The Connector interviews Tomo Beddie, a third-year motion media design student
When did you start motion media design and what does it mean to you?
“I started doing 3D motion media design in senior year of high school and have been doing it for about 4.5 years now. It started as a passion/hobby before looking to turn it into a career path and the ability to merge two of my passions (Art and Technology) into one cohesive medium is what keeps me excited and driven to keep learning every day.”
What is your design process? Describe what type of art you like to create.
“I’ve always loved watching films/TV shows growing up and the extravagant title sequences they featured was my first glimpse into the world of motion media. Being a fanboy of the medium, my process always begins with research and reverse-engineering my favorite motion media pieces. At any given point there are certain shots, effects, thematic elements that I would like to incorporate into my work, and that in combination with what shots/tools would best represent the key idea of the piece I’m working on drives how I decide to execute a certain project. The rest of my process follows the traditional workflow of mood boards, storyboards, style frames, and then finally animation/compositing (sometimes sound design).”
“I’ve always liked to create works with a certain cinematic feel to them and the biggest challenge for me is always ultimately cutting back on the scope of the project to execute in time, while still creating work that I’m proud of and I feel represents my current ability.”
Who/what inspires you?
“We live in a world of endless content and information today and I find myself constantly inspired by things I see/learn/experience every day. That being said, some of my current inspirations include Patrick Clair, Nahuel Salcedo, Seth Godin, and Ash Thorpe. I also am surrounded by talented peers through social media or day to day interactions and find myself inspired by the continual growth of the individuals around me.”
How does SCAD help your creative process?
“SCAD has been pivotal in my development as an artist and has created an environment for me to connect with and grow among like-minded peers who on a daily basis inspire me and push me to be better in all aspects of life from psychical/mental health to technical craft.”
Motion media by Tomo Beddie. 
Motion media by Tomo Beddie.
“In terms of the academics, the motion media program has been ranked number one for several years in a row now and has definitely helped prepare me for success in the professional world. Through its emphasis on deadlines and the importance of structure, from pitching and process books, all the way to execution of deliverables.”
Do you have any advice for other artists?
“Over the past few years, I have really made a shift towards looking at my life holistically rather than the day to day and adopting a few new habits have really changed the way I navigate life, and taken a lot of the stress/anxiety of the future away.”
“The first habit was to organize my thoughts either digitally/physically rather than keeping it all jumbled up in my brain. This helps me tackle bigger and harder questions regarding my future and ultimately what kind of career/life I want to live. Secondly, keeping a balanced lifestyle which can be hard to do at times but dedicating time to your personal wellbeing (exercise, eating well, socializing) has helped me personally feel less likely to burn out as easily. Lastly, what I found most important was to surround myself around people I admire in one or multiple aspects. Not exactly advice, but just what has seemed to work for me so far.”
What are your future goals?
“Being a tech nerd, I’m always interested in how new technologies can be utilized to merge with my interest in art and my latest endeavor starting 2020 is to explore the new possibilities available in the emerging medium of VR/AR.”
“Another long-term goal for down the line in my career is to start my own production house revolving around experiential design and focusing on how various emerging technologies like VR/AR/MR and AI can be utilized to create exciting and engaging art/life experiences.”
More of Tomo’s work can be found on his website: Visualsbytomo.com
