Today we’d like to introduce you to Brad Hodgson.
Brad, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always created art and video… ever since I was a little kid. Whether it was making movies with the big old-school VHS camera, painting, or fumbling my way through early 3D and animation programs, I loved it all. I worked jobs through my teens, 20s and 30s painting murals, building fixtures and furniture and then finally, in the early 2000’s I decided to go to school for film production.
Halfway through the program I realized I really wanted to focus all my attention on animation. The problem was the school didn’t have any real animation curriculum, so with the help of my professor, I created my own electives and did my own studies for credit. Once I graduated, I got hired at a small commercial studio in Kansas City, Mo. as the lead motion designer. I was still super green, but it was the best thing for my career because I literally was THROWN into the fire and had to figure things out on my own. I had to learn how to work patchbays, tape machines, manage crazy deadlines, foster client relationships, practice rigid time management and multi-tasking skills on multiple jobs at once, etc. I worked at that studio for several years where I did well and worked with some great people and clients. One of those clients was a national brand that stayed with me when my wife and I moved to Austin where she originally was from. I was hired at a larger studio called 1080 downtown and brought the large client with me. A few months after joining 1080, the company went under. As I saw the signs of trouble, I realized the industry was moving into more of a file-based delivery system where you didn’t need the expensive tape machines, large machine rooms, and personnel to run it all anymore… so I started Perfect Form in 2012, crossing my fingers the client I had brought with me to Austin would stay with me to start my new venture. They did and my first job at Perfect Form was a large holiday job for them that made me confident I had made the right decision… and then, after that one job, I lost the client due to the agency losing the account. I worked hard to integrate into Austin, find new agency clients here and began to office out of of BLK MKT studios where we still operate from. We have built many 2D/3D animations, commercials and videos for many national brands over the last 13 years and I still love the aspect of making art that solves problems or makes others happy. I’ve always said I love making friends with the clients I work with… to me that’s the best part of the job. I love when collaboration between Perfect Form and our friends turns art into something we both love and helps the end client provide the solution they were looking for.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Nope. Haha. It was tough going to school in my 30s when my wife and I were married and trying to do regular life. It was tough getting thrown into my first lead motion job right out of school and feeling totally over my head. I slept at the studio so many nights and was on the verge of giving up so many times when I couldn’t get a tape machine to work correctly when the tape had to go out by 6am the next morning… or I couldn’t get an animation to come together when the agency was due in the next morning. I remember so many times having clients in my room viewing progress of an animation… and then me switching off the monitor while they had lunch so I could shift to a different project and finish something else that was due in an hour.
Then, when I finally went out on my own with Perfect Form, I immediately lost the one main client I had that I was anticipating would help fund my startup. By then we had out first daughter and I was so afraid I had made a horrible decision.
But I kept on, slept at the new office more times than I can remember to try and build a network here in Austin. I also stayed in contact with my old clients In Kansas City and flew back constantly to try and keep relationships with them. That worked as well and so there were several retainers with old Kansas City clients and new clients that helped grow the business. The industry has changed now and so there are new struggles that still constantly pop up, but I love what I do so much and I love working with others to create art we are all proud of.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Like I mentioned, I’ve always worked in art. I painted and sketched at an early age, I made and edit movies as a kid/teen with the old-school VHS shoulder cameras, made short films and animations that screened in festivals, and created digital art for work and for exhibitions for many years. At Perfect Form, we handle edit, but we are known for 2D and 3D motion graphics that is stylized and focuses on artistry. I’m so proud of so many things I’ve built, but a few are: a large title sequence for a CNN show about the Pope, another title sequence for a Cold Case files show on A and E, lots of large nationional brand commercials, a PetSmart campaign with Christopher Guest and his Best in Show talent… so many fun things. It’s all my favorite. Haha. Perfect Form has been in Austin for a long time doing 2D/3D motion so there is expertise involved… we are known for concepting and creating really stylized/cool work that helps win accounts and exceed expectations, but I think most importantly, I still really like working with people and making friends and making it easy to work through the process of the job… whatever that job looks like.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
I guess just put the work in early on meeting people and making friends. Most of my work comes from the friendships I’ve made or word of mouth. It can be a tough industry to build something in because the industry is constantly changing… people move to different agencies/firms, or the nature of the industry just changes constantly. But I still really believe in the value of working together with people who are eager to create or solve a problem. It’s fun to figure it out along the way and use art to do it. I also think it’s important to focus on what you do well and build a little pocket around that as a value… and then believe in yourself and just sell that value while you make friends doing it.
Pricing:
- Nowadays it all depends on project, client or budget. In my mind there isn’t any set way of doing it anymore.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://perfectformdesign.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-hodgson-65409914/
Image Credits
Photo of Brad Hodgson by Annique Hardin
Artwork by Brad Hodgson
