Rick Morris and His Groovy Crib

Rick Morris says he left illustration to move into motion graphics because “that’s where the current was going and I wanted to go long with it”.  He wanted to  “get off the page and get into storytelling.”  I loved this guy, and his work.  And his groovy artsy crib. Here are my favorite bits from his interview:

Beginnings:  Transitioning from illustrations on the page, to motion graphics on the screen:

“I had to go through that painfully agonizing learning curve”

“It was trial by fire.  It was do or die, I really wanted to make it”

Favorite tools:  Pen and Paper:

“My brain is the factory and my eyes and my hands are the tools.”

Passion:

“You need to have passion–one great love in your life–whether it’s a person, or a thing, or just the way you feel about life.  Because your heart connects to your head, your head connects to your hands, and it all comes out in what you create.”

On criticism:

“Thank god there’s not someone outside of me who is as critical to me as I am to myself or I’d be suffering some of the worst days of my life.”

On staying vital:

“I just continue learning and seeing and hearing and reading…and it becomes the next new thing.”

I wanna stay working with the best people because that’s what keeps me reaching higher and being the best me I can be.”

The magic of the editing process:

“My illustration work wasn’t extraordinary, but the magic came through the editing process.  That’s when I realized that I could take something mediocre and make it something really interesting.”

On making a powerful reel:

• Think, think, think, look, look, look.  Take your best stuff, cut it, and put it to music.
• Cut a strong reel.  Give it a proper intro.  Think of something clever to set it off.
• Think of the right music to cut to; music should never be an afterthought.
• Show as much range as possible–things with graphic appeal—camera zooms, 3d, use transitions with imagery as much as possible, color coordinate as much as possible, blues with blues, reds with reds, etc.

• A grand finale that pays off and makes you look good.

• Tag your reel!  Be sure and let people know who did the work!