Motion Hatch: Helping Motion Designers Do Better Business

Because so many of us work online and across borders, sometimes laws in one country might affect you whether or not you live there. A lot of people who do business or promotion internationally are panicking about the new GDPR law that’s coming into effect in the UK & EU at the end of May and how best to make sure their businesses comply. Today Silvia Baumgart returns to walk us through how this new law might affect your freelance business regardless of where you live. Silvia is a lawyer practicing at James Ware Stephenson, a boutique firm specializing in the creative and entertainment sectors. She has been General Manager of The Association of Illustrators, and has led initiatives, workshops, and created resources on intellectual property for The University of the Arts London, the World Intellectual Property Organisation, and the Academy of the European Patent Office. Today she guides us through the new General Data Protection Regulation Act, how to assess its impact on your business, and how to make sure we are compliant with it and the already existing Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). She talks to us about email lists, opt-in forms, and privacy policies and how best to protect our businesses. Are you confused about the GDPR? Do you worry that it will disrupt your marketing or are you confident in your current system? Let us know in the comments on the episode page!   In this episode: The basic principles included in the Act How the GDPR relates to PECR and the differences between the two When either is likely to come into play for motion designers Why this new regulation might affect you, even if you live outside of the EU How to consider them for an email list versus a client list. How to update your privacy policy on your website What to add to your opt-in forms on your site   Quotes: “Either they have subscribed to your newsletter and therefore given you explicit consent, or they might have used your services… and then you have some sort of implied consent.” 12:46 “[Asking people to re-opt in to your mailing list] is not necessary, especially when you’re dealing with clients who are companies” 25:30 “You can only do things to the best of your ability.” 44:17   Links: Find Silvia on LinkedIn  Information Commissioner’s Office  James Ware Stephenson The Association Of Illustrators    Find the full show notes here  Keep up with everything Motion Hatch   Follow Motion Hatch on Twitter | Instagram

As freelance designers, many of us remain generalists, afraid we’ll lose project opportunities and income if we specialize too much. Unfortunately, that also means we’re competing against the countless other general designers out there, not sure how to set ourselves apart. Jess Peterson has found a different way to do things. Jess is the Founder, CEO and Creative Producer at Mighty Oak, a boutique animation studio specializing in handmade animation. They’ve worked with clients like Netflix, HBO, Nick Jr., Airbnb, NBC, Conde Nast, Giphy, and The New York Times, all with the creative goal to bring the human touch to media. Today we talk about the power of niching yourself down to strengthen your unique selling point, different ways to find clients, including social media like Instagram, and the importance of recognizing your own natural talents. We also discuss the power of collaboration, with partners but also with agencies. Are you a generalist or do you niche down to a speciality? How have you collaborated with peers to focus on your unique strengths? We’d love to hear from you. Let us know in the comments on the episode page!   In this episode: The 3 different approaches you can take with branding How Mighty Oak has used word of mouth and their specific approach to social media to get clients The benefits of working with business partners rather than trying to do all the things Balancing client work and original work and how Mighty Oak makes that happen How they approach clients to invest in stop-motion animation   Quotes: “There’s plenty of negative stories out there in media, so we try to bring the positive voice and bright colors into every project.” 5:01 “It’s very hard to grow and do all the things at once. You can’t be good at all the things at once and your brain can’t possibly tackle all that information” 20:36 “It’s a real reminder to be good and fair to all your clients, because you never know where people end up.” 25:54 “I’ve always been really creative, and I thought in order to be creative I also had to make all the things. I realized that’s not true. By surrounding myself with talented makers, we were able to make better work in general, but I was also able to be a better creative.” 40:01 “Sometimes we forget because we spend so much time trying to improve things that what we’re not good at. We go “Oh that thing that I do easily is because it’s easy, everyone does it that well.” But that’s not true, it’s because you’re actually good at it.” 45:59   Links: Mighty Oak  Follow Mighty Oak on Instagram | Giphy | Facebook | Vimeo Mighty Oak’s original projects  GirlStories    Find the full show notes here  Keep up with everything Motion Hatch   Follow Motion Hatch on Twitter | Instagram

Have you ever felt freaked out and overwhelmed at the idea of creating a contract? If you already have standard terms and conditions, do you feel confident in them, or could they be tighter? Are you even aware of all the legal ramifications that can come from your creative works if not protected properly? Silvia Baumgart breaks down all of these issues and more in this second part of our series on copyright and contracts. Silvia Baumgart, a trainee solicitor with an extensive background in protecting creatives and their work, joins us again to explain how to make the legal sign of freelancing work for us and not against us. We talk about resources for finding legal templates, when you should seek professional advice and assistance, and what are moral rights and why you need them in your contracts. We dive into tips on how to handle when a client asks you to create something similar to another artist’s work, and the legal issues that could arise from doing so without proper steps being taken prior, and the legal rules of using others music or work within your showreels and how to prevent thorny legal issues when doing so. We also go through the biggest takeaways from both episodes so that you can walk away with a better understanding of how to protect yourself and your work. Do you use a template created by someone else for your contracts? Does it cover everything? Leave a comment on the episode page!   In this episode: Resources for finding legal templates When you should seek professional legal advice and assistance What are moral rights and why should you have them in your contract? Your rights when a piece of your work goes viral, either with and without your being credited The legalities behind using music in your showreels How to properly source work created by others in projects you’re working on Tips for how to handle when a company asks you to create something similar to another artist's work Biggest takeaways from part one and part two   Links: Looking for help with your contract and terms & conditions? Check out the Motion Hatch Freelance Contract Bundle!   Association of Illustrators UK Copyrights Office - Intellectual Property Information The Intellectual Property Office: Exceptions to copyright - guidance for creators and copyright owners   Find the full show notes here  Keep up with everything Motion Hatch  

Disclaimer: This podcast is for general guidance only and discusses the legal position in the UK at the time of publication unless stated otherwise. You must take legal advice and not rely on the information provided in this podcast before taking action. We do not update our podcasts and therefore, past podcasts may not reflect the current legal position. Are you a whiz at all things legal when it comes to your businesses? Are you a maverick when it comes to intellectual property and copyrights? Most of us as animators, illustrators and creatives aren’t, and that’s why we brought on our guest today, who breaks down the sometimes (ok, always) overwhelming world of law into small, easy to understand definitions and steps, specifically as they apply to the world of animation and illustration. Silvia Baumgart is a trainee solicitor with James Ware Stephenson, and has a background as an art historian, general manager for the Association of Illustrators (and is now a board member), and was the manager of the Own-It programme at the University of Arts in London. Needless to say, she knows the ins and outs of property law plus understands the minds and businesses of creatives. We dove right into the definitions of intellectual property, patents, copyrights, design rights, and trademarks, what to make sure you have in your contracts to best suit your wants and needs, and broke down the details on the sometimes vague area of accepting contracts versus counter offers and what actually sticks at the end of the day according to UK law. Silvia also spoke on the three different types of licenses that exist that dictates who can use the work you created and in what form which was very insightful and an absolute must listen for anyone in the creative fields.   In this episode: The differences between patents, copyrights, design rights, and trademarks How do differentiate between working in house with an agency or working from home in terms of who owns the copyrights of the resulting work What to include in your contracts to avoid any issues with your client in the future Details on the when and how of agreeing to terms within a contract or offering a counter offer The biggest legal mistake creatives make when starting new projects The three different types of licenses that dictate who can use the work you created Original project files - should they be given or kept and how you can monetize them Why everyone should have their own terms and conditions that are standard for them   Links:   Looking for help with your contract and terms & conditions? Check out the Motion Hatch Freelance Contract Bundle! Association of Illustrators The Intellectual Property Office: Exceptions to copyright - guidance for creators and copyright owners   Find the full show notes here  Keep up with everything Motion Hatch  

As designers, a lot of us love to think that we are in complete control over the outcome and success of our projects. But how many times have you been blown away after the sound designer worked their magic on it? As I share in the episode, I experience this on pretty much every project I work on. Today we’re diving into the audio side of the animation world with one of the most popular sound designers in the animation world, Wesley Slover. Wesley Slover is the founder and owner of Sono Sanctus where the tagline reads “Don’t let audio be an afterthought,” which is exactly where a lot of big projects go wrong. He shares with us how to plan and budget for sound design and music, as well as diving into getting started as a freelancer and growing a team. He spoke to us about how having a team with all different strengths can lead to not only bigger projects but projects with way more diversity and excitement, how your multiple skill bases will help your project costs and time management. Wes also gave us some insights into using social media to grow your network and ultimately your clientele, and how simply making friends and learning from others will help you grow your community and lead to collaborations and projects you’ll love. How do you budget for and plan around sound design in your projects? Leave us a comment below and let us know!   In this episode: How to use social media to grow your clientele How to diversify your projects by building a team The pros and cons of branding yourself as a freelancer vs a studio or company How to grow your business without losing the personal touch with clients Music licensing and libraries: What you can expect   Links: Sono Sanctus Sono Sanctus Sound Library Follow Sono Sanctus on Vimeo | Twitter | Tumblr   Support Motion Hatch On Patreon! Find the full show notes at https://motionhatch.com/13 Keep up with everything Motion Hatch  

Many of us struggle to make the transition and shift from agency or studio work to independent freelancer. In today’s conversation, we go in-depth on that first year of freelancing and all the mindset shifts that it requires. Mitch Myers is a freelance motion designer who specializes in 3D. He talks to us about his transition from agency designer to freelancer, including the fears he had when making the decision to switch, how he researched and decided his pricing, and the mindset changes he had to make going from employee to entrepreneur. Mitch offers insight into how he’s navigated the first year of freelancing, and how he plans to move forward with years two and three. We also discuss how he found his first clients starting out, as well as the details of a major project he was offered his first month freelancing. He also offers advice to designers considering making the leap into freelancing. Are you thinking about taking the leap? Have you already done it? Let us know how Mitch’s interview resonated with you in the comments below!   In this episode: Factors that can ultimately push you to decided to make the leap into freelancing How Mitch found his first clients at the beginning, and how he uses what he calls the “Cool Project Discount” The importance of niching yourself down versus being a “jack of all trades” His unique pricing structure and how he researched and established his pricing in the beginning   Related links: Mitch’s website Mitch’s Behance profile Connect with Mitch on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter   Support Motion Hatch On Patreon! Find the full show notes at https://motionhatch.com/12 Keep up with everything Motion Hatch  

We’ve all wanted something more from of our work at one time or another, but how many of us actually take it upon ourselves to create what we’re looking for? TJ Kearney did just that with the help of four friends when they founded Oddfellows and purposely changed their lives and constructed the careers they wanted. TJ Kearney was a founding member of Oddfellows Studio and is now the EP at Instrument. In this episode, he breaks down how the roles you started with will change as you grow your business, and how growth and talent acquisition can be best accomplished using remote workers. You will often need to put aside your fears and preconceived notions to best serve your clients, your employees, and your business as a whole. He also gave some amazing tips on how to properly reach out to studios you want to work with, how to budget a project that gives you the wiggle room you will need to negotiate and make a profit as a studio, and how having a producer partner that you know, trust and have worked with before can make or break a new studio. Do you have the work/life balance you want? If so, what do you do to make sure it stays that way? If not, where do you think you struggle most with it?   In this episode: Factors you should consider when choosing which projects to take on The trifecta of people to have in place to run a successful business from the start The importance of community involvement and how it can help you hire the best, network effortlessly, and give back in ways you didn’t think were possible. Steps to properly reaching out to studios you want to work with What to look for in a great producer How to utilize social media to grow your business Top tips on budgeting for a project Links: Oddfellows  Instrument  Follow TJ Kearney on Twitter | Instagram  The One Thing on Amazon & Audible  Find the full show notes at https://motionhatch.com/11 Keep up with everything Motion Hatch at https://motionhatch.com 

One of the things so many of us creatives struggle with is how to charge what we’re worth. Many of us are in the habit of thinking of ourselves as freelancers, but Chris Do joins us today to talk us through how to change our mindset to think of ourselves as independent business owners instead, and why we should be viewing our careers through that lens. Find the full show notes at https://motionhatch.com/10  Keep up with everything Motion Hatch at https://motionhatch.com 

What's the one thing that many of us artists and creatives dread more than all else every year? That’s right, it’s tax time! As creatives we would rather put all our energy towards our work instead of stressing out about our accounting (or lack thereof). Luckily for us, today’s guest cuts right through the jargon and gives us some accounting tips in plain English.* *That’s kind of an awesome (if unintentional) pun, as this week we’re focussing on the accounting specifics for UK based freelancers. If you’re from the US or anywhere else, most of the general practices cross over, and we’re going to be having a US accountant of the show coming up soon! Emily Coltman works with online accounting company, FreeAgent and she generously takes us through a variety of topics including what the differences are between a sole trader and a limited company in the UK, what receipts you need to keep and how to best do that, and the ins and outs of V.A.T. It is a jammed pack episode so make sure you have some paper and a pen ready because the information will be coming at you fast. She also gave a ton of tips and tricks for the freelancers who are just starting out and have no clue as to how to set up their business for legal and tax purposes, plus gave us some great guides and tools to use to make this time of year a little bit less scary. Do you use an accountant for your business or do you do it all yourself? Have you ever tried an online accounting company? What did you find to be the pros and cons? Leave us a comment below! In this episode The differences between operating as a sole trader or a limited company including some specifics regarding tax time The importance of separating your banking between personal and business Top three expenses you can claim The ins and outs of V.A.T. Some clarification on the legalities of working with overseas clients in terms of your accounting Related links Free Agent  VAT Calculator (FRS)  Guide to Claiming Expenses  TransferWise Check out the full show notes here Keep up with everything Motion Hatch and join the community here!

This week on Motion Hatch we’re getting festive and reflective with Austin Saylor, as we reflect on our top 3 lessons learned in 2017 and our top 3 things we want to achieve in our motion design careers in 2018. We also have a bit of fun with a motion design gift exchange! Austin Saylor is a freelance motion designer, and creator of The Lettering Animation Course which will be launching in 2018. He’s also an active member of the Motion Hatch Community and a good friend, meaning this is a super fun episode with a lot of laughs and some great insight. While listing off our selections, we dove into the importance of community, not being scared to put yourself out there, and how accountability can make one of the most significant differences in your career. We had a lot of fun recording today’s episode and even made each other holiday short animations which you will find a link to below. What lessons did you learn in 2017? What are your goals for 2018? Share with us by leaving a comment on the episode page!   In this episode: Tips and tricks on experimenting with different ways of finding clients Why community matters and where to find the perfect fit for you Why you shouldn’t be afraid to raise your prices The importance of increasing your skill set with courses or classes and the concept of striving to become someone’s  #1 student Why having accountability can make or break your goals   Links: Austin Saylor  Austin’s Podcast Follow Austin on Instagram | Vimeo | Twitter | Dribble   Austin’s Lettering Animation Course Bingomation  The Podcast Dude The Sweet Ass Journal The Freelance Manifesto  Follow Motion Hatch on Facebook | Twitter Find the full episode page and all the links here