So tell me a little about yourself, how did you get to where you are?
Iʼm from a small town in rural Ohio called Mount Vernon — definitely not the most ideal place to be creative, but, in the same respect, not the worst either. Luckily for me, I had a very supportive family who saw the potential in my doodles and drawings at an early age and really let me explore my creativity. I was the kid who rollerbladed, played in bands and drew every chance I got. I truly do have an amazing family as well as the coolest little sister anyone could have. Her name is Kassady. Without them, I really donʼt know if I would be here talking with you.
Getting to where I am hasnʼt been the easiest road. I took every art class I could in High School. I learned Photoshop and manipulation, painting, ceramics, stained glass, pretty much everything you can think of. After high school, I worked a bunch of odd and end jobs while trying to do art school online (not a good very good idea, in my opinion) and eventually dropped out. It was about a year of working in the restaurant industry (dishwasher) before I realized I wanted more. I NEEDED to get out of Ohio to pursue my goal of being a designer. I ended up at Full Sail University in Orlando which opened up another world of possibilities.
Currently, I work for a Video Production company here in Orlando Florida called DigitalBrew. We do primarily Animation and Motion Graphics as well as Live action video production. Itʼs honestly one of the best places Iʼve worked thus far. The people are here are amazing and some of the most talented individuals Iʼve met. I also do freelance every chance I get as well as focus on my own artwork. I pretty much work all the time.
When Cory Martin, Motion Graphics designer, Animator, and 3D Generalist reached out to margins, the team was taken with his bold, bright aesthetic. Getting to know more about this process, we learned more about his approach to motion graphics and seeing design as a living, moving thing that interacts with every element present. In this interview we hear about Cory's journey to his current position at Florida-based DigitalBrew, his inspirations and process.
How has your creative process changed over time?
When I first started out, about 6 years ago, I didnʼt fully appreciate or utilize the process. Concept, sketches, pre-pro, storyboarding etc. I would always jump straight into whatever program I was creating in and just go for it with no clear focus. Working with multiple different creative agencies over the years has taught me that sometimes itʼs ok to just straight into illustrator depending on the project. But, most of the time, for me at least, the more I sketch and really plan out an illustration and animation, the better the end result. Sometimes I wonʼt even sketch anything. Iʼll put on some music, look at the creative brief or Script, and just think about what everything will look like and how things will flow together and how the transitions will work.
What's the best piece of advice you've ever heard?
Thatʼs a very tough question to answer. I think I would have to say “Donʼt sweat the small stuff”. Being a Motion Graphics Designer (Really any career) deadlines are a HUGE part of gaining trust. Sometimes the deadlines are insane, or a project isnʼt going as well as you thought. In high pressure situations, I try my best to just keep a level head and focus on the task at hand.
What's in your margins?
Watching the trends in technology unfold within the last two years, I think
learning and implementing more VR and Augmented reality into my workflow and arsenal is the main thing in my margins currently. Also, making more time for life; my family, my girlfriend and friends.
Edited by Joshua Duttweiler
Who are some artists that you feel have impacted your own practice? What about outside the fields of design and art?
Oh man, so many great people I canʼt even begin to type them all. I would have to say a huge influence on my would be my girlfriend Shelby Reynolds (@shelbyrreynolds). She is an AMAZING illustrator and hand letterer that has pretty much been by my side since day one. She is a way stronger illustrator than I am so I'm often looking at her work for inspiration and getting her critique on my work. Her input has been invaluable. Also, all the people that I work with. They are extremely talented individuals that I feed off of creatively everyday. Just to name a few others; Alex Maxwell Jones, Alan Demafiles, Brian Clark, Nate Philips and of course Ash Thorp. Outside of Art and Design though, I would say my family. They have always been there for me and pushed me to be the person I am today.
What have been some of your biggest strengths and struggles during your career so far?
Strengths: I would say my ability to learn quickly and efficiently. Being able to learn something on the fly whether it be a new technique or a totally new program, has been super helpful to broadening my opportunities. Also, another strength of mine (in my opinion) is my work ethic. I love what I do so much and I always try to go above and beyond peoples expectations. Working late night or 7 days a week really doesnʼt bother me at all. Also, my thick skin. Being able to take critique well and criticism is also another really important skill to have. Weaknesses: One weakness I have is also one of my strengths. Working too much haha Sometimes I do get burnt out. Even though I love what I do, I sometimes donʼt want to look at my computer anymore and get frustrated. I compensate this with playing my Big Baby Tayler acoustic guitar I have at home. Also just hanging out with my girlfriend Shelby. I definitely do need to get better at the whole “Work and Life Balance” thing. Also, I feel as though Iʼm not that strong of an illustrator. After Effects and Cinema 4d have taken up the majority of my time here for the past year and I havenʼt really had the chance to practice as much as I would like.
Why animation and illustration? In what ways do these media allow you to be creative?
I started out doing traditional graphic design, learning very quickly that coding and web was not my thing. At all. When I graduated with my Associate's degree in 2012 I also realized that getting a job as a designer was pretty hard. No-one was hiring without a crazy amount of experience, that I did not have. Fast forward nine months and Iʼm back at Full Sail University completing my Bachelor's degree in Digital Art and Design. Thatʼs when I was introduced to After Effects and Cinema 4D. Print design is awesome, but being able to work in a 3D environment and make anything I want move is why I love animation. The ability to make something in Illustrator or c4d and translate that into movement has been invaluable to me. I donʼt think in terms of stationary design, I think of a design as movement and how each element can interact with everything in the piece.
What project are you especially excited about right now?
Iʼm really excited about a personal project Iʼm working on currently off and on when I have time. Itʼs a short story animation based off of my Grandma and Grandpa. I lost my grandma about a year ago and wanted to make an animated short film for my grandpa (just turned 89 last week). They were married for roughly 65 years and it really affected him when she passed.
Cory Martin
“Print design is awesome, but being able to work in a 3D environment and make anything I want move is why I love animation.”
