The True Stories of 5 Created Students
Created students hail from a wonderful range of diverse professional backgrounds. We spoke to five of them about their life and career before Created and where they are since completing their courses and joining the community.
Marty McCrossan
Former Sports Broadcaster and Commentator
Before joining Created’s Motion Design Foundation course, Marty was a television broadcaster and sports commentator, working on global cycling events with ITV and Eurosport. After spending a whopping 20 years in the industry, Marty decided to pursue his lifelong passion of animation and motion graphics.
In 2019, he set himself the mighty goal of retraining as a motion designer and enrolled onto courses at University of the Arts London to get the ball rolling. Despite securing some freelance motion graphics work with the BBC, Marty recognised he needed a course to reach the career ambitions he’s set out for himself.
After learning how to create, model and animate in Cinema 4D on our Foundation course, Marty now believes he is “definitely ahead of his schedule now.” Having just finished the course in January, Marty will now be turning his attention towards kickstarting a career in motion and animation.
What motivated you to make the change?
“When I was young I wanted to be an animator, but courses were limited and animation was a distance from where it is today. I’m forty-nine this year, and finding my way into the motion design world has given me a new lease of life. I feel truly happy when I’m animating or creating, when I see something I’ve created come alive, it just makes me smile.”
Andrius Vizabaras
Former Finance Administrator
While working as a finance administrator at the British Film Institute, Andrius knew he had a creative side to him that he needed to bring out. He experimented with filmmaking and photography, but felt that they weren’t giving him the creative satisfaction he needed and they ended up as passion projects in his spare time.
It wasn’t until he discovered Created and our Motion Design Professional course where he knew he’d found his calling. Since graduating in 2019, it’s fair to say things have gone pretty well for Andrius, who’s been freelancing with our industry partners Electric Theatre Collective, leading him to work on projects with Billie Eilish, 02 and Disney.
What drew you to motion design?
“After researching motion design and seeing how fast-paced and exciting the industry is, I decided to apply for the course! I figured I’d be able to use the skills from my creative hobbies and wanted to give it a go. I had doubts in the beginning, but I went with my gut and I couldn’t be happier that I did. I finally feel like I belong and I’m motivated to keep progressing.”
Alana Matos
Senior Product Designer
After studying psychology and consumer behaviour at Harvard University, Alana realised her skills and knowledge were a match made in heaven for a role in UX design. Her career ambitions brought her across the pond from Boston to the UK, where she studied for a Master’s degree in International Business and held various roles in product design, branding and user experience.
Now working for The Economist as a Product Designer, Alana saw an opportunity to refine her UI skills on the Visual Design Foundation course – and having just received a promotion, she’ll be able to work her additional competencies into her new role!
Why visual design?
“My primary area of expertise is UX and research, so having the opportunity to focus on visual design and UI for three months was very useful and beneficial.”
Olga Romanenko
Former Architecture Graduate
Olga’s design journey was initially headed down a different path. After completing her Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Olga realised she craved something that would allow her to reach her full creative potential, leading her to our Motion Design Foundation course.
Upon discovering her passion for motion, Olga relocated from Germany to the UK to pursue a career in the industry. Having completed the course in December 2020, Olga is already achieving her goals, having found work as a Graphic Design Intern for acclaimed artist, Lauren Baker.
What made you choose motion design?
“During my Architecture degree, I realised I liked design and 3D modelling, but I felt it lacked the creativity I was craving. After I graduated I did a ton of research to see what other creative fields are out there, and then I found motion design!”
Ben Stevenson
Former Bartender
Motion Design Professional grad Ben Stevenson was already pretty deft with Adobe suites and visual effects when he joined us, having graduated from university with a degree in Computer Animation. His determination to upskill led him to motion design, where he completed the course alongside his job as a Bartender.
Creating awesome motion graphics by day and mixing cocktails by night has paid off pretty well for Ben. Since completing his course he’s landed a job as a Video Editor at Guru of Media, where he injects his new motion skills into the video content for Youtube personality, Matt Haycox.
Why did you choose Created?
“I wanted to boost my CV with new skills and more professional work. The mentoring sessions and industry briefs helped me achieve this.”
Welcoming students from all different backgrounds fills us with joy.
Do you feel that inner creative pulling you towards something different? Don’t let it hold you back, we’ll support you all the way.
Could you be next? Take a look at our courses to see if there’s one for you.
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