Do you have a favorite plugin that you can't live without? Have you ever thought about who the person was that created that plugin that has saved you countless hours of work? This special episode of the School of Motion Podcast has been pulled from our Expression Session vault. It features instructors Zack Lovatt and Nol Honig interviewing Adam Plouff who you may know as the mad genius behind Battleaxe;  which, may we add, is responsible for the massively popular and useful plugins Rubberhose and Overlord.

Starting a motion design career is hard and leaves you with a lot of questions. There are so many hurdles that new artists stumble into; it can feel like there is no clear path forward. Joe Donaldson joins us on the podcast and breaks down how he balances work and life, all while riding a wave of continual success.

Today's podcast is pulled directly from VFX for Motion, hosted by course instructor and Stu's former colleague, Mark Christiansen. When it comes to pulling knowledge directly from the source, this podcast is the holy grail. https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/stu-maschwitz-interview

James Ramirez joins Joey in a one-on-one nostalgic trip back to the early 2000s. From a small Texas town to Los Angeles, James unpacks his career between his time at the legendary MK12 Studio to directing the Spider-verse titles and much more.

It was a heck of a year for the MoGraph industry, and for School of Motion. SOM's 2019 Motion Design Industry Survey revealed greater participation, enthusiasm, opportunity and income than ever before; and SOM's business, course curriculum, core team, enrollment and online reach and engagement grew at exceptional rates. Not to mention SOM's rebrand with Chris Do and The Futur, the brand manifesto video with JR Canest and Ordinary Folk, and the completely redesigned website coming soon. On the 2019 End of Year Podcast episode, SOM founder, CEO and Podcast host Joey Korenman is joined by EJ Hassenfratz, 3D Creative Director, and Ryan Summers, 2D Creative Director, to talk about the artists, studios, tools, trends and events that made MoGraph news in 2019 — plus all the exciting plans (and bold predictions) for the coming year. This one's long, but it's a must listen.

Allen Laseter Talks Productivity, Passion Projects, People Management, Motion Design, Direction, and Developing Your Own Style Nashville-based animator, illustrator and director Allen Laseter didn't 'study' motion design; the famed creative, known for his bold, striking scenes and uniquely stylized characters, transitioned from live action with trial and error and online tutorials. One day, after graduating with a BFA in Film, he was offered an animation project from a friend of a friend — and the rest, as they say, is history. Allen's since completed projects for the likes of Lagunitas, TED, Coke, Disney and School of Motion. How does he do it? Almost exclusively in After Effects. And now, with a new baby at home, how does he juggle his creative work, commercial direction and family life? On Episode 81 of the School of Motion Podcast, our founder and CEO Joey Korenman and his guest Allen Laseter discuss the road to renown; developing your own style; After Effects animation; coordinating paid client and personal passion projects; billing for your services; working freelance versus studio employment; project and people management best practices; and Stanley Kubrick, School House Rock! and The Beatles's Yellow Submarine.

Some of the coolest work in the industry blurs the line between motion design and visual effects. School of Motion's VFX for Motion course teaches you to move in and out of these worlds with ease. On Episode 79 of the SOM Podcast, we go behind the scenes of VFX for Motion, discussing in depth what went into the course's creation with the creator himself, Mark Christiansen. The developer of the After Effects Studio Techniques series of books that helped launch a generation of visual effects artists, Mark has spent his career dedicated to creativity and mentorship — ideal for an instructor, online or off. During his conversation with School of Motion founder, CEO and Podcast host Joey Korenman, Mark covers his work with LucasArts and Industrial Light & Magic, shares tons of tips on compositing in After Effects, and answers a variety of questions SOM tallied from its audience.

Will Johnson, creative innovator, co-founder, director and partner of industry-leading motion design studio Gentleman Scholar speaks with School of Motion founder, CEO and Podcast host Joey Korenman about the importance of passion and work ethic; the naming, creation, development, key differentiators and success of Gentleman Scholar; and much more.

Liz Blazer was a successful fine artist, but the fine art world wasn't for her. She chose to blaze her own path, telling stories through animation — like Ozzy Osbourne fighting Elton John to the death. Now a famed filmmaker, art director, designer and animator, Liz has worked as development artist for Disney, director for Cartoon Network, special effects designer for MTV, and art director for Sesame Street in Israel. Her award-winning animated documentary Backseat Bingo was shown at 180 film festivals across 15 countries. But that's not all. Liz is the authority on animated storytelling. She wrote the appropriately entitled Animated Storytelling, now in its second edition, and currently teaches visual arts at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, where she emphasizes the art of storytelling in pitching and delivering successful animation projects. School of Motion founder, CEO and Podcast host Joey Korenman raves about Animated Storytelling (and its illustration, by Ariel Costa), and makes the most of his opportunity speaking with "Blaze" on Episode 77. During her hour-long appearance, Liz speaks with Joey about her transition from fine art to animation; the importance of movement, breath and soul in art; animation's ability to "charm" and "suspend belief;" the creation of her award-winning animated documentary; how she ended up writing a book by accident; the differences between animation and motion design; the keys to compelling storytelling; and more.