School of Motion Podcast

You may have listened to our end of the year podcast where we covered the evolving relationship between artists and studios in the age of NFTs, mid-six-figure freelancers, and social media fame. Listening back, we wondered if maybe the picture we painted was a bit bleaker than the actual reality. And we weren't the only ones who felt that way. Jay Grandin—co-founder and creative director of Giant Ant—had some words to say about it, and you're gonna want to hear this!

Have you ever wanted to direct for the biggest name in tech? Is it even possibly to juggle design and animation with a directing career? What is it like to work in After Effects and Cinema 4D in the morning and step onto a set at night? We sat down with Shane Griffin, an artist and director out of New York, about running the Apple live event for the launch of the M1 Max chip. Don't miss this one!

Many artists don't take time to develop their personal projects. They worry they can't find an audience, or that there just isn't enough time in the day. We're joined by the wonderfully talented Sarah Beth Morgan, Taylor Yontz, and Rebekah Hamilton to share their journey in creating Between Lines, a short film that explores the harmful effects of schoolgirl bullying, and the long road to recovery.

All great art starts with design. Understanding the fundamentals of scale, contrast, and other principles allows you to create evocative and inspiring work that dazzles clients and elicits emotion. Once you have confidence in your design, you'll be amazed at how quickly the other pieces fall into place. We talked with The Futur's Greg Gunn to learn how design built the foundations of his art...and his career.

It's time for the annual marathon podcast episode with Joey, EJ, and Ryan Summers where we run down all of the big happenings in the industry that we like to call…Motion Design. After a year of starts, stops, and a few wild innovations, we're going to need a minute to sort through it all. What were the challenges and triumphs of the past year, and what can we expect in 2022? Tune in and find out!

The motion graphics industry is in the middle of a massive talent crunch, but the hidden issue plaguing many studios isn't where to find a Houdini artist or where their next job is coming from—it's what to do with the jobs once the artist is in-house! How did this shortage of talented Producers come to happen? We sat down with veteran industry consultants Joel Pilger and Tim Thompson to find a solution to the producer problem. Don't miss this one!

How can you future-proof yourself as an artist? You've already learned After Effects and Cinema 4D. You read the industry feeds and follow the right people on social media. You're as "up to speed" as you're ever going to get...but new things keep appearing on the horizon. How can you make sure you don't get left behind? Join Jim Geduldick, the Director & SVP at Dimension Studio, as we open your third eye to the future of our industry.

You need to add motion graphics to your video editing tool belt. Even if you are studio-based, there's constantly new tricks to learn and master just to stay competitive. VFX and motion graphics can be your secret weapons, but how do you find the time to do it all? Premiere Gal's Kelsey Brannan is here to show you how to become a Jack(ette) of All Trades. You don't want to miss this one.

Do you need to go to school in order to build a lasting, fulfilling career as an artist? You'll certainly pick up some great techniques and meet a lot of cool people. But does that mean you can't find success as an artist unless you have a piece of paper on your wall? Reece Parker, freelance animation director and illustrator, is here to share the highs and lows of his journey through the industry.

David Jeffers started a music production company and an online record label as a pioneer of digital media. Then, just as his career was taking off, he suffered a tragic accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. After the accident, David sought to turn this life-changing event into an opportunity. David's story isn't only an inspiration for overcoming hardship, but for the unyielding pursuit of your goals. We can't wait for you to share in his journey and gain some insight into your own.