School of Motion Podcast

Oscar-winning director Gints Zilbalodis just proved you don't need fancy film school or million-dollar software to snag that golden statue. See the corresponding blog post with key takeaways here: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/gints-zilbalodis-flow EJ sits down with animation's newest golden boy, Gints Zilbalodis, the genius behind "Flow" (yep, the one that just took home an Oscar). From doodling in Flash to accepting Academy Awards, Gints' journey is the ultimate inspo for anyone who's ever thought, "Maybe I could make cool stuff too?" Spoiler alert: You absolutely can. 👉CHAPTERS👈 00:00 Intro 00:18 Chapter 1: Journey Into Animation 03:00 Chapter 2: Transitioning to Blender ∑ 09:41 Chapter 3: From Working Solo to Teamwork 16:09 Chapter 4: Custom Workflows and Tools 19:15 Chapter 5: The Aesthetic of Flow 24:32 Chapter 6: Pushing Blender to Its Limits 26:42 Chapter 7: Future of Blender 28:37 Chapter 8: Advice for Aspiring Animators 32:35 Wrap Up ARTISTS Gints Zilbalodis https://x.com/gintszilbalodis Martin https://x.com/_martinsh PIECES Flow (2024) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4772188/ Away (2019) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8288450/ RESOURCES Geo-Scatter https://www.geoscatter.com/ Ghibli https://www.instagram.com/ghibliusa/ DillonGoo https://80.lv/articles/goo-engine-devs-team-up-with-blender-foundation-on-blender-npr-prototype ClayPencil 2 https://www.instagram.com/_pepeland_/reel/DDt21XWsvne/

What happens when a small group of motion designers in Detroit evolves into a powerhouse of collaboration and innovation? The crew from Cart & Horse sat down with Joey on the School of Motion podcast to share their journey—from navigating the tight-knit creative community in Detroit to pioneering new workflows in Unreal Engine. Check out the corresponding blog post and key takeaways here: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/cart-and-horse 👉 CHAPTERS 👈 00:00 Chapter 1: Welcome! 01:27 Chapter 2: Chris's Experience in Detroit 03:08 Chapter 3: Dan's Journey from LA to Detroit 04:34 Chapter 4: Unreal Engine Early Adopters 08:06 Chapter 5: Why Is Unreal Engine Making Its Break Out Right Now? 11:58 Chapter 6: Live Working Sessions with Clients 17:43 Chapter 7: Unreal Engine's Learning Curve 24:22 Chapter 8: What Types of Projects Are You Using Unreal For? 28:44 Chapter 9: Virtual Production and the Travelers Spec Collab Project 43:22 Chapter 10: The Value Proposition of Virtual Production 57:42 Chapter 12: Cart and Horse Origins Artists: Dan Maurer https://www.linkedin.com/in/maurerdan/ Kris Bargen https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisbargen/ Julie Craft https://juliecraft.work/ John Einselen https://jeinselen.com/ Clemens Conrad https://www.linkedin.com/in/clemens-conrad/ Elliot Ruddy https://www.elliotruddy.com/ Jonathan Winbush https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmzWP6o2cw73moEF7LO_KvA John Bugg https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonbugg/ Joel Pilger https://www.joelpilger.com/ Andy Blondin https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyblondin/ Geoff George https://www.geoffgeorgedp.com/contact Studios: Cart and Horse https://www.cartandhorse.studio/ Launch by NTT DATA (formerly Vectorform) https://launch.nttdata.com/ Gunner https://gunner.work/ Rocket Mortgage https://www.rocketmortgage.com Activision https://www.activision.com/ Golden Hour https://www.goldenhourgr.com/ Lunar North https://www.lunarnorth.tv/ Work: Travelers https://vimeo.com/938752533 The Mandalorian https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mandalorian 8 Mile https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8_Mile_(film) Michigan Lottery commercial https://vimeo.com/938889801 Resources: MoGraph Mondays https://www.mographmondays.com/ Unity https://unity.com/ LightWave https://www.lightwave3d.com/ Rive https://rive.app/ After Effects https://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects.html Cinema 4D https://www.maxon.net/ Unreal Engine https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US Octane https://home.otoy.com/render/octane-render/ Redshift https://www.maxon.net/en/redshift Nanite https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/nanite-virtualized-geometry-in-unreal-engine Lumen https://lumenandforge.com/services/animation-visual-storytelling/ Activision https://www.activision.com/ Viz Artist (Vizrt) https://www.vizrt.com/products/viz-artist/ Chyron https://chyron.com/products/all-in-one-production-systems/3d-real-time-graphics/ Fox Sports https://www.foxsports.com/ Miro https://miro.com/ Datasmith https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/datasmith Cineware for Unreal https://support.maxon.net/hc/en-us/articles/4411492995730-Cineware-for-Unreal

Territory Studio's creative minds behind Dune: Prophecy, Call of Duty Black Ops 6, and Vast Haven-1 spill the beans on designing for Hollywood, gaming, and the ever-evolving world of motion design. Check out the corresponding blog post here: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/t... Ever wonder how mind-blowing sci-fi interfaces, cinematic VFX, and hyper-realistic game graphics come to life? In this episode, Joey Korenman sits down with the brains behind Territory Studio—Marti Romances, Luke Kaile, Russ Gautier, and Liam Proniewicz—to talk shop. They're the artists making blockbuster visuals happen, and trust us, you'll want to hear what they have to say. If you're a motion designer, VFX artist, or just someone who geeks out over killer design, this is a must-watch. Hey, listeners! If you want to see the discussed works and fun behind the scenes shots, check out this episode on our YouTube channel!

Blender artist and motion designer Elijah Sheffield shares how he transitioned into 3D, built a standout demo reel, and turned personal projects into career-defining moments. Check out the corresponding blog post (with episode highlights) here: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/elijah-sheffield-blender 👉 CHAPTERS 👈 00:00 Coming Up 00:22 Elijah Sheffield's Background and Early Career 01:29 Discovering Motion Design 03:32 College and Grad School Experience 13:30 First Job and Career Challenges 18:11 Finding the Motivation to Make Demo Reel Pieces 23:31 Transition to Freelance 26:41 Social Media's Impact on Career 34:52 Having a Freelance Plan 42:00 Pain and Rainbows of Freelance Work 44:18 Challenges and Rewards of Learning Blender 49:35 Finding a Style 55:16 Blender Learning Curve 01:03:28 Integrating Blender into Your 3D Pipeline 01:20:21 The Future of Blender 01:24:12 That's a Wrap! 🗒️ SHOW NOTES Artists: Elijah Sheffield https://www.behance.net/sweetboymotion# EJ Hassenfratz https://www.youtube.com/@eyedesyn/videos Myles Bolden https://mylesjbolden.myportfolio.com/ Jonathan Winbush https://www.youtube.com/@JonathanWinbush/ Norm MacDonald https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norm_Macdonald Chris Smith https://csmithstudios.com/ Joey Korenman https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeykorenman Andrew Kramer https://www.videocopilot.net/ Studios: School of Motion https://www.schoolofmotion.com/ SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) https://www.scad.edu/ Pixar https://www.pixar.com/ DreamWorks https://www.dreamworks.com/ Work: Museum of History and Magic https://www.museumhm.org/ Killdozer https://www.instagram.com/sweetboy.motion/p/Cw0os46AIZN/ Spider-Verse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man:_Across_the_Spider-Verse Ninja Turtles Arcane https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcane_(TV_series) Resources: Greyscalegorilla https://greyscalegorilla.com/ Maya https://www.autodesk.com/products/maya/overview?term=1-YEAR&tab=subscription ZBrush https://www.maxon.net/en/zbrush Cinema 4D https://www.maxon.net/en/cinema-4d Blender https://www.blender.org/ Unreal Engine Course https://www.schoolofmotion.com/courses/unreal-engine-for-3d-artists Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/ Demo Reel Dash https://www.schoolofmotion.com/courses/demo-reel-dash Arnold https://www.autodesk.com/products/arnold/overview Eevee https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/eevee/introduction.html Grease Pencil https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/grease_pencil/index.html Clay Pencil https://pepeschoolland.gumroad.com/l/ibbls Donut Tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0J27sf9N1Y&list=PLjEaoINr3zgEPv5y--4MKpciLaoQYZB1Z STL files https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format) Blender Market https://blendermarket.com/ Freelance Manifesto https://www.amazon.com/Freelance-Manifesto-Modern-Motion-Designer-ebook/dp/B071JRYMSG

Joel Pilger, an industry veteran and founder of Impossible Pictures, dives deep into thriving in the motion design field. He discusses the evolving industry landscape and the impact of economic shifts, offering strategies for adaptation. Joel emphasizes the importance of authenticity and personal branding for success. With a positive outlook for 2025, he showcases opportunities for innovation and niche exploration. He also highlights the value of community and effective communication in building relationships and navigating the pitching process.

Aharon Rabinowitz, a talented motion designer who joined the School of Motion in 2024, joins industry veterans Joey Korenman and EJ Hassenfratz to discuss the transformative changes in motion design over the past year. They delve into the impact of AI on the industry, the evolution of real-time tools, and the importance of community engagement. The trio also share bold predictions for 2025, emphasizing the need for adaptation and innovation. From software updates to emerging platforms, this conversation is packed with insights on the future of motion design!

Dive into the nostalgia of digital art as industry legends recount their journeys from the Flash era. Discover the evolution of interactive design and how Rive is reshaping the landscape. Hear fascinating stories about the early days of ASCII and the birth of their studio, 2Advanced. Explore the balance between creativity and technology, and learn how small teams can maintain quality amidst growth. Finally, witness their vision for revitalizing the creative community and pushing the boundaries of design.

PJ Richardson, co-founder of Laundry Studio, shares his journey from graffiti artist to motion design innovator. He discusses the emotional challenges artists face in the fast-evolving motion graphics industry and the balance of adapting to new tools like Blender. The importance of community and personal creativity shines through, highlighting how genuine projects can attract clients. He also tackles the influence of AI, emphasizing the need for a human touch amidst technological advancements, ensuring artists stay inspired and thrive.

In this episode of the School of Motion podcast, Joey chats with Yukai Du, a Chinese-born, London-based illustrator and animator, about her journey into art and animation. Yukai's story is packed with insights for creatives aiming to carve out their own space in the industry—straight from someone who's done exactly that. See the corresponding blog post here: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/y...

Danny Gonzalez and Jeremy Lasky, co-founders of Perception, a motion design studio famous for their work on Marvel films, share insights into their creative journey. They discuss their transition from traditional broadcast to high-stakes film projects, fueled by their passion for Marvel. The duo highlights the challenges of balancing creativity with client expectations under pressure, showcasing their innovative contributions to iconic visuals like those in Iron Man. They also explore the evolving integration of UI and UX design in storytelling, emphasizing collaboration and adaptability in the fast-paced creative industry.