Kadyn is a December 2016 graduate who now works as a motion designer at Alpha Video in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. He started at Alpha last July, and most of his work involves creating motion graphics pieces and templates for the company’s clients. His art director typically provides the storyboards and Kadyn brings them to life with animation. Kadyn recently updated his website with a few examples of the work he’s been doing, including this piece of digital signage for a casino. It was showcased at the recent Global Gaming Expo (G2E) international trade show and conference.
Kadyn tells us every day at Alpha is different, which makes it an exciting place to work. As a Bethany student, Kadyn explored a range of software programs including Cinema 4D and After Effects. He also did some scripting. At Alpha, he recently began learning a powerful program called Scala that allows for client customization of interactive digital signage. Being able to navigate a number of different programs is one of Kadyn’s strengths as a motion designer. But this wasn’t an area of design that Kadyn had originally chosen. “I always wanted to be a graphic or web designer,” he remembers. “It wasn’t until I met Amanda Quist that I really found out about motion graphics. I was drawn to the field not only by the challenge of it but also the added level of emotion it brings.”
Kadyn was a focused student and a hard worker in the production studio. “Each of my professors pushed me to be more creative and take bigger risks on projects—they always provided feedback on how I could improve,” said Kadyn of his Bethany experience. “That is what made the media arts program amazing.” He gives these words of advice to current students:
“Take the time to learn and create things outside your classes. Watch tutorials on YouTube or Vimeo and meet with your professors about how you can improve your skills. Some of you might land a job right out of college, for others it may take a few months—that’s okay. The best thing you can do is constantly look for and apply to jobs, even if you feel some of them are below the level you’re looking for. What matters is getting that experience.”
– Kadyn Wishcop
All of us in the studio are most familiar with Kadyn’s 3D work, which makes is especially fun to see these 2D updates! We’ll leave you with a couple more pieces from the G2E event. Keep up the good work, Kadyn.
