Peter Dickinson

Peter Dickinson: I first discovered motion graphics at the end of my time at art school. Adobe had just unveiled Director and After effects in the middle to the late 1990s. I was interested in seeing how I could use this technology to improve or disrupt my practice at the time because I was mostly focusing on video installations. At the time, I wasn’t sure whether I understood the larger motion graphics culture or if it even existed. It was in the early 00’s that we started to see the emergence of a movement.

Peter Dickinson: In London’s Soho, I was employed in post-production for movies. I was an editor at the time, and I had the chance to help out in the graphics division. At first, I was doing compositing and effects work, but I wanted to concentrate on designing movie titles. It was a fantastic chance, and I was fortunate to start a path that allowed me to see outstanding films, including Steve McQueen’s “Shame” and Lynne Ramsay’s “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” among other work on Somers.

Peter Dickinson: My involvement in the arts gave me a solid foundation for conceptual thinking, but I believe that learning about design thinking and typography would have been beneficial. Over time, I’ve learned to go further into these topics to support my practice.

Peter: Tricky one, as a motion designer and director it’s hard to pin onto a specific style. Motion has a symbiotic relationship to music in many ways and for me it’s about timing, flow and defining the tone, developing consistency within an idea, and crafting a vision for a client.

Peter: I’d say integral. The world is currently flooded with movement. You would think that the days of starting to create a brand design and seeing motion as a final “deliverable” are long gone, although regrettably, this is sometimes still the case. People are gradually realizing, nevertheless, that a brand’s ability to connect with consumers depends on how it “lived.” It must be outlined early on inside the design system itself. The future of branding is in motion systems!

Peter: Ha, yeah I have certainly been lucky to work across a range of areas, many of which are interconnected. It’s difficult to overlook how a product’s dynamic UX functions without that influencing how that product is promoted through its social media platforms. I believe that this ought to be taken into account right away.

These days, if I had to pick a job, it would be defining the idea’s central motion system. But I still enjoy social; I enjoy succinct, concise concepts that get the point across swiftly and clearly.

Peter: I think it helps to understand design, but not to the degree where you have to be an expert at both. You wouldn’t expect the same of a graphic designer? But I agree the dividing lines are fewer and the ability to explore both is way more accessible these days.

Peter: Boringly, I think the best plugins and scripts I lean on these days help me reduce the amount of labor in my work, not necessarily create shortcuts to creativity. I can’t live without ‘Flow’. And life without lottifiles would mean we couldn’t deliver the high-quality content we do to the “PLAYS” app. Lottie has been game-changing.

Peter: Listening and communicating clearly. Being open to change.

Peter Dickinson: Helping people articulate their vision through movement and timing. Building emotion into the design.

Peter Dickinson: I think there are so many more opportunities and ways into the industry these days. And so much more free learning. Try not to emulate too much or get attached to a tutorial-based approach. Take the time to find your voice and experiment.

Try to remake something you like and try to remake it yourself with a different take. Maybe even show it to the original client. Take a chance and approach a small studio. Say yes to an internship. You don’t know where it might lead.