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Pepper Talk with Chris Dowding
Come along as we get to know Chris Dowding, a motion graphics designer who works on several government contracts, and is coming up on his one-year Pepperversary!
1. Do you have any nicknames?
Not nicknames exactly, but I’ve used a few aliases when playing DnD, or other TTRPGs.
2. What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
I am the exact opposite of a morning person, so I usually wring out every last ounce of sleep I can before I have to start the day.
3. What is your favorite part about working as a multimedia designer?
The problem-solving process in After Effects is really engaging. There’s never a dull project, but I never feel out of my depth either.
4. How did you get started in this industry?
Kind of by accident! I studied Interactive Media and Game Design in college, but when I started using After Effects for real in an animation course, I just liked it better than most other tools we used.
5. What are your favorite tools of the trade? What are the worst?
In addition to After Effects, I’m a big fan of Photoshop and Illustrator, though I can be a bit nitpicky about some shortcomings of their integration with AE. By contrast, using programs like PowerPoint for animation feels extremely underpowered.
6. Do you have a set process when working on a new project?
I like to get a lay of the land, picture how things will go in my head, and then identify what areas might be the most difficult, or any areas where I don’t have a strong idea of how I’m going to attack them.
7. Rapid-Fire Round:
Caffeine or no: Nope
Sweet or savory: As I get older, I lean more towards savory
Favorite TV series or movie: Hunter x Hunter
Favorite place to travel: Road trips and/or national parks (see photos)
Hobbies: Board games, travel, and music
8. Okay, admission time… What company does an amazing job at creating videos for marketing purposes?
I go by a motto with design: If you don’t know what to do, just do something similar to Apple. It’ll never fail.
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Thanks for taking the time to get to know Chris. As always, stay tuned for next month’s Pepper Talk to meet another member of our team!