MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Matt Osbourne
"Why Graphics Matter"
By Regina Osime

When the economy slows, so does company spending. We typically hear about the layoffs and business closings that result, but there is another often overlooked group that courageously endures the impact - independents. While the need for independents may actually increase during economic downturns in some instances, there are still other financial barriers independents must overcome. Matt Osbourne, an independent motion graphics designer, discusses the challenges he has faced over the past two years as a freelancer.

“I think there is a misconception that freelancers don’t have any overhead, but we have the same equipment, software, and other business costs that traditional companies have. In fact, a freelancer has to wear many hats: a sales person, a CEO, a project manager, and of course, whatever trade they may be involved in. I like to joke that I’m the president and the janitor of Keyframes Design - my “company.” There are advantages to using freelancers. We do have less administrative expenses that can reduce costs and I think we can provide a greater level of individual service to our clients.”

Matt sees the multimedia industry heading more towards outsourcing in the future because it helps producers reduce their costs, and the reduction in equipment costs is making it more feasible for independents to produce high quality material on a low budget. He says the industry is getting accustomed to a workflow that includes desktop computers rather than expensive high-end gear. “While there will always be a high-end, the capabilities at the desktop have greatly improved over the last three years, especially in the field of motion graphics.” Matt’s tools are Macintosh-based and include Photoshop, After Effects, Electric Image and Maya for 3D. He also uses Final Cut Pro with 40 minutes of uncompressed storage and BetaSP IO.

As a graphics designer with over 15 years of experience, Matt has helped clients deliver their messages in virtually every medium. Today he focuses on motion graphics for video, DVD, CD as well as interface design for the web. “I see a lot of web sites out there that could use some sprucing up. Sometimes you don’t need all the bells and whistles, you just want your site to look good. I’d like to provide clients with an economical way to improve their web presence.”

Matt sees high quality graphics as being a crucial element to a successful and effective production, especially with video.
“I feel strongly that quality graphics can make a piece, and poor graphics can ruin it,” Matt cautions, “Oftentimes, its looked upon as a luxury or add-on. But quality graphics are not as expensive as they used to be, and things are turned around quicker, so I would encourage people to ask around before they rule out graphics for budget reasons. When you consider the costs of purchasing stock footage, additional shooting and editing time, a graphic solution may deliver more bang for the buck.”

Matt’s been involved with MCAI since IXL was still named Creative Video, where the projects that he worked on won awards and nominations. He sees being a part of IXL’s public offering as one of the greatest accomplishments of his career. “There were a lot of very talented and dedicated people who worked hard to achieve that goal and I’m extremely proud to have been a small part of it. Although I would have preferred things turned out differently, it still doesn’t diminish the effort.”

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