23 questions!

Reading over the A-Lists, one thing comes through time and time again; creatives truly are creative. Meet Sarah. Multimedia extraordinaire. T-Shirt crafter. Animator. Circuses. How can so much fit into one person? Let's find out.

What sparked your passion for design?
The realisation that in the end, you had something tangible that other people could see and enjoy.

How creative were you as a youngster?
I was into crafty type things when I was young – mainly sewing and papercraft. Then I went through a decidedly non-creative phase, where I wanted to be a forensic scientist. Luckily I gave that idea up! I also dabbled in stand up comedy for a few years when I was a teenager– a completely different kind of creativity!

Do you come from a creative family? Were they supportive of your desire to be a designer?
My mum was always rather creative. She was always sewing or knitting or painting or whatever else and had her own market stall for a while, which I used to work on since I was old enough to count. I guess I grew up knowing that you could earn money from making things. My mum is very supportive – she’s always asking me if I need anything knitted for my personal animation projects (She once knitted me a battleship to go into a music video!)

My dad is a computer programmer so he leans more towards the technical side of things. We’re very competitive, so we’re always arguing over who is working on a better project at any one time. We could never work on a project together though – we’d probably kill each other. I think he’s rather proud that I can support myself by doing something he could never do – not that he’d tell me that, of course.

What sort of education and training have you had?
I did a BA in Media and Communications at the University of New South Wales and then a Masters in Animation at RMIT University.

Who did you want to work for when you first entered the industry?
At first, I just wanted to work for myself, from a home office, making films and music videos. Now, I still want to do that, but know that sort of work is not in high demand, and so in-between, I like doing studio work for clients that know what they want, but at the same time, allow for a certain amount of creativity.

Tell us about your first project and what do you feel about it now?
I’d done little freelance projects during uni – mostly websites, but the first big project I got after graduating from my animation degree was a fully animated TV commercial with a ridiculously tight deadline. I worked my pants off, trying to get it finished, to the point where my housemates didn’t think I was actually sleeping at all. Now, I know of millions of ways I could have made things better, or worked faster and more efficiently – but at the time, I put everything I had into it and was pretty pleased with myself in the end.

What is your preferred software to work with and what has been the greatest advancement in technology over the past 5 years? My preferred software is definitely Flash and Final Cut Pro. Together, we will take over the world! The greatest advancement would have to be either how powerful laptops are getting, meaning I can do my work anywhere and at any time – or phones with email capability, so I can look like I’m always at work when I am in fact eating an ice-cream at the beach.

What are the various mediums that you’ve worked with and is there any that you would like to explore? I mainly work digitally – but that being said, I love photographing or scanning in found elements and textures for use in animation. That way, it always has a handmade quality to it, which makes it seem more real. I’m aiming to work on a new personal film that uses these techniques. I’d also like to explore stop motion animation a bit more and get back into crafty stuff like sewing and designing t-shirts.

Is digital technology going to eliminate the need for print?
It’d certainly mean more work for me is it did! But really, I don’t think it will and I don’t want it to either. There’s something about holding your work in your hand that makes it seem more real.

Whose work do you really admire and why?
That’s a huge list! To name a few – Michel Gondry, Jamie Hewlett, Studio Ghibli, Sara Fanelli, Pixar, Banksy and Jonathan Nix.

Who has been the greatest person that you’ve ever had the pleasure of working with and what have they taught you? I can’t narrow it down to one single person. The greatest group of people I’ve had the pleasure of working with are ANIMATION CLUB!!! – a group of people I studied animation with at RMIT. We joined forces and have since made films and music videos together. What we’ve produced is an example of what can be achieved in a ridiculously short amount of time by a group who are only in it for the love of creating.

What has been your greatest achievement so far?
Earning a living from doing what I love. Having films and music videos played on TV and in film festivals around the world.

How would you describe your work?
My own personal work is cartoonish, childish and uses lots and lots of colour.

What are your plans for the future?
I hope to visit Japan later in the year to immerse myself in Japanese design, pop culture and general insanity. More long-term, I aim to expand my own projects while working freelance on the side.

What sort of company would you like to work with next?
Any company that know what they want, but at the same time, allow for a certain amount of creativity.

What is the best/worst thing about being a designer in Australia?
The distance between Europe and us seems to answer both of those.

In your opinion, what is the greatest challenge the Australian design industry has to face in the near future? It needs to take itself seriously and realise that it can produce work just as well as the rest of the world and needs the opportunities to allow itself to do this.

What is your creative outlet outside of design?
Circus, music and t-shirt making.

What is the best designed bar in Melbourne?
Robot. Any bar that has as many tin robots on the shelf as bottles of alcohol has won me over.

What are your top 5 websites at the moment?
http://www.theanimationclub.com
http://www.etsy.com
http://www.ffffound.com
http://www.oneinchpunch.net/
http://www.cartoonbrew.com/

What CD are you currently listening to and is it any good?
Man Bites God’s album ‘Peppermint Superfrog’. It the perfect album to perk you up when you’ve had a long day. Quirky, poppy and silly – just how I like my music to be.

If I was a font, I’d be...? Wingdings


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