Vitaliy Yakin

It was the love for cinema, video games, comic books and music that brought me to this field. Our profession dwells at the crossroads of modern technologies, digital art and entertainment. It’s pretty hard for me to label what I do as “a job”. For me, it’s more than that. It’s a whole new world that was opened to me when I was just a kid. Movies, video games, comic books and music. These things interlaced in my heart and resulted in my profession. It’s a great joy not to be limited in what you make up and create. That’s the reason why I decided to become a Digital Designer (Motion Graphic Designer).

My job is really versatile. For the past 15 years I’ve been lucky to take part in many different international projects. I have experience in several CG directions. Such as film, TV, commercials, music shows, 3D Mapping Show and and so on. For the past 3 years I’ve been focused on making video content for well-known brands like Apple, Microsoft, Logitech, Samsung, Loewe and many others. I help to present the product in a way that people would really like to buy it. I create the first impression of the product, using my knowledge and comprehension of film directing, animation and design. I guess this is how I would shortly describe what I’m doing right now. This is my approach. My business is not only about CG production. It’s more about creating these first emotions before purchasing a gadget (commercials, product presentation), watching a movie (opening titles, teaser, trailer) or even presenting your idea.

Motion Graphics. Because it combines the majority of CGI professions. Knowledge in this field can literally guide you all the way from an idea, script, film directing to animation and final cut/production. In other words, I can create an expensive movie all by myself. That’s thrilling.

The one that meets all the professional criteria. Design must be difficult to make but easy to perceive. It must contain attention to detail, typography and composition. Design has to be beautiful as well as functional and being able to meet the client’s requirements and expectations.

Mainstream. Full CG content with 2D and digital art elements. My design style is the way I work. It’s a skill to generate ideas and solve tasks using directing and animation tools. And following the latest trends in design.

Any of my projects starts with the idea. The original thought is what important. First, I come up with the idea, then I prepare a hand-scratched scene selection. I try to use paper in order to visualize what I’ve made up in my mind. Only then I can proceed to production. The first step is planning where timing is of crucial importance. It’s vital to understand the amount of work that needs to be done in the given time. After that, a lot of aspects can be foreseen. I move on gradually, completing tasks one by one. Any clip or visual effect is always created step by step. It looks like playing a “construction set”. This is how I create video content.

My sources of inspiration may vary. There’s a huge range of them. It depends on the project’s task. Motion Design is a field of commercial content production. The Internet, for instance, is a great source of knowledge and inspiration. But you gotta know how to use it. My work is similar to being a doctor. My inspiration is my knowledge. The ability to solve different tasks really inspires me.

That’s an interesting question. There’s a ton of modern trends. The latest I can recall are AI Generated ART, Surrealism, Colorful Retro Illustrations, Virtual Reality and so on. Basically, these are visual solutions or styles. They can be trendy for some time or not. For the past few years video content for social media platforms is in great demand. TikTok and Instagram format: simple and bright clips. New trends are also driven by the development of new technologies and advertising mediums.

Thank you so much! Oh, it means a lot to me. It’s my personal victory that gives me the feeling of professional recognition. It’s a great motivation to move further, after new achievements.

LOEWE was a very interesting project. It’s a great responsibility when the client fully trusts you as a director and designer. But it’s also a great chance to prove yourself. The task was not only to tell about the new LOEWE product. This video tells about the incredibly immersive surround sound which is achieved through the work of two devices. We were thinking how to depict surround sound without using any clichéd visual solutions. I’m a musician myself and music often inspired me at work. Suddenly I came up with an idea: why don’t we portray sound as the sound wave of guitar strings? So it became the starting point of our scenario for the promo. That’s the thing I wanted to carry out. Pretty bold, considering the fact that we used a product that LOEWE doesn’t make (a guitar) in their “product video”. But the client liked this bold idea that other metaphors just amplify the main image. So we used the idea.

To show everything we’ve planned within 45 seconds. It’s always nice to show the idea from different angles but it’s really important to stick to the timing plan.

As I said before, winning really motivates me. Taking part in a contest like that is my personal challenge. Winning it is the victory over myself. Moreover, it raised me as a professional in the eyes of my colleagues and clients. It means playing in the big league - high responsibility but great pleasure.

1. Art can be a successful business. 2. Self-realization and self-identification. 3. Opportunity to be in trend of technologies.

The USA is the world’s center of cinema, modern digital design and technologies. This is where you have an opportunity to be at the peak of trends and technologies. This is where you can really realize your potential as a Digital Artist.

I suppose that in the nearest 5-10 years we will be witnessing the implementation of AI all around. It will mark the beginning of great changes in the industry and will teach us how to think and work differently. It’ll be the first step to something completely new and different.

Fear nothing. Only a bold man is willing to put his best foot forward when it comes to achieving success. So you definitely should reach out for the award that you deserved.

I would recommend traveling more, exploring the world with your own eyes. If you enrich your life mentally and spiritually, you’ll be able to find all the necessary sources to solve your working tasks on a new level of proficiency.

I’d like to take part in different festivals as a judge. I have rich professional experience, including teaching and public speaking at different events. So, It would be interesting to use my experience while judging a contest.

My family inspires me. My wife and two kids is my circle of strength. They share my ups. My job makes me forever young, meaning I can be closer to my kids. I can inspire them and they inspire me.

Never give up and never back down. It’s hard to think of a wiser piece of advice.

I do. I hope we will be seeing soon. I’m going to be back with new victories and talk about them in our next interview. Thank you so much. See you.