Let’s take a quick stroll down memory lane, shall we?
I recently found a folder of old School of Motion stuff that I’d copied over from an old laptop, and in it was a text document called ‘SchoolOfMotion.rtf.’ The date on that file is February 11, 2013… so I guess that’s the day School of Motion was born.
The document laid out my (very) meager plans for the site. I wrote down that I wanted to “provide a creative outlet for my inner-teacher.” I said that I wanted to gain a better understanding of what I’m doing as a motion designer, and hopefully to earn a loyal following like my hero Nick from Greyscalegorilla. I hoped to one day run courses that would help artists learn to work professionally, and to talk about what I had learned freelancing and running a studio.
When you write down something like that, it seems like you’re playing a game of make-believe. I would never (and I mean never) have guessed that School of Motion would one day turn into the company that it is now. The team, reach, and impact we’ve achieved would make 2013-Joey faint headfirst into a snowbank on the streets of Boston.
Our team has always been the secret weapon.
What our team has been able to accomplish is truly mind-boggling to me… and the potential to help even more artists and to make a bigger impact is truly epic. We’ve grown a lot over the past 9+ years, and I’ve learned so much from my teammates and from the thousands of students who have made their way through our curriculum. I’ve been pondering the next stage of School of Motion and thinking about what we need to execute to keep up with our ambitious goals, and I’ve realized something: We need a different approach, and a new perspective on how we run things and grow.
I generally think of myself as “humble” (though, is it humble to think you’re humble?), but I do understand that I have certain strengths… I’m a creator, I’m a motivator, I’m a teacher, and I’ve learned to be a CEO… but we’re about to enter a stage of growth that will require a much stronger operator to steer the ship. And that person is, to the surprise of nobody who has met her, Alaena VanderMost.
Alaena has been my partner-in-crime for the last 6 years. She is the reason we’ve been able to scale the way we have. She’s got the rare combination of vision, technical knowledge, and operational chops that have enabled us to build our own LMS software, re-invent our Teaching Assistant program, grow an international team, and run as a fully-remote company (before it was cool, too). There is nobody on earth better equipped to ensure the future success of School of Motion, and with her at the helm I know we will be even more impactful and helpful to our students and to the industry we love so much.
As for me, I’m now in the awkward position of being the “Chairman of the Board”, a title which feels as ridiculous as it sounds. I’ve started referring to myself as “Chair Dude,” just to see how that feels. I’ll be stepping out of the day-to-day operations of the company, taking some time this summer to rest my brain after the whirlwind of the last (almost) decade, and then doing all I can as a board member to assist Alaena in achieving the big, hairy goals she’s got in mind.
This is the beginning of a new chapter for School of Motion (and for Alaena, who is expecting her first baby in July!) and I could not be prouder or more confident in the amazing team who have built the best online school and alumni community in the world.
Rock on, friends.
-joey
Dive into real-time 3D with our Unreal Engine beginner's course by Jonathan Winbush. Master importing assets, world-building, animation, and cinematic sequences to create stunning 3D renders in no time! Perfect for motion designers ready to level up.
Explore this Course ➔Unlock the secrets of character design in this dynamic course! Explore shape language, anatomy rules, and motifs to craft animation-ready characters. Gain drawing tips, hacks, and Procreate mastery (or any drawing app). Ideal for artists seeking to elevate their craft.
Explore this Course ➔Elevate your freelance motion design career with our guide to client success. Master a repeatable method for finding, contacting, and landing clients. Learn to identify prospects, nurture leads, and develop a thriving freelance philosophy amidst chaos.
Explore this Course ➔Rev up your editing skills with After Effects! Learn to use it for everyday needs and craft dynamic templates (Mogrts) for smarter teamwork. You'll master creating animated graphics, removing unwanted elements, tracking graphics, and making customizable templates.
Explore this Course ➔Stand out with Demo Reel Dash! Learn to spotlight your best work and market your unique brand of magic. By the end, you'll have a brand new demo reel and a custom campaign to showcase yourself to an audience aligned with your career goals.
Explore this Course ➔Illuminate your 3D skills with Lights, Camera, Render! Dive deep into advanced Cinema 4D techniques with David Ariew. Master core cinematography skills, gain valuable assets, and learn tools and best practices to create stunning work that wows clients.
Explore this Course ➔Master After Effects at your own pace with Jake Bartlett's beginner course. Perfect for video editors, you'll learn to create stylish animated graphics, remove unwanted elements, and track graphics into shots. By the end, you'll be equipped for everyday AE needs and more.
Explore this Course ➔Revolutionize your Premiere workflow with customizable AE templates! Master creating dynamic Motion Graphics Templates (Mogrts) in After Effects to speed up your team's work. By the end, you'll craft easily-customizable templates for seamless use in Premiere Pro.
Explore this Course ➔Not sure where to start?
If you’re a beginner, here are some great courses to help you get started:
After Effects Kickstart
Dive into the fundamentals of motion design with our most popular (and recently updated) After Effects course.
Photoshop + Illustrator Unleashed
Master the basics of Photoshop and Illustrator and gain invaluable insights in this introductory level course.
Design Kickstart
An introduction to the design principles behind all great work.
More Advanced?
If you’re a more advanced student looking to up your game, here are some great options:
Animation Bootcamp
Learn the art and principles of creating beautiful movements in Adobe After Effects.
Design Bootcamp
Learn to design for motion in this intermediate-level, project-based course.
Cinema 4D Basecamp
Learn Cinema 4D from the ground up in this exciting introductory C4D course.
Now is the time to learn the skills you need to advance in your motion design career: