, 2018•38 min•Season 1Ep. 19
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 Creative Director for Slanted Studios , which creates mixed-media animation for emerging technology. S...
May 15, 2018•47 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Because so many of us work online and across borders, sometimes laws in one country might affect you whether or not you live there. A lot of people who do business or promotion internationally are panicking about the new GDPR law that’s coming into effect in the UK & EU at the end of May and how best to make sure their businesses comply. Today Silvia Baumgart returns to walk us through how this new law might affect your freelance business regardless of where you live. Silvia is a lawyer prac...
May 01, 2018•49 min•Season 1Ep. 17
As freelance designers, many of us remain generalists, afraid we’ll lose project opportunities and income if we specialize too much. Unfortunately, that also means we’re competing against the countless other general designers out there, not sure how to set ourselves apart. Jess Peterson has found a different way to do things. Jess is the Founder, CEO and Creative Producer at Mighty Oak , a boutique animation studio specializing in handmade animation. They’ve worked with clients like Netflix, HBO...
Apr 17, 2018•56 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Have you ever felt freaked out and overwhelmed at the idea of creating a contract? If you already have standard terms and conditions, do you feel confident in them, or could they be tighter? Are you even aware of all the legal ramifications that can come from your creative works if not protected properly? Silvia Baumgart breaks down all of these issues and more in this second part of our series on copyright and contracts. Silvia Baumgart, a trainee solicitor with an extensive background in prote...
Apr 03, 2018•25 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Disclaimer: This podcast is for general guidance only and discusses the legal position in the UK at the time of publication unless stated otherwise. You must take legal advice and not rely on the information provided in this podcast before taking action. We do not update our podcasts and therefore, past podcasts may not reflect the current legal position. Are you a whiz at all things legal when it comes to your businesses? Are you a maverick when it comes to intellectual property and copyrights?...
Mar 20, 2018•49 min•Season 1Ep. 14
As designers, a lot of us love to think that we are in complete control over the outcome and success of our projects. But how many times have you been blown away after the sound designer worked their magic on it? As I share in the episode, I experience this on pretty much every project I work on. Today we’re diving into the audio side of the animation world with one of the most popular sound designers in the animation world, Wesley Slover. Wesley Slover is the founder and owner of Sono Sanctus w...
Mar 06, 2018•55 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Many of us struggle to make the transition and shift from agency or studio work to independent freelancer. In today’s conversation, we go in-depth on that first year of freelancing and all the mindset shifts that it requires. Mitch Myers is a freelance motion designer who specializes in 3D. He talks to us about his transition from agency designer to freelancer, including the fears he had when making the decision to switch, how he researched and decided his pricing, and the mindset changes he had...
Feb 19, 2018•45 min•Season 1Ep. 12
We’ve all wanted something more from of our work at one time or another, but how many of us actually take it upon ourselves to create what we’re looking for? TJ Kearney did just that with the help of four friends when they founded Oddfellows and purposely changed their lives and constructed the careers they wanted. TJ Kearney was a founding member of Oddfellows Studio and is now the EP at Instrument . In this episode, he breaks down how the roles you started with will change as you grow your bus...
Feb 06, 2018•50 min•Season 1Ep. 11
One of the things so many of us creatives struggle with is how to charge what we’re worth. Many of us are in the habit of thinking of ourselves as freelancers, but Chris Do joins us today to talk us through how to change our mindset to think of ourselves as independent business owners instead, and why we should be viewing our careers through that lens. Find the full show notes at https://motionhatch.com/10 Keep up with everything Motion Hatch at https://motionhatch.com...
Jan 23, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 10
What's the one thing that many of us artists and creatives dread more than all else every year? That’s right, it’s tax time! As creatives we would rather put all our energy towards our work instead of stressing out about our accounting (or lack thereof). Luckily for us, today’s guest cuts right through the jargon and gives us some accounting tips in plain English.* *That’s kind of an awesome (if unintentional) pun, as this week we’re focussing on the accounting specifics for UK based freelancers...
Jan 09, 2018•34 min•Season 1Ep. 9
This week on Motion Hatch we’re getting festive and reflective with Austin Saylor , as we reflect on our top 3 lessons learned in 2017 and our top 3 things we want to achieve in our motion design careers in 2018. We also have a bit of fun with a motion design gift exchange! Austin Saylor is a freelance motion designer, and creator of The Lettering Animation Course which will be launching in 2018. He’s also an active member of the Motion Hatch Community and a good friend, meaning this is a super ...
Dec 19, 2017•47 min•Season 1Ep. 8
If you’ve ever thought about going into business with a friend or business partner, you’re probably aware that it’s not always as rosy as it might seem at first. Competing goals, styles and personalities can make it hard to go into business with even close friends, and we’ve all heard stories of friendships ruined by bad business partnerships. In today’s episode, we talk with London-based Wednesday Studio who dive into some of the challenges and benefits of partnering up to form a studio. Daniel...
Dec 05, 2017•33 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Are you brand new and figuring out how to start your freelance career? Maybe you’re at the point where you’re trying to decide if you should attempt to scale your business to become a studio as opposed to an individual freelancer? Wherever you’re at, we cover it all with one of the top motion design educators in our industry! Joey Korenman is the founder and head instructor at School of Motion , author of the Freelance Manifesto, husband and father to three cute kids, and all around awesome huma...
Nov 28, 2017•1 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 6
When we first get started in the world of motion graphics, we often have dreams of working on endlessly fulfilling creative projects, always working in our preferred style. Needless to say, it doesn’t take most of us long to realize that this isn’t the way the industry works. This, however, is all the more reason to continue refining and experimenting with our own style, to keep inspired, and eventually attract new clients. Irene Feleo is originally from Australia, but now lives in New York, and...
Nov 21, 2017•42 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Any freelancer knows that the freelance life is filled with sacrifice, struggle, and risk, especially when we’re first trying to get established. Andrew Embury is no stranger to these challenges, and joins us on the podcast to give us some insight into his personal struggles and the tools that helped establish him as one of the best-known motion designers around. Andrew is a self-taught director, producer, and editor of motion design who could easily boast about his Emmy nomination if he wanted ...
Nov 14, 2017•33 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Have you ever dreamed of working on the road? Do think it is even possible to work as a motion designer or illustrator digital nomad? Our guest today is the perfect example not only that it’s possible but that it can positively influence your work as well. While originally from Barcelona, Magoz calls himself a nomadic illustrator because he has built his career while traveling pretty much non-stop. He has a very unique style which incorporates his love of minimalism and simplicity, and has made ...
Nov 06, 2017•47 min•Season 1Ep. 3
It’s no secret that when it comes to careers and business, the pay, opportunities, and accolades are not always distributed equally. It’s often easy to point to the corporate world as the prime example of this, and overlook that these same inequalities are present in the creative fields as well. Lilian Darmono joins us again for part 2 of our discussion, and in this conversation we dive deep into her experiences confronting bias and inequality as both a woman and a minority, and how she’s bringi...
Nov 06, 2017•44 min•Season 1Ep. 2
As freelancers, we have to live with the fact that work often comes in waves. We might be really busy for stretches of the year, and then face a lean month or two. Learning to predict and work through these cycles is a big factor in creating a successful freelance career. Lilian Darmono is an Art Director who’s made a career spanning both the freelance and corporate worlds. In this, the first of a 2-part series, we dive deep into Art Direction, Graphic Design, and Animation. Lilian studied graph...
Nov 06, 2017•31 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Motion Hatch is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by veteran motion designer Hayley Akins, discussing the business side of animation and motion design that so many creatives struggle with. Offering quality practical advice and insight for freelance, full-time or aspiring animators, illustrators and motion designers, hear from a wide range of voices within the industry, including how leading animators started out, tips on managing your business and career advice. For more info on how to take control of ...
Nov 03, 2017•2 min•Season 1Ep. 1
