Sharing the Wisdom – Motion Graphics

Next up as part of our “Sharing the Wisdom” series: Daniel Simmonds, Motion Graphic Designer and Video Editor at Proctor + Stevenson. We caught up to understand the wisdom he’s gathered during his career across various creative roles, leading him to where he is today.

Daniel:

I’ve got over 10 years’ experience in the creative industry, working in various agencies – starting out as a graphic designer and transitioning to motion graphics. I now work at Proctor & Stevenson as a Motion Designer & Video Editor.

I work alongside Creatives, Copywriters, Voiceover Artists and many more in conceptualising ideas and bringing them to life with dedication and hard work. Generating ideas, storyboarding, animating graphics, editing video and engineering audio all from concept through to delivery.

Now, in an attempt to capture some of the wisdom you’ve gained as a professional so far, what are the stand-out things you’ve learned while working within the creative industry and becoming a specialist within motion graphics specifically?

Focus on purpose. Always think about your client and their audience. Using the latest trends, plugins and styles might scratch your creative itch and make your work look swish, but I’ve found that ideas and visual communication work best when kept simple and purposeful.

Try not to overstretch yourself. I’ve learnt the hard way that making sure you actually take your lunch hour and you work the hours you’re supposed to work benefits you in the long term. It’s all too easy to take your day to day work home with you until the early hours, but most of the time it’s really not worth it (unless you’re truly enjoying it). It’s just as important to recharge, listen to some good music and take a break from the screen.

Don’t be afraid to take risks. Experiment with software or new creative paths. I had never considered animation as a career until having been thrown into the deep end about 10 years ago. After one large and scary project using After Effects, it unknowingly kickstarted my career as a Motion Designer. Been tweaking keyframes and staring at render progress bars ever since!

Keep a record. Whilst you’re working, make sure to keep a folder with your final pieces of work in. Whilst working in agencies or freelance, the rate at which work is completed can be rapid, so you quickly forget what you’ve achieved. Not only is it good to review how things are going, how much time is dedicated to types of work etc, but for your own portfolio.

Thanks so much for sharing!