INTERVIEW WITH MOTION DESIGNER MOTION PARSEC

Hello everyone! My name is Andrei. I am 36 years old and I live in Russia in the city of Togliatti. I have a family: an amazing wife whom I love very much, a grown-up son whom I am proud of, a daughter whom I adore, 2 dogs and a cat, and they are very cool too!

Motion graphics first grabbed my attention when I got into video editing. That was in 2014. I was extremely interested in how such visual appeal was achieved, so I began learning After Effects. But all this was absolutely not systematic and regular. I visited various groups and blogs from time to time and gradually got into the business. As time went by, I grew extremely bored with video editing, since it came to pass that I was editing weddings 99% of the time. Being sick of it already, I suggested to the studio I was working with that I should become a motion designer and stop doing weddings. Gradually I went into that field.

I try to combine beautiful VFX techniques with simplicity. I also add a pinch of 3D, because I really love it. It's hard for me to do the same thing more than once in a row. So every time I'm looking for new ideas and forms.

You know, working in the video field for all these years has shown me that it's one continuous creative block. I would start learning something new, and success would appear, but then I would hit a wall and be left without any ideas. When customers gave me undetailed briefs and I had to be creative, it would turn into unbridled stress. I would have to force myself to produce something, despite the fact that I love motion design. Yes, the technical skills gradually grew, but my results were very similar to each other and of a rather mediocre level, in my opinion.

That all changed in the fall of 2021. This is where my wife played a big role. She worked in a psychiatric hospital, and had suggested for a good while that I was possibly depressed. But, at that time, I dismissed the idea. It seemed like I was just tired. She started taking antidepressants in the spring because she was depressed. In one and a half months she was transformed. She had a lot of energy that she didn't have before. From that moment on, I began to consider that I was depressed too. For six months I was in the process of allowing myself to even think about taking pills as a treatment. I tried a bunch of different ways to work on myself. I took various tests looking for some physiological problem, but everything was reporting as normal. Everything I did brought no improvement as I was unable to admit that my issue might be psychological in nature. I was rapidly losing my will and strength, and by September felt I ran out of ways to approach the problem. So I finally came to terms with it, went to a therapist/psychiatrist, and he prescribed me antidepressants.

Almost immediately I felt an improvement. I no longer felt depressed or like everything was bad. Previously, I would feel like everything in my life was bad, even though I objectively understood that I was doing very well compared to other people, this feeling was stronger than reason. After another couple of weeks of medication, when I felt that I had enough energy, I picked myself up and started making templates on Videobolt. I should mention, for the six months prior to my Videobolt submissions, I was trying to produce templates (which I have done for 4 years prior), but I was in a complete creative deadlock and had no energy to deal with it. I wasn't able to make templates at all, I tried to make them, but it wasn't right and I gave up. So there you go. In the middle of November, I started making templates again. Then something clicked in my head. It was as if quantity suddenly turned into quality. I began to form a clear vision of how to approach making templates. Such a powerful insight. I had a resource that began to nourish me. Before that, everything I do would take away a chunk of my energy. Even if I was doing something I loved, it wouldn’t carry me through the work and I felt like I was burning the candle at both ends. My life felt like a constant struggle not to waste my energy. Thanks to the therapy and my wife’s support, I got my strength back. I was fully focused on my work and family, and in a bit over a month made a giant leap forward. I was making templates almost daily, I made sure to rest, and I began dealing with other issues as well. I’m fully aware that not everyone who takes antidepressants has such a tremendous surge of energy. Of all the people I know who have taken or are taking antidepressants, I was the only one who had this effect. For others, their well-being and life got better gradually. Antidepressants don't work like energy drinks. They gradually restore the transmission of serotonin in the brain from neuron to neuron, and the body begins to work as it should. All in all, it's a complex topic and a long journey.

Since November 2021, I began to work very actively. Now Videobolt is my main platform for business. I believe that Videobolt has a very bright future and I want to take a direct part in taking Videobolt to the next level using the best of my abilities. Videobolt has a great community and leadership. It's the coziest work environment I ever encountered - constant support and contact with authors. That's a huge boon. Additionally, Videobolt kept the process of preparing and publishing a template quick and painless. It is very convenient. I don't even want to upload my templates to other sites, after trying Videobolt. They are also amazing in their development of tools for After Effects. All in all, Videobolt is one love!

Therapy! Actually, the secret is that I'm awesome! :D Honestly, I had taken on a significant loan and I needed funds to pay it off. I also wanted to work hard and provide everything my family needs to have a fulfilling life. After I started taking antidepressants, I realized that my dreams are achievable. They would take a lot of money, but I realized that I could earn it and realize them. Before my recovery, I didn't believe in any of it. I now have the resources I need to to change my life and my family's life. I love motion design and I want to make the best results that I can. I want to live, not purely exist. Seems like enough reasons to be in the top 5? :)

Hmm, perhaps it's a design that the author takes great pleasure in creating. Then it resonates with people and they enjoy using it and the results that come out of it. The author additionally gets rewarded with the money earned. Win-win.

In the morning I usually take the dogs for a walk, then my family and I have breakfast together, after which I work until lunchtime. I work from home, so I regularly take part in family activities or sometimes just lie on the bed next to my wife. In the afternoon I walk and play with my daughter. After that, I work or do other family things. In the evening I go for a walk with the dogs. I have a little rest before I go to bed, or if I have energy and strength, I work again. But I have a very flexible schedule. I move work and things around depending on what is a priority. For the most part, I work alone, although I sometimes do some motion design on the behest of a video production studio 346prodd that I’ve been collaborating with for many years. Lately, when I'm tired, I read something, usually the news, to keep up with what's going on in the world. Or I watch a video about something I dream about. It gives me strength. I have many activities and hobbies, but now I don't spend much time on them, because I am very much inspired by motion design and I devote most of my time to it.

Right now I don't follow any particular authors. I'm more looking for work that inspires me. The work that inspired me a few days ago may not inspire me today. That's why it's important to feel yourself and your own condition. Of the authors who have made a strong impression on me is Beeple. For over a decade he has been posting his creative work every day. Amazing persistence and regularity. Also, _jpierce and stuz0r. For tech news, I go to the Adobe After Effects group at vk.com.

Find your own way - the direction in motion design that you like, one that energizes you and opens up your creative flow. If you get bored with one direction (and I get this way regularly), don't be afraid to change it for another. Keep looking. Do something that makes your eyes sparkle and don't stop.

I will say trite things, but they are really important. Slow down a little, don't succumb to the speed the world imposes on you. Look carefully inside yourself, who you are, what your real desires are, what you want to do, and what you really want to get in this life. Find out what is stopping you and what is making you feel bad. Think about how to fix it, and take a step towards that. It's often hard to know what you really want, but taking one step at a time helps you understand and figure it out. The steps you make may seem small, but they’re important steps nonetheless.

Thank you very much, too!