Motion Hatch: Helping Motion Designers Do Better Business

If you’ve ever thought about going into business with a friend or business partner, you’re probably aware that it’s not always as rosy as it might seem at first. Competing goals, styles and personalities can make it hard to go into business with even close friends, and we’ve all heard stories of friendships ruined by bad business partnerships. In today’s episode, we talk with London-based Wednesday Studio who dive into some of the challenges and benefits of partnering up to form a studio. Daniela and Iria from Wednesday Studio specialize in short-form 2D content and have worked with some big names such as Microsoft, Airbnb, and the Huffington Post. They offer insights into how to put together a freelance team, the logistics behind managing remote staff, and why having a group of freelancers based all over the world can actually help you get things done quicker. If you’re organized that is. We also got the opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of having representation versus being a solo freelancer. How one over the other can actually give you more opportunities, and it might not be the one you are thinking. In this episode Why having a contract is absolutely necessary to begin a project, and what you should include in one The pros and cons of having representation vs going it alone How important is social media when it comes to finding clients Advice and tips for starting a studio How to find and hire quality freelancers to work with on larger projects A handy list of tools for working remotely Related links Wednesday Studio  Follow Wednesday Studio on Facebook | Twitter  | Instagram | Vimeo | Dribble | Tumbler  Email Wednesday Studio at Hello@WeAreWednesday.com

Are you brand new and figuring out how to start your freelance career? Maybe you’re at the point where you’re trying to decide if you should attempt to scale your business to become a studio as opposed to an individual freelancer? Wherever you’re at, we cover it all with one of the top motion design educators in our industry! Joey Korenman is the founder and head instructor at School of Motion, author of the Freelance Manifesto, husband and father to three cute kids, and all around awesome human-being. After taking his freelance motion career from freelancer to studio he realized that his true passion lay in education, and he shared enough of that knowledge with us today that you’ll leave with your head spinning. We dive into how to set the course for your life and career with an exercise called The Perfect Day and how to adjust and reevaluate your actions based on that ideal day. Joey also shares his take on the best way to make yourself stand out as a freelancer, and why you shouldn’t let the idea of lack of work scare you from freelancing. We also spend some time gushing over one of our favourite business educators and podcasters. Are you currently working a corporate job but considering freelancing? What scares you most about making that leap? Please leave a comment below!   In this episode: The importance of systems and having great help “The Perfect Day” exercise and how can it help you determine the career (and life) choices you make The importance of validating your ideas before diving in fully How to get your foot in the door with big clients as a new freelancer How should you best handle revisions with your clients? The pros and cons to branding yourself as a studio vs an individual freelancer How to deal with pushback on your pricing   Related Links: School Of Motion  School of Motion Podcast Follow School of Motion on social media: Facebook & Twitter  The Freelance Manifesto (Book) Remote (Book) Will It Fly (Book)  Joey’s Motionographer article, Too Old For Mograph Some of the links above are affiliate links. Basically, this means that if you decide to make a purchase through one of these links, we will earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. You can be sure that we would recommend these products whether or not we made any commission on them. Please don’t spend your money on them if you don’t think that they will truly help you improve your business, although, in our experience, they will.

When we first get started in the world of motion graphics, we often have dreams of working on endlessly fulfilling creative projects, always working in our preferred style. Needless to say, it doesn’t take most of us long to realize that this isn’t the way the industry works. This, however, is all the more reason to continue refining and experimenting with our own style, to keep inspired, and eventually attract new clients. Irene Feleo is originally from Australia, but now lives in New York, and has a history of balancing freelance and full-time work along with her own personal projects. We speak about how having a full-time gig not only helps you pay your bills but also helps you gain skills that you need to succeed, but how at one point, her job lead her to what she calls her quarter-life crisis. Irene shares the importance of having a community and how participating actively within the community can help you gain insight, make friends, and get referrals. She also speaks about the need to create on your own terms and how those passion projects can ultimately lead you to some amazing clients. Plus, we explore the use of social media to put your work out into the world so that branding agencies can fall in love with your esthetic and pursue you. How do you balance personal projects and paid work? Have you ever had a personal project lead to a paid gig? Leave a comment below!   In This Episode: The importance of having your own style and aesthetic How your personal projects can lead you to a lot of great clients Why community and social media is such a powerful thing and how to use it to grow your relationships Do you need a contract when you're just starting out?   Related Links: Find Irene Online Follow Irene on Tumblr | Instagram | Vimeo Irene’s Berlin-themed personal project Project: Girl series Loop de Loop Competition

Any freelancer knows that the freelance life is filled with sacrifice, struggle, and risk, especially when we’re first trying to get established. Andrew Embury is no stranger to these challenges, and joins us on the podcast to give us some insight into his personal struggles and the tools that helped establish him as one of the best-known motion designers around.  Andrew is a self-taught director, producer, and editor of motion design who could easily boast about his Emmy nomination if he wanted to. But he isn’t into self-promotion so you won’t hear about it from him. He does, however, give us some great advice on the importance of collaboration and community and how those two things have helped him move his career forward. We also talk about how time management and setting clear expectations and boundaries with clients can transform your freelance life from hectic and stressed to calm and super productive. If you want to break free from your struggles and get clients based on the quality of your work, then this podcast is a must listen.   In this episode: How you can succeed in motion graphics without having a degree in the field Why sometimes taking a smaller cut on a project can lead to big opportunities in the long run How participating within your community and collaborating on projects with others can lead you more work through referrals than you ever thought possible   Related Links: Find Andrew online  Follow Andrew on Instagram | Twitter | Dribbble | Vimeo   Email Andrew at Aembury@gmail.com Adobe Marketing Cloud Loop Video

Have you ever dreamed of working on the road? Do think it is even possible to work as a motion designer or illustrator digital nomad? Our guest today is the perfect example not only that it’s possible but that it can positively influence your work as well. While originally from Barcelona, Magoz calls himself a nomadic illustrator because he has built his career while traveling pretty much non-stop. He has a very unique style which incorporates his love of minimalism and simplicity, and has made him highly sought after by some big names in the business. We dive into how he maintains his career while on the road, the power of sharing your knowledge within your community, and we even discuss what are the new hot spots for digital nomads. If you want to leave the office life behind and grab a hold on everything the world has to offer, we’ve got you covered. What have been your top concerns about working while traveling? Have you ever attempted this lifestyle, and if so, what were the pros and cons? Leave a comment below!   In this episode: Some of the the best ways to find new clients Tips and tricks for maintaining a business while traveling full time Pro’s and Con’s of having a distinct style versus being more of a generalist The importance of sharing your knowledge within your creative community How can travel and being a part of the global world give you more opportunities to find clients?   Links: Find Magoz on his website and blog Follow Magoz on Instagram & Twitter  Stay up to date on when his Illustrators Essentials course launches!  

It’s no secret that when it comes to careers and business, the pay, opportunities, and accolades are not always distributed equally. It’s often easy to point to the corporate world as the prime example of this, and overlook that these same inequalities are present in the creative fields as well. Lilian Darmono joins us again for part 2 of our discussion, and in this conversation we dive deep into her experiences confronting bias and inequality as both a woman and a minority, and how she’s bringing similar stories to light through her Spectrum series of interviews. She also gives some amazing pieces of advice regarding how to improve your negotiations, what you should be charging as a bare minimum, what are the must ask questions prior to bringing on a client, and why you should always have a contract (even though the thought of sorting one out might scare us). What are your experiences dealing with bias in the motion graphics world? How did you deal with it now? Please leave a comment below! In this episode: The most important questions to ask a client before you begin to work How do you decide on pricing? Daily rate or set fee? What’s the minimum we should be charging? The importance of always having a contract Should we shift from a time-based economy to a result based economy? Tips on how to improve your negotiation skills Should we be thinking about unionizing as an industry?   Links: Follow Lilian on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Vimeo | Behance Lillian Darmono’s website Spectrum Interview Series Humorless Mutts Club Facebook Page Punanimation Facebook Group Jessica Hisch Article “The Dark Art of Pricing” Chris Do Video - How to Price Design Services and Make More Money  

As freelancers, we have to live with the fact that work often comes in waves. We might be really busy for stretches of the year, and then face a lean month or two. Learning to predict and work through these cycles is a big factor in creating a successful freelance career. Lilian Darmono is an Art Director who’s made a career spanning both the freelance and corporate worlds. In this, the first of a 2-part series, we dive deep into Art Direction, Graphic Design, and Animation. Lilian studied graphic design at University in Singapore, worked as a graphic designer in Australia before finding her niche as the world of art direction. We speak in depth about the path she took to become an art director, the importance of passion projects, the benefits of being a specialist vs a generalist. Plus, we get into the pro’s and con’s of climbing the corporate ladder and what it means to be an art director vs a creative director. How do you handle your downtime between projects or when slow season hits? Are you a “Jack (or Jill) of all trades or do you choose to specialize? Leave a comment below!   In this episode:   What is the distinguishing differences between Art Direction and Creative Direction? The benefits of both freelance and office work The pros and cons of climbing the corporate ladder How should you be spending your time when work is scarce? Some strategies to find work during slow seasons in your business   Links: Follow Lilian on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Vimeo | Behance Lillian Darmono’s website Lillian's Graphic Painting “Dusk” Joey Korenman Article for Motionographer

Motion Hatch is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by veteran motion designer Hayley Akins, discussing the business side of animation and motion design that so many creatives struggle with. Offering quality practical advice and insight for freelance, full-time or aspiring animators, illustrators and motion designers, hear from a wide range of voices within the industry, including how leading animators started out, tips on managing your business and career advice. For more info on how to take control of your motion graphics career and to join our community of amazing, talented designers, head over to motionhatch.com.