This week, we’re swinging by the art department to check in with one of our fabulous Motion Graphics Artists, Adam Marzec.

I pried Adam away from his work momentarily to get the lowdown on who he is, what he does and why he keeps hanging around the office everyday.

Internship

SolidLine Media:  How would you describe your role as Motion Graphics Artist at SolidLine? What is an average day for you?

Adam Marzec:  The average day is spent in Adobe’s After Effects or Photoshop/Illustrator.  Each day is spent animating or creating new concepts for our SLM clients.  Some days will be more influenced on building assets for the project.  But, the majority of the heavy work involves animating inside After Effects and setting keyframes (a starting and end point of the motion and what comes in-between) and previewing the animation to make sure the work I did is moving the way I intended.  Mainly that the animation is not jerky/or moving too fast/slow depending on the situation or the pacing of the audio in the scene.

SLM:  What is your favorite part of your responsibilities?

Marzec:  My favorite part about my job is seeing the finished piece come together with the soundtrack laid down.  It’s always rewarding to see all the shots come together and realize how it all started.  At SLM we are proud of the work we do and I think our clients can say that it shows through our work.

SLM:  What is it about a career in motion graphics that called to you?

Marzec:  It really started at an early age.  I grew up on animated cartoons by Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network as a wide-eyed child in the 90’s.  When I was younger we took a family trip to Disney World and went on a behind the scenes tour of the animation studios.  I was so excited to see the work in progress that I had to have a few “Learn to Draw Disney” books after the tour.  I would draw, and draw all the time off the books to learn the key fundamentals, and at one point I told myself, “I want to be an animator when I grow up.”  Being able to take an inanimate object and give life to it was the real selling point for me.  I haven’t looked back since, except to remember to save and backup my work.

SLM:  What would you be doing if you weren’t animating?

Marzec:  Anyone that knows me probably can figure out this answer.  But, for those of you that don’t know, I am a huge sports junkie.  So, if I could be involved in a professional sports team in some capacity (preferably the Chicago WhiteSox) that would probably be the route I would take, sorry SLM.

SLM:  Any tips or tricks of the trade that you wish someone had told you when you were starting out?

Marzec:  Network, network, network.  Go to as many animation/film events as much as possible.  Don’t be shy because word of mouth is the quickest way to get into the industry, besides pumping out quality work that shows off your skill set (that never hurts).  The more people know about you the more they want you, keep that in mind my fellow artists.

SLM:  As a relatively new member of the SLM team, can you talk about your transition into a fulltime Motion Artist here? How did the SolidLine team welcome you?

Marzec:  The transition from a contract to fulltime was very seamless, which was great.  The transition came over Christmas break, so I was welcomed with time off to spend quality time with my family.  The SLM team does a good job of making new members feel as if they have worked there for years.  I never dread coming into work, it’s like your closest friends all working together to produce awesome videos.  We work hard but enjoy the work we do so that makes the days worthwhile.

SLM:  What do you like the most about the work you’re doing now?

Marzec:  What I really enjoy about the current project that I am working on now is learning more and more everyday about a  process that most people overlook every time they travel by aircraft.  It is pretty amazing seeing all the procedures and precautions that need to be in place in order to ensure that people’s safety is the priority.  Being able to translate these elements visually is a fun project to be a part of.

SLM:  Obviously, SolidLine is all about producing quality, smart videos…what was the most recent great movie you saw?

Marzec:  The last movie that really stuck with me was “Django Unchained”, its a little over the top (what Tarantino movie isn’t?), but it has that Holy S#*t! that was awesome appeal.  There were many movies that I don’t have the same opinions about, but we can save that for another blog.

SLM:  Now let’s talk about how much better Chicago is than Brooklyn…

Marzec:  I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion too fast.  Brooklyn was a great city be able to experience for 4 years and really opened my eyes to the art community and awesome Grimaldi’s thin-crust pizza.  I can go on-and-on about Brooklyn, however, I was born and raised in the Chicago area and back here so it still gets a high rating for me.

Celebration

 

To find out how Adam Marzec and the SolidLine Media team can put together your next high definition video production, CONTACT US HERE!

Tell Us About Your Project

Regardless of the type of video your organization needs from our team, there’s a
perfect mix of live video and motion graphics that will meet your needs