An Introduction to Finding a Career in Motion Graphics.
Hello, fellow motion graphics artists and enthusiasts! I hope to get to better know some of you while I attempt to write for Fuel Your Motionography. I say attempt because I would rather be making pretty pictures and video than writing. So, I am going to also make a small animation for each article, just to give myself some practice and tie it into the writing.
I have some plans for my posts here; I’m going to give away some information that I desperately wanted just a few short months ago. It’s the information every one of us seeks when building a career of any sort. It’s the information of experience.
Experience is something a future or current college student desperately seeks. I was in that position not too long ago. I had just graduated from school, with a Computer animation degree, and moved to a big city with no friends or family. I started from scratch, in an economic depression with only my portfolio in hand (online actually, it is 2010 after all) and a sort of excitement to start my real adult life.
I do have to warn you guys, all of my posts are anecdotal. The information I will provide is simply my observations and experiences through this process of starting a career, so take it knowing it could be vastly different for every other person. I just want to start a discussion, one that will help answer questions that should haunt every new player in this game.
That being said, I guess we should start at the core, the first step, the smallest piece.
“What do you want?”
It truly is terrible that we are expected to know what we want to do with our time and money at such a young age. They ask us what we want to major in, when we have no way of possibly knowing the outcome of our decisions. I assume this whole ordeal started with good intentions, but in this day, pressure is high.
Why did you get into animation, video editing, motion graphics, or 3D of any sort?
I remember why I did. I loved CGI anything. I knew I loved it because I practiced it. Now I know you think that this is how most people find what they love, they practice it at some point and enjoy it. This is mostly true, but having completed school and worked in the field. I have watched so many people get into a career, and fall through the cracks. Of course this happens to almost everyone, nothing is as we expected when we first set out. I am just going to say now, to anyone looking at doing this kind of work, please go out and try it. Do tutorials, come up with ideas, learn the software, and learn the technique on your own time!!! I beg you to do this before you ever think of it as a career path.
We make awesome looking stuff, but it is vastly more fun to watch, than it is to create. For motionographers, it is more important you like making it, than it is for you to like watching it. So, you need to get yourself out there and try it before you ever sign up for a student loan of any kind to any school.
This I believe is the very first step, the first atom in the element of your career.
Now I need feedback from the professionals out there: tell us the exact moment your interest was sparked into going into this field. It’s always interesting to see how you came to this conclusion, and it could be very helpful to people trying to find their path. Next time I will get into the process of finding a college.
Hey guys! I like to play with 3 dimensions of space and 1 dimension of time, but unlike Einstein, I only make motion art. So I spend most of my time expressing myself in some abstract, visual way, and I have really latched onto Motion Graphics. I am a newbie here in the field, but I have a passion for the work. Feel free to if you are also a newbie or someone just looking into this awesome form of art, I always enjoy helping people out.
My story happened during my freshman year of college. I was studying computer science. A few friends and I were sitting around discussing the “real world” and as we were discussing our dreams I said that my dream job would be to go to Hollywood and be a big film director.
And then someone said the words that changed my life, “why not.”
I changed my major, studied video production – which required setting up my own major and battling the administration, learned to shoot and edit and took theatre classes to learn how to work on set, produce, light, costume, direct and work with talent.
I became an editor out of necessity to pay the bills. Weddings and event video work is everywhere. Despite the occasional bout of frustration, I enjoy all aspects of production and hope to get back into more fictional endeavors in near future.
Sometimes dreams take a few curves, and even being out of college 10 years and still have not even been to Hollywood, even as a tourist, I have learned much and I keep my eyes on the horizon. The spark of inspiration can come from two simple words.
The time is now. Go for it. Why not?
I remember, as a kid, I was always mystified by the Hollywood movie magic; I was always wondering how they created all those amazing effects I saw in the movies. Unfortunately, where I grew up, that option wasn’t ever presented to me. I knew I wanted to go down the creative path, but the only options seemed to be becoming a painter or a teacher, and neither one of those options fit me very well. My dad worked construction and my mother was a nurse, and I was on a path to follow either one of their career choices.
Fast forward a few years and I was finishing up college to become an electrician with a nice, new job out in Colorado with all the benefits, but something was bothering me. I knew I wasn’t doing what I wanted to do, but I didn’t know what I was to become. I threw caution to the wind and starting going to college for nursing (following my mother’s path), but that wasn’t clicking either.
It was around this time that my National Guard unit was activated and we were sent to Iraq. In a somewhat cliched, life-changing moment I decided I needed to start doing something with my life. I needed to do what I truly loved or I would end up in a box or, possibly even worse, a dead-end job forever regretting the choice I had made. That’s when I decided to follow my childhood dream.
After my tour was up, I moved to the city, signed up for college and absolutely fell in love with everything motion graphics and what I was creating.
It’s been a long, strange path, and I don’t know where it will ultimately take me, but I’m enjoying where it has gotten me so far. I do know, in the end, I will fully accept my decision regardless because I made the honest choice to follow my dream and do what I love.
Anything is possible. It’s never too late to follow your dream.
hello justine…i am russi and i am right now taking a 2 year diploma in web development….after i complete this i want to have a career in motion graphics…can i have some guidance from you please.
My story happened during my freshman year of college. I was studying computer science. A few friends and I were sitting around discussing the “real world” and as we were discussing our dreams I said that my dream job would be to go to Hollywood and be a big film director.
And then someone said the words that changed my life, “why not.”
I changed my major, studied video production – which required setting up my own major and battling the administration, learned to shoot and edit and took theatre classes to learn how to work on set, produce, light, costume, direct and work with talent.
I became an editor out of necessity to pay the bills. Weddings and event video work is everywhere. Despite the occasional bout of frustration, I enjoy all aspects of production and hope to get back into more fictional endeavors in near future.
Sometimes dreams take a few curves, and even being out of college 10 years and still have not even been to Hollywood, even as a tourist, I have learned much and I keep my eyes on the horizon. The spark of inspiration can come from two simple words.
The time is now. Go for it. Why not?
Thanks for sharing, Justin! I just started doing contract work as an editor/motion designer about six months ago. I started in editing, and then learned animation. Now, it’s hard to separate the two. I think if you know one, you have to know the other in order to be successful.
There’s a pretty high demand for motion graphics these days. But like you said, each person needs to develop their own style. This may sound intimidating to a beginner, but it will happen over time if you just keep doing it.
Having a solid foundation & workflow is also really important. Knowing how you work & how long things take is something people will need know, because they’ll have to tell their clients. I’ve learned that being able to communicate professionally in this way can be essential (at least in the first convo).
Anyway – hope to see more of these!