School of Motion just joined Clubhouse, and we think you should too!

Social Media has become an outlet for just about everything under the sun. There's social media for arts and crafts, for 90s cartoons, for movie reviews, and even for hitting your buddy back for that $20 spot. While we sometimes wish social media could have less of an influence over our lives, we have to admit that it is fantastic for building up a community.

One of the newest platforms to hit the world is Clubhouse, an as for now invitation-only social media app where guests can join into streaming audio chatrooms with thousands of people. While still in its infancy, the application has proven to be a great meeting place for lectures, QnAs, and virtual meetups. So we just had to join in the fun.

We recently hosted our very first Clubhouse discussion, and we're hooked. Since some of you missed out on the conversation, we figured we should get you up to speed:

• What is Clubhouse?
• How can motion designers use Clubhouse effectively?
• What did we discuss in our first meeting?

What is Clubhouse?

Clubhouse is a forum, a place where ideas are shared and conversations happen with a live audience. These can range from individuals talking about their personal experiences to entire brands espousing their ideals. As a Clubhouse member, you can subscribe to certain topics and communities, or explore freely.

Individual Clubs set up Rooms in which they can talk about whatever topic they please. There have been gatherings of realtors to discuss changes to tenant law, crypto experts sharing the details of how the blockchain functions, screenwriters talking to crowds of wannabe filmmakers, and even motion designers encouraging the community. You can sit in on any room you like, listening quietly or raising a virtual hand so you can speak. The hosts are able to activate any participant so they can "come on stage" and share.

As with any social media platform, there are trolls—some just seeking attention, and others with more unpleasant goals. Currently, hosts are able to moderate with the mute button, but we have seen a few Rooms go off the rails when the Clubs were unable to regain control. As the platform is still developing, we expect to see a few more tools provided to keep things civilized and prevent abuse.  

How can motion designers use Clubhouse effectively?

As architects of our own businesses, it is important to reach out and build a healthy network. Social media allows us to share are work, our encouragement, and our expertise with a much larger group than we could find with simple cold calls. Clubhouse, as a new and exciting platform, is a great location to attract a new client base. You'll find people that don't normally frequent Instagram or Vimeo, or folks that wouldn't know motion design from a hole in the wall.

The best way to get started with Clubhouse is to find a topic you love and sit in on the room. Spend your first session or two just listening. See how people interact with the hosts—and learn the Dos and Don'ts of the platform. Some rooms will have special rules to follow, while others can be a free-for-all.

Once you're more confident, raise your (virtual) hand and share a bit of wisdom. With time, you'll gain a reputation as a subject matter expert. You can even try hosting your own Room, so long as you're ready to do the legwork and advertise it. You'll need to know your stuff if you hope to earn credibility, so make sure you're ready.

Finally, add a little call to action in your sessions. Invite people to talk with you privately, lead them to your website, and discuss the type of work you do in case anyone needs it.

The first School of Motion Clubhouse

On our first ever Clubhouse discussion, we invited the great Doug Alberts to sit and talk about making it as an artist. Doug is a Chicago-born artist working as a director, designer, and animator. We recently teamed up with Doug for an awesome Holdframe Workshop: Bugged!

The conversation took place in a room of about 60 people, covering a number of topics related to Doug's experiences in the industry:

• Where do clients come from?
• What is a good day rate, and how do you negotiate?
• What are you [Doug] afraid of (in business)?
• Whats ur enneagram, bro?

Joey and Doug talked for about 25 minutes, exploring the topic in as much detail as they could. They mused about going straight to freelance after graduation, finding your personal salary, and how to avoid giving in to fear and the imagined worst-case-scenarios. Then they opened the floor for questions for the remainder of the session, which ended up covering a lot of the pros and cons of a freelance career.

While we have done live events in the past, Clubhouse gives artists from around the world equal access. Our mission has always been about breaking down barriers within the motion design industry, and this app is a great tool to do just that.

Join Us

Now that we've had a taste of what Clubhouse can do, we're eager to jump in all over again. We have so many topics to discuss, so many guests to invite, and an audience ready with tough questions. The platform is still invite only, but it is growing rapidly. Ask around, and you're certain to find your way in.

We'll be holding another session on Friday, July 23rd, and we hope to see you there. Don't forget to bring some donuts.

‍