EVAN ANTHONY, Designer, Animator, Coder, Maker of things // Freelance
Our first guest interview for the year comes to us from NYC, where he has been working as a freelance designer on myriad animation, motion, and interactive projects. Be sure to take a longer look around his work. So without further ado…the interview.
What made you decide/how did you end up attending RIT?
Circumstance mostly. I’m from Rochester, my dad studied graphic design there, and it was the only design school I applied too.
Programs you work in most frequently? How important is it to be fluent in coding and other technicalities as a designer?
The usual - Adobe Creative Suite, Cinema 4D, Processing, nothing too niche. I’d say fluency in code is one of the most valuable skills a designer can have. The tools you have at your disposal dictate the work you make and way you think, so being able to make your own is incredibly freeing. And it doesn’t take as much technical skill as you expect.
What inspires such imaginative animations?
A non stop stream of RSS burning my retinas.
Some favorites:
Given your broad range of projects, do you find it challenging to start on new projects with new companies, or do you like the pace and challenge?
Hopping across mediums, using different tools, working with new people, etc. keeps me fresh and interested. If I’m too sedentary I get lazy and bored, so freelance works for me. Starting with new companies isn’t difficult because there’s a pretty standard ritual you go through and studios are used to getting freelancers started and oriented.
How did you start doing work for Google? What’s it like?
My school buddy is working here and recommended me. The power of networks!
Google’s really great and totally lives up to expectations. I’m a bit of a fanboy and wasn’t disappointed. That said, a job is a job. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of my favorite people and organizations and learned that no matter what, professional work is never as fulfilling as personal work for me.
Google’s really great and totally lives up to expectations. I’m a bit of a fanboy and wasn’t disappointed. That said, a job is a job. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of my favorite people and organizations and learned that no matter what, professional work is never as fulfilling as personal work for me.
Treasure your time in school. It’s the one period where you can be completely self indulgent, take absurd risks, and experiment in dumb ways. Being able to fail is liberating and doesn’t really exist in the working world.
Looking back, do you think you learned more from school, or from working in the field?
School teaches process, work teaches production. Both are equally valuable and distinct.
School teaches process, work teaches production. Both are equally valuable and distinct.
Best way to have your work seen and to get noticed?
Once you’re fluent in a field of work, you get a bit jaded. As a student, everything is cool and exciting, but when you’ve worked for a while (especially talking to the older dudes), you can place every trend, pinpoint every inspiration, know every technique. Your vocabulary has grown so large and you’re so used to those things that once amazed you.
It’s the unexpected stuff that catches eyes. Seeing the weird failed experiment, the project that oozes personality, the behind the scenes process sketch; these are infinitely more appealing than something ultra slick. Prove you can do slick, but win ‘em over with your personality. Be bold. Be passionate. Be interesting.
It’s the unexpected stuff that catches eyes. Seeing the weird failed experiment, the project that oozes personality, the behind the scenes process sketch; these are infinitely more appealing than something ultra slick. Prove you can do slick, but win ‘em over with your personality. Be bold. Be passionate. Be interesting.
Two examples from my personal experience.
After graduating, the project that started the most conversations was a surrealist parallaxing Flash site about different paraphilias in the style of Pentagram’s Museum of Sex work. Talking about why I made little vector people do the nasty either started a fun conversation, or weeded out the places that wouldn’t be a good fit at anyways.
Also, my first freelance gig arrived because I had done a very dumb project with stick puppets and snuck it in my demo reel. I remember feeling a bit unsure about whether to include something so primitive, but the personality shone through first, and that’s very valuable.
Job-finding/getting tips? What do companies/studios look for in a successful portfolio?
Prove your technical skills with some slick polished work, but then win ‘em over with some b-sides, some process sketches, something unexpected. You gotta’ just capture their attention with something professional looking, then nerd the heck out with ‘em. (Seriously, have some links to show, some old animator to talk about, an insane demoscene file, etc.)
How important are internships?
Very. Do as many as you can. Not only is it a safe environment to learn production, to get mentored by senior people, and begin your network, it’s a great way to get a little taste of a studio culture. Even if you don’t like it, a couple months at a place won’t kill you and you’ll learn a lot about environment. When you’re working and locked down in a staff position you won’t have the opportunity to expose yourself to different environments in a quick and risk free way.
How difficult was it to land a job in the design industry given the current state of the economy?
I have literally the luckiest career, so I’m not a good dude to ask, but surprisingly easy. RIT has a great industry day and I was able to get a good internship at Big Spaceship from that which caught the eye of B-Reel a year later. Once you’ve worked at a couple places in NYC, jumping around becomes very easy. It’s a smaller industry than you might think.
Without going into to many specifics, how is the compensation/benefits? Do you believe bigger cities have better jobs/more opportunities?
No complaints. Don’t expect to Scrooge McDuck it, but its an industry where you will certainly be comfortable enough. My experience is only in NYC, but being in such a dense and design focused place has been super valuable. It’s not about the size though. NYC has a ton of motion graphics studios, but Chicago only has a handful, for instance.
Do you tend to work with a team or solo?
Pretty much always at a studio, on a team.
Do you find much creative freedom with your work?
Nope, but I’m OK with that. Dealing with clients, creative directors, deadlines, etc. doesn’t have many opportunities for creative freedom. That’s not a bad thing. Personal work is what I find fulfilling, and I don’t expect professional jobs to match that feeling.
In what direction do you see the design industry heading? Any major shifts to new technology or ways of thinking?
Interactive installations are in the same spot that motion graphics and Flash style interactive web pages were in the early 2000s. It’s an exciting time to be exploring a newly accessible medium.
Is print really dead, and would you recommend focusing on interactive and web?
Print isn’t dead, specialization is dead. I wouldn’t recommend focusing on anything. Fill your tool box with as many tools as possible. Be able to use whatever medium’s best for the project at hand. Be nimble and adaptable.
But print won’t ever die, it will always be a valuable skill. It’ll just become less ubiquitous and a craft industry. Think blown glass, furniture making, etc. That said, those industries are gonna’ have a renaissance as the world becomes one giant Etsy page. I’m calling it.
But print won’t ever die, it will always be a valuable skill. It’ll just become less ubiquitous and a craft industry. Think blown glass, furniture making, etc. That said, those industries are gonna’ have a renaissance as the world becomes one giant Etsy page. I’m calling it.
What does your creative process look like?
Way too much writing if it’s a personal project. If it’s a professional project, not enough.
What is the average timeline of project? Are you working on multiple projects at once?
Most projects I work on, I’ll be involved for 2-4 weeks and will focus on them solely.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
A butt ton of RSS, following people on Vimeo and tumblr, reading books on art/craft/science, listening to Radiolab/99% Invisible/etc.
What sort of non-design, non-illustration courses did you find beneficial?
Writing is very important for pitches and articulating your ideas, so any literature/creative writing courses I took have proven beneficial for sure. Psychology is also a good one to take.
How long did it take to develop your personal style?
I like to think I don’t have a “style”, but I do have a personality and that informs the work I make. I’ll say it’s a work in progress.
I like to think I don’t have a “style”, but I do have a personality and that informs the work I make. I’ll say it’s a work in progress.
Most difficult aspect of design/illustration?
Salesmanship. It’s a huge part of the job.
Salesmanship. It’s a huge part of the job.
Artists/designers/other people, places or things that influence your style?
John K
Vectorpark
Malika Favre
Bruno Munari
Steve Reich
Penn Ward
Terry Riley
Robert Hodgin
Scott Dadich
Jonathan McCabe
Paul Robertson
Bruce Timm
Ashley Wood
Orion Tait
Serial Cut
Walt Whitman
Jessica Hische
Jodi Terwilliger
Amanita
Andy Gilmore
Joel Trussell
Roman Mars
David O’Reilly
Gareth O’Brien
Scott Benson
Bruno Bozzetto
Italo Calvino
Jad Abumrad
Robert Heinlein
etc.
The one, most crucial aspect of design is…?
I’ll let Kurt Vonnegut finish this off —> 'There's only one rule that I know of, babies—God damn it, you've got to be kind.'
Thanks for the awesome questions, it was a pleasure to answer ‘em all! Enjoy school, bust your butts, take risks, and have fun with making stuff. Hit me up if you have any specific questions about NYC studios or whatever. Best of luck and all that jazz! :)
Evan
evan.b.anthony@gmail.com
Evan
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