Pro Video Podcast 41: Ryan Summers - Character Animation, Motion Design, Visual Effects, Studios, Freelancing, Networking, Finding Your Voice, After Effects and Cinema 4D

Ryan Summers - Character Animation, Motion Design, Visual Effects, Studios, Freelancing, Networking, Finding Your Voice, After Effects and Cinema 4D. As motion design matures, Ryan discusses with host Blair Walker how we are in a unique position to create products ourselves, rather than for clients.

Pro Video Picks:

Animatic.io - create hand-drawn animations on iOS and Android

Video Copilot Saber - Use as a stroke with taper instead of trapcode stroke.

School of Motion - A free tapered stroke preset available when you sign up for the free areas of their site.

Following online:

Ice Cream Hater

Aaron Covrett - Twitter

 Inspirational Videos:

“Klaus” by Sergio Pablos

“Lynx and Birds” by Blue Zoos

 Where you can follow Ryan online:

Ryan Summers - Twitter

 Pro Video Podcast Online:

Blair Walker - Twitter

Pro Video Podcast - Slack

Pro Video Podcast - Facebook Group

Pro Video Podcast - Twitter

Pro Video Podcast - Website 

Show Notes:

Compiled by Matt Lloyd

1:06 - Ryan’s background

3:30 - Digital Kitchen (DK) a “creative design company” designing spaces and places

3:45 - Motion design has diversified onto all kinds of “canvasses”, far beyond broadcast media.

4:55 - Brett Morris with Ranger and Fox is an example of someone proving that a small company (two staff and some freelancers) can now compete directly with the likes of DK. The skillset and tools of the individual motion designer have kept pace with the explosion of new canvasses onto which motion can be applied. New “canvasses” for motion design: AR, VR, MR, realtime gaming...

5:30 - As motion designers, we get to use every aspect of creativity: sound, location, environment, projection mapping

6:00 - Audio as an essential ingredient of motion/experience design

8:47 - Capture room tone sound during production of any video that has audio as a component.

9:21 - Create a spotify playlist to inspire/influence you and your team when working

10:44 - Pixel density as a design consideration for giant screens

11:25 - Tuning the direction in which LEDs point

13:35 - Discussion of the @oddernod avatar, Big Van Vader

14:20 - Discussion of the opportunities afforded by the era of social media, and how such connections can lead to real life relationships: working and friendship. Ryan: “I’ll take the good with the bad to be able to have those opportunities ”

16:00 - Node Fest and Brett Morris

17:00 - In the last ten years the motion community has exploded. “It’s a full time job just keeping up with the community!”

18:30 - Ryan: “I always encourage graduates to network:” There are too many people graduating with no “workplace skills”

19:35 - Ryan: “After graduation I would spend all my time networking and the last two years before graduation as well: doing personal projects and sending them out on Twitter and Slack.”

19:48 - “How do I get to work at Buck?”: Find junior animators  who work there and reach out to them, don’t go via the head honchos or HR

20:15 - Even easier: Join the Node Slack group and post your work

20:54 - Happiness Factory for Coca Cola by Psyop as a turning point in the motion industry

22:03 - Ryan on getting hired: “It’s not even about showing your work: you have to be someone I want to work with.”

24:00 - Thoughts on brick and mortar schools vs online.

25:45 - Ryan: I can’t find [freelancers] who can work independently and turn a job around in a week

27:42 - Basic skills required in order to be a professional workaday motion artist

32:32 - Finding your voice. Why do you like making animation? Who do you want to reach?

32:55 - Make products! We have the one skill set that enables us to become, or to make the products such as games, movies, television shows etc

36:40 - Blair: “It’s very easy to work hard and not get very far, versus thinking big and sticking with it for a long time.”

39:40 - The importance of single mindedness in order to attain ambitious goals.

42:45 - Discussion of Ryan’s work specifically GOOGLE: Meet Data which he made for Oddfellows

45:30 - Ryan: Jordan Scott’s skills exploded

48:50 - Duik and the puppet pin for 2d animation

49:55 - Flow State experienced while animating

50:43 - Pro Video Picks:

Animatic.io - create hand-drawn animations on iOS and Android.

RS used it to help create the Detroiters titles. It can create layered PSDs, then utilize some Kyle Webster brushes etc

55:10 - “How was Glen Keane animating Tarzan?” Using a VCR jog shuttle to analyse it frame by frame. 

57:00 - Inspirational video:

“Klaus” by Sergio Pablos

“Lynx and Birds” by Blue Zoos  

01:00:20 - Following Online

Ice Cream Hater

Aaron Covrett - Twitter

01::02:40 - Where you can follow Ryan online:

Ryan Summers - Twitter

01::05:55 - Pro Video Podcast Online:

Blair Walker - Twitter

Pro Video Podcast - Slack

Pro Video Podcast - Facebook Group

Pro Video Podcast - Twitter

Pro Video Podcast - Website