Hugh South is a mod through-and-through. It’s his Vespa parked outside. There’s nothing the guy can’t do when it comes to motion-graphics, 3D modelling, and compositing. When a client comes to us with a challenging brief, Hugh’s going to rock it.
Hugh sat down with us to chat about his career to date and his ideal brief which involves Hugh’s band performing as the headline act at Glastonbury.
Tell us about your career path and how you ended up at JMS?
I have a Degree in Fine Art and an HND in Graphic Design. I got into motion graphics by being offered a job by ITV Westcountry (back then Carlton TV). I was making title sequences and also working in the News Room on news graphics. Title sequences allow you to be very creative and working in news teaches you to work fast, so it was a good combination.
There was a lot of restructuring going on in ITV regions when I left (2003) and jobs weren’t very secure, so I took the decision to move back to Norfolk where I had more family and spent a few years working freelance. Eventually I worked on a permanent contract with a web-based company called Real Time Content near Ipswich. Their primary concern was developing a piece of software for delivering interactive video online. Ultimately, I missed working in broadcast and being in a design led environment, so I was very happy to find work with JMS (2010).
How would you describe your role at JMS group?
Senior Motion Graphics Designer/Editor/Creative ideas/Pitching/Tea making. This video best describes what I do:
What is a typical project like for a Senior Motion Graphics Designer?
One of the joys of my job is the variety, so If a client comes along with a style they’ve seen and liked somewhere it’s a nice challenge for me to take that as a basis and turn it into something that is original for them. There’s not necessarily a ‘typical job’ but the closest you might come is having a logo, a few assets, a thread of an idea and two/three days to turn it into a pretty advert!
Tell us about one of your favourite projects that you have completed to date
Obviously the most fun jobs for me are the ones where the client gives you an open brief to experiment. Possibly my favourite was a project for Anglian Water called ‘Innovation’. In terms of assets there were lots of disparate elements of varying quality that had to be tied together. Fortunately the company were happy to move away from the standard branding and it gave me the opportunity to play with some new ideas. I like creating particle effects and bridging the gaps between 2D and 3D, so I developed a style full of depth and glow that hopefully evoked technological advancement.
Are there currently any particular trends in motion graphics?
There’s always trends in motion graphics. From grunge style, glitch effects, whiteboards and 2D infographics etc. Some designers have their own niche style but personally I like the variety.
How do you ensure you create the right animation for a client?
By listening to their needs first and foremost and thinking about what is most appropriate for the intended audience. We have plenty of creative meetings to throw around ideas and work out what hits the brief best.
Even if a client doesn’t have brand guidelines, I’ll always make sure the end product ties in well with the rest of their identity and website.
What has been your most difficult project and how did you overcome it?
No comment. With a lot of patience!
Who would be your ideal client and what would the brief look like?
‘Hi it’s Rickenbacker guitars. We have an unlimited budget and we’d like JMS to make our new worldwide commercial showcasing our entire range of instruments. Our only condition is that it features Hugh’s band performing as the headline act at Glastonbury.’
You can connect with Hugh South on LinkedIn here.
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