The Connector interviews Steven S. Nelson Jr., a second-year visual effects student.
When did you start motion media design and what does it mean to you?
I started motion media about eight years ago. I was attending Bellevue College in Washington State and was pursuing my associate’s degree in digital media arts. I remember the first time I opened Adobe’s After Effects software I was so intimidated that I decided to pursue video editing instead.
But, the more I became better in editing, I found that I needed a way to use and incorporate motion graphics to make my edits pop. And so I jumped headfirst into After Effects and never looked back. My work was mainly 2D based until 2017 when I decided to take two years out and really get serious with mastering 3D. I started in Maya, which I had some experience in before but really fell in love with the ease and fluidity of Cinema 4D. It’s a great program for starting out because the interface is very user-friendly and it has a whole host of motion graphic-centered tools. Ultimately this led me to want to pursue VSFX and that’s how I ended up at SCAD.
What is your design process? Describe what type of art you like to create.
I am a messy designer, I think. I usually start with a strong theme but loose vision of what the end piece will look like. I say messy because I spend a long time trying out many different looks and possibilities. In this phase it’s about trying out many ideas without being stuck on one completely. It’s kind of freeing, in a sense and can lead to some compositions I never would have come up with inside my head alone. Once an idea emerges from the chaos I will block out the scene then begin adding finer details usually doing several look-dev passes with lighting and materials along the way before the final render.
I really like creating dark and moody scenes. I like using a dark, almost black background with dark shadows. Most of my stills are designed to be animated but I haven’t been able to spend the computer power rendering lots of frames. Lately, I have been getting into simulations, especially FLIP Fluids and particles.
Who/what inspires you?
There are so many artists that inspire me I can’t keep count. I try and spend a few hours every day on Behance, Artstation, Vimeo, YouTube and Instagram looking at what other artists are doing. This really inspires me to push the bar in my own work. I really enjoy the artist group ENTAGMA — they specialize in Houdini and procedural animations that are amazing. I also really enjoy the work of Cornelius Dämmrich and Pascal Blanché.
How does SCAD help your creative process?
SCAD helps by giving me a deadline. The deadline is a powerful motivator that pushes you to become more efficient as well as continually learning more. Specifically, SCAD brings together a bunch of very talented artists that we get to talk with, inspire each other and build our skills together. This networking and team building that SCAD provides is beyond valuable.
Do you have any advice for other artists?
Don’t second guess yourself. Just do it, go for it. Don’t be hung up on if it’s going to be liked or have a lot of likes. This need for admiration can stifle the learning process and hinder our growth as artists.
What are your future goals?
I would love to work on motion titles as a 3D generalist. I would love to somehow be involved in the making of a James Bond opening sequence. That would be a dream come true! More immediate goals would be to further learn Houdini and the Unreal Engine.