Hello, I’m James May, over a decade in the industry and I still struggle to settle on an official job title so just choose one from the list below:

  • Freelance 2D Motion Graphics Designer
  • Illustrator/Animator
  • Mo-Grapher (Eugh)
  • Video Person
  • Pixel Nerd
  • Hipster
  • “I don’t know I think he makes Youtube Videos” (he doesn’t)

I do this

  • Script-writing
  • Styleframes
  • Illustration
  • Storyboarding
  • Animation
  • Editing
  • Sound design

I did this

I have been working within the motion design industry since 2004, having graduated from the University College of the Creative Arts with a First class BA honours degree in Graphic Design.

The first three years of my career were spent working as a full time motion graphics designer for a number of studios in central London. I then went on to work freelance for a wide range of studios and agencies up until 2010.

I began to focus on infographic and explainer style videos and animations whilst also working on the occasional music video production and large scale theatre visuals. I also enjoy working on print/layout design projects however I have not had the opportunity to work on as many of those as I have animation and motion design jobs.

In late 2010, as a result of moving out of London, I began to work remotely, both for agencies and directly with clients. This came with the advantage of being able to move to Spain, but came with the challenges that remote freelancing brings. Fortunately, or unfortunately considering the circumstances, the world has recently been forced into a crash course in remote working and this has provided me with the opportunity to connect with other agencies and clients that previously would have been off-limits.

I am not going to write off returning to a traditional office/studio environment, but for now, remote freelancing is absolutely perfect for me as it gives me the opportunity to work with people from all around the world on a wide range of fun, creative, exciting and challenging projects.

I also do this

I have fully embraced the hipster label that is almost intrinsic to this line of work. I snowboard, own a longboard, have a vinyl collection, drink craft beer and believe that the 90s were the greatest era to be alive (all the cliche boxes ticked). I’m a retro video gamer, paint miniatures, still use my minidisc player and restore/upgrade old nintendo handhelds and game cartridges in what little free time I have.

I also have two young boys who are my world and their existence has added lego, drawing monsters, slides (just slides in general), Thomas the Tank Engine and hide and seek to my fairly long list of ‘hobbies’. Whether motion graphics and animation becomes one of their interests is yet to be seen but if ever a brief comes in for lego robots or ‘who can throw the most sand down the big slide’, I’l let them take the art director role.

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