An Interview with Motion Designer, Peter Clark
Portfolio:
www.callmeclark.com , www.enternull.com
I interviewed Peter Clark, a freelance motion designer, who is currently based in San Francisco, and originally from North Carolina. Peter graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and has been a motion designer for multiple companies and clients such as Autofuss, Youtube, The Game Awards, and Nike.
Experimentation across a large range of different media seems to be a very common theme within your work. What do you feel that you gain from this process of combining different media, that you wouldn’t be able to gain from just focusing on one medium?
I feel that the most interesting solutions tend to arise from happy mistakes in the process. If I experiment with a few techniques or materials that I haven’t combined before, then the chances for discovery are much higher. It also helps me stay motivated when I get to move between the computer and physical media.
So, since you’re someone who is very talented in many different forms of media, what had you choose motion design as your focus?
“Motion design attracted me primarily because it has no real boundaries. You can use any type of software or process you want, as long as it moves.”
Motion design attracted me primarily because it has no real boundaries. You can use any type of software or process you want, as long as it moves. I also really enjoy being able to create sound design for my work, which wasn’t easy to integrate when I was studying Graphic Design and Illustration.
You’ve had the opportunity to work on a lot of great projects and clients the past 4 years. What’s the most notable or memorable project that you’ve had the opportunity to work on since graduating from school?
The project that will forever hold a special place in my heart is the first professional project I worked on straight out of school — The OFFF Cincinnati Titles in 2014.
I had just joined Autofuss studio and the director GMUNK asked me to design a section for the OFFF Titles, which had me totally star-struck at the time. Working with the amazing Autofuss family on that job was such a labor of love, everyone put their hearts into making the most interesting typographic reveals that they could. Each designer at the studio made a title reveal, all practical, so the set ups were all fabricated in such unique ways. I learned so many techniques on that project that I use frequently now. That project caused me to realize that my favorite way of learning about people is to see how they work creatively. Everyone supported each other on our journey and brought me into my first design family. I will always miss that community and hope to one day bring it into my life again in some way.
Personal projects and passion projects outside of work, have always been something that you’ve been fond of. Aside from doing them for enjoyment, what are some things that you feel you gain from taking the initiative to do your own work?
“I got into the track of motion design to make art, so it would be crazy if I spent my life just making commercials every day.”
Personal projects are very important for me because they define what I love to do, they are the place where I learn about my voice and what I’m trying to say to the world. I also learn techniques on personal projects that I can apply to commercial work. Several direct-to-client jobs have come through my inbox because someone saw my personal projects and felt that the pieces fit their brand. I got into the track of motion design to make art, so it would be crazy if I spent my life just making commercials every day.
As someone who loves to experiment with new and different forms of media, what are some up and coming media that you’re really interested in diving into in the future?
I’ve been experimenting a lot with Photogrammetry process recently, they always have such interesting glitches. I’m also investing in a few analog video processors to start doing a wider range of analog glitch effects. Real time software like Notch has been catching my eye lately, it seems like the dive into generative things may be a part of my journey soon.
Similar to me, you studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design. How valuable was your time and education at SCAD’s Motion Media Department to your career? And is there anything that you felt that you experienced or learned at SCAD’s Motion Media Department that you wouldn’t have been able to learn from anywhere else?
SCAD was an amazing part of my life and I can’t imagine having done it differently. I met so many friends that I still work with professionally, we often recommend each other for jobs or work on side projects together. The most important thing to me is the community that came from SCAD’s motion media program, everyone was so friendly and open to sharing techniques. Going to SCAD gave me a huge foundation in art directing myself and working with teams. Learning how to make pitch decks, explain my ideas to others and collaborate in school made it much easier to hit the ground running when I joined my first studio. Having all those skills developed in school allowed my creative directors to trust me on making decks or adding to client pitches. I still had to do the dirty work like rotoscoping, but I was able to quickly move into the concepting side, which is the part I enjoy the most.
Because you’re so busy doing so many different types of projects, I’m sure you need to step back and take a break every once in a while. What are some activities outside of design that you do to decompress?
“Music is still a part of motion design, but playing it live with a group of people activates my brain in a different way, which often helps me get past design problems.”
I feel like it’s really important to have at least one other creative outlet and one physical activity to allow your brain to step away from motion design. I’ve always loved playing music, especially with a full band. Music is still a part of motion design, but playing it live with a group of people activates my brain in a different way, which often helps me get past design problems. I also love to skateboard, which has a lot of creativity involved, though failing on a skateboard hurts much more than failing a design project.
Lastly, do you have any advice for students aspiring to be Motion Designers?
My biggest advice would be to collaborate and make memories with the people around you. My favorite memories are often from projects that involve many of my friends. Building a community of people to learn with and reaching out to mentors is by far one of the things I wish I had done more of as a student. It’s also very healthy to experience failure around friends, since they will usually push you to try again.
Randumb Questions:
If you could travel back in time to meet anyone, who would you want to meet?
Salvador Dalí or Jordan Belson.
Say Godzilla randomly decided to attack your city one day. What would be your battle plan to take him out?
Build the biggest lamp of all time, attract Mothra and hope the moth wins against the jumbo lizard.
Puppies or kittens?
Both, my mom is a veterinarian so I grew up around a lot of animals 24/7.
Thank you very much for sharing your great journey with us Peter! Your work continues to be an incredible inspiration, and we‘ll definitely continue to cheer you on!
