Virtual reality is one of the newest and most promising fields in motion design. There’s huge potential for growth as well as exciting opportunities to create unique art. But, if you’re like me, you may have more questions than answers about just what’s involved in being an animator in this exciting new field. Today’s episode is going to answer those questions for you and hopefully point you in the right direction to discover how to use VR in motion design. On today’s show, I chat with two great...
Jan 07, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Many of us creatives have diverse interests and passions. Yet, often enough, we find ourselves spending our time and energy doing client work and leaving our passion projects on the backburner. But what if it's actually that client work that can make your personal projects a reality? Today’s guest has mastered doing just that. In his episode, I’m chatting with Zac Dixon, the creative director and founder of IV Studio and previously the host of the Animalators Podcast . As prolific as ever, Zac h...
Dec 17, 2019•53 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Any freelancer knows that there’s instability in their work. Finding clients, managing your time, keeping your finances in order are all big tasks. And with the looming threat of recession, things might seem really scary. But it’s not all doom and gloom. My guest on this episode has taken a close look at all these issues and has some great insight to share. Michael Jones runs MoGraph Mentor , a worldwide program that helps people get their motion design careers up and running. He recently wrote ...
Dec 03, 2019•50 min•Season 1Ep. 55
As with anything, there’s a learning curve to 3D animation. There’s always more to learn and more ways for expertise to be honed. Knowing where to look for education and new skills can be tricky. Today’s guest knows this well and has created many resources that any 3D animator can start using right away. Nick and I also spoke about how to promote and market yourself as a motion designer. Nick Campbell is the owner of Greyscalegorilla where he’s been helping 3D artists for over ten years by creat...
Nov 19, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Most of us weren’t always freelance motion graphic designers. For those of us that once worked for another company, the change wasn’t straight-forward. Finding new work and having the right support may not have been easy to come by. Today, I’m chatting with someone who recently made this transition to becoming a motion graphic designer what he’s learned in the process. Chris Field is a freelance motion designer who recently made the transition from full-time corporate work. With a strong backgro...
Nov 05, 2019•54 min•Season 1Ep. 53
As we approach the end of the year, I want to talk to you a bit about goals. Maybe you feel like you haven’t achieved all you wanted to or don’t exactly know what your next steps are. You’re not alone if you feel overwhelmed and exhausted. I certainly have these feelings, but I’ve found some things that help. In this solo episode, I share some of my tips for you when it comes to setting goals for the end of this year or going into the next. I'll tell you about some of the strategies that I’ve fo...
Oct 22, 2019•22 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Allison Butler has always had a passion for motion design. Mostly self-taught, she has been creating professional digital content for five years as well as running a monthly meetup of Connecticut based animators, motion designers, and related creatives. Allison tells her story of how she started her own freelance business as an alternative to full-time but temporary work. While it provides a large amount of freedom, it also requires courage and determination and many hard lessons. Allison shares...
Oct 08, 2019•42 min•Season 1Ep. 51
There’s something that happens when you’re constantly creating. Your skills and technique improve and get fine-tuned. You realize what you truly enjoy doing and the ways in which your work is personally meaningful. Few people understand the payoffs of constant creation better than today’s guest. We dive into how to create the freedom to allow you to work on personal projects. Mike Winkelmann , AKA Beeple, is a truly prolific 3D artist and motion designer. He is an instrumental force behind the “...
Sep 24, 2019•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 50
As creatives, there are countless ways we can earn an income doing what we love. By keeping an open mind as well as open eyes, you may be able to spot opportunities that lie outside the traditional paths. Today’s guest has done just that. Kyle shows us how to boost your motion design career with side projects. Kyle T. Webster started his own business as an illustrator in 2006 after years of doing it purely as a side gig. As an illustrator, he found that he has a special knack for building tools,...
Sep 10, 2019•46 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be an art director for motion design? While it involves a command of many of the skills that you may already have as a designer, there are many other elements to the job that can make it all that more exciting and rewarding. Today’s guest has transitioned from working purely in design to directing some fantastic projects with major brands and studios. Nidia Dias is a 3D art director for motion design who has been working in various studios around the world...
Aug 27, 2019•51 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Often times, we overlook the value of the pre-production process, when it’s actually an incredibly important part of what we do. In many ways, a little extra work up front, will save a lot of extra time on the back end. To help us all understand this better, I’ve brought in someone who truly knows the importance of this concept. Evan Abrams is a fantastic motion designer who runs his own YouTube channel where he teaches motion design. With over ten years of experience, Evan has fine-tuned how he...
Aug 13, 2019•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Have you ever felt stuck in your motion design career? Maybe you’re feeling like you need to do everything all the time but aren’t sure what is actually helping you move forward in your business or career. If you feel like your to-do list is getting longer all the time and don’t know what to do and you're feeling overwhelmed, this is the episode that you need to listen to. Today I’m talking to Jess Peterson and Christopher Bernal about what to do when you’re feeling stuck and overwhelmed. Jess a...
Jul 30, 2019•43 min•Season 1Ep. 46
We were all likely told at some point in our lives that we need a formal education to succeed professionally. But much has changed. Nowadays, there are many highly successful motion designers never went to animation school. Today I’m joined by EJ Hassenfratz , also known as Eyedesyn. EJ is well known for his 3D tutorials, something he started doing to get over his fear of public speaking. He’s been in motion design for over a decade. Even without formal training, EJ has become a fully self-taugh...
Jul 16, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Many motion designers have personal projects that we would love to have the time to work on. But with the need to earn an income through paid work it can feel near impossible to find the time to work on them. However, as my guest is about to tell you, passion projects and paid client work have the amazing ability to support each other, providing you with the time and resources to work on both. Sander Van Dijk is an incredible motion designer who teaches Advanced Motion Methods through School of ...
Jul 02, 2019•53 min•Season 1Ep. 44
The possibilities that something like YouTube has for motion designers to help take our careers to the next level are truly amazing. But where do you start? How can you build an audience, find professional opportunities, create great content, and make it all worthwhile? Today’s guest has done all that and is ready to tell you how! Kelsey Brannan , better known as Premiere Gal on YouTube, has helped countless motion designers up their game when it comes to creating amazing content. With over 130,...
Jun 18, 2019•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 43
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 customers through their company Andrew & Pete . These guys are great at explaining the often ignored...
Jun 04, 2019•43 min•Season 1Ep. 42
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, Steve Folland and Frankie Tortora have a heap of knowledge on this topic. They’ve built successful free...
May 21, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 41
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 you. Tom and Henry Purrington are the twin brothers and studio animation leads at the animation stud...
May 07, 2019•40 min•Season 1Ep. 40
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-based businesses with marketing funnels, scaling, and qualifying leads. In short, he shows you how ...
Apr 23, 2019•45 min•Season 1Ep. 39
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 today’s guest. Donna McAvoy is an amazing freelance animator and a member of our recent Mograph Mast...
Apr 16, 2019•31 min•Season 1Ep. 38
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 is an animator and illustrator with a wonderful and unique style all her own. She has an MA in anim...
Apr 09, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 37
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 Victoria. In fact, she’s been involved with it since she was a teenager. Before getting involved with ...
Mar 26, 2019•41 min•Season 1Ep. 36
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 helps people tell personal stories so that they can use them to help promote their business. Marsha...
Mar 12, 2019•47 min•Season 1Ep. 35
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 creative career fifteen years ago as a print designer before transitioning into motion design. Sinc...
Feb 26, 2019•47 min•Season 1Ep. 34
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 well as a couple of School of Motion courses. Although he started out working for a production company,...
Feb 12, 2019•42 min•Season 1Ep. 33
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 scripts in After Effects as well as working directly with studios to help streamline their process and i...
Jan 29, 2019•40 min•Season 1Ep. 32
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 tools, including RubberHose and Overlord. Before becoming an awesome tool creator, Adam worked in TV b...
Jan 15, 2019•53 min•Season 1Ep. 31
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 the last year. Some of my goals went better than I could have hoped for, such as doing more speaking e...
Jan 01, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 30
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 remotely and direct to client, she knows a thing or two about staying gainfully employed while buckin...
Dec 18, 2018•42 min•Season 1Ep. 29
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 , editor of Motionographer , and an instructor at the Ringling College of Art and Design, he’s a fathe...
Dec 04, 2018•54 min•Season 1Ep. 28
