Do You Have Style?
No, I’m not asking if you’re into the latest fashion and music trends or if you have the latest tech gadgets; I’m asking you if you have your own personal style when it comes to your work.
As we move through the industry, we are constantly learning. In college we learn the basics and beyond from our instructors; at home we learn the latest and greatest techniques from some of the modern day masters of our craft through tutorials, online classes and through our own work; and at the workplace we learn refined techniques from our colleagues and peers. There’s a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips and using this knowledge will obviously help us improve, but after all is said and done, do we have style?
Definition of Style from Merriam-Webster.com
According to Merriam-Webster, style is defined as both “a distinctive manner of expression” and “a particular manner or technique by which something is done”. That means style is both the end product and the way in which the product was created. As we all know, or should know, the tutorials and other knowledge we gain throughout our careers are there to teach us the techniques to create the end product. During the process of gaining knowledge, we can, and do, inadvertently pick up stylistic ideas from these resource, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise–we unintentionally pick up ideas from everything we see and do–but does this mean we don’t have our own style? The answer to these questions depend on how you use this knowledge.
Tutorials from around the web (Greyscalegorilla.com, Videocopilot.net, Redgianttv.com, Jorgelega.com)
The reason this knowledge is released is so you can use the techniques to improve your own work and your workflow. That means, if you copy the work directly as it is presented in the tutorials, you can’t claim to have learned anything except how to copy someone’s work. Therefore, the technique isn’t truly yours and neither is the style. However, if you take what you have learned and merge the process into your work, using it to improve the quality of your original idea, then you will be well on your way to creating your own stylistic work.
Now, it may take a long time for you to find your own personal style, but it is well worth it. Your personal style will help reflect who you are and stick better in the minds of your audience. If your style is strong enough, it may sway people into choosing it over another persons stylistic choices. Many companies and individuals have made quite a mark with their own style of work. MK12 and Danny Yount both have excellent and well defined stylistic approaches when it comes to their work. When you see it you automatically know it is or, at the very least, has to be done by them. It’s a style that defines them and brings in a good amount of work, but is having style always a good thing?
There are companies and clients out there who are looking for an artist who is able to do work in a certain style. If they see your reel and it looks nothing like what they want, they will look elsewhere. This is, sadly, a downfall of having your own personal style. Even if you do know how to do work the way they want, they will only see what you put forth. This will lead to some jobs being given to other artists. However, if everything works out well, your prospective client or company will love you style and want their work to be done that way which will, of course, lead to more work.
Having your own style isn’t an easy thing to do, but the benefits outweigh the disadvantages; you will be happier with the work you put out and your prospective clients or company will be happy they have an original piece of work.
Do any of you have a definitive style your are working towards or feel you have accomplished? Do you have a story about losing a job because your work wasn’t a style that your prospective client or company was looking for, or a story about getting a job because they loved your style so much? Please post links to your reel or work for us to see, or tell your story below so we can learn!
John Kostrzewski is the Editor of Fuel Your Motionography and a freelance motion graphics and visual effects artist, videographer and writer living in Minnesota. He is awesome. Follow him on Twitter at and .
Do I have Style? No… I mean, well, sort of, maybe?
My work tends to lead toward the simple, the minimal, the classic. Almost a modern retro look/feel. Classic color palettes, simple layouts, decco- and minimalist-inspired elements.
Certainly not the most effects-heavy work out there, but it is just my preference to lean toward the classic.
But that isn’t to say I don’t work outside the box. Every project calls for something different, and I am happy to provide my clients with the look they want. Sometimes it is good to change your pace and look at the world though a different lens.
Interesting post, got me thinking about refining my own style..
It’s something that everybody should be conscious of improving. Sometimes it happens on it’s own, but sometimes you have to be aware of it. Thanks for posting!
“Cool will come and go, smart will always be”.
http://gregoryhubacek.com/blog/style-wars
“the extent to which you have a design style is the extent to which you have not solved the design problem” – charles eames
Great post. I don’t feel I have a style yet but I believe that as you grow in whatever skillset you choose that you will gain confidence in your craft and will then find a style that suits you personally. I don’t have a design background but am deciding to find my style through painting or drawing (which I know nothing about). I figured I would find something out about myself that I could never find clicking around a computer. Learning to grow in all aspects not just AE or C4D will, I believe help you find your on personal style. Check me out sometime I have only been learning for a couple years and would love the feedback cmzerodesign.com thanks!