Motion Talks: Matt Caldamone.

Welcome back to Motion Talks, our interview series exploring the people, processes, and ideas shaping motion design today.

For our second conversation we sit down with Matt Caldamone, a motion designer whose practice is rooted as much in workflow, structure, and systems as it is in visual expression.

From designing band flyers in high school to discovering After Effects through a post-production internship, Matt’s path into motion was shaped by DIY culture, curiosity, and a love of building things that move, respond, and scale.

In this interview, Matt reflects on the early influence of Motionographer and title design culture, how motion has shifted from post-production craft to a core part of brand systems, and why creating robust tools and templates has become central to his work. We talk about learning on the job, experimenting in small, intentional ways, the power of expressions and procedural thinking, and why understanding workflow and collaboration is just as important as mastering techniques.

Hey Matt. Great to have you here. What first pulled you into the world of motion design?

I first became interested in design during high school. I was in a band and we needed fliers, merch, album art etc, so I learned my way around an old copy of photoshop on my dad's computer. My first exposure to After Effects came during an internship a few years later. I was doing basic grunt work (reorganising the tape vault, cropping and converting images, duplicating DVDs etc) at a small event and media production company. They had a video editor on staff who was only a few years older than me, so I would often hide in his office to talk about music and watch him work. Occasionally he’d let me mess around in Final Cut. Upon learning I was also interested in design, he suggested I check out After Effects, describing it as “Photoshop that moves”. I was intrigued. At the time I was interested in studying both design and film, so it sounded like the exact midpoint of all my interests.

Were there early influences or moments that steered your creative direction?

Motionographer.com was the center of the universe. Probably one of the first ever creative industry blogs in the modern sense. It catalogued great work, studio profiles, job postings, and general industry news. Definitely a daily read from 2008-2018 if you wanted to keep up with everything cool going on in the industry. I’m not sure if they coined the term Motion Graphics, but it was definitely the first place I heard it. Motionographer led me to early work by studios like Buck, Eyeball, MK12, Laundry, Adam Gault, Brand New School, The Wilderness and helped give the industry an identity and sense of community. Another equally influential blog was Art Of The Title, which catalogued great film and television titles of the past and present. Back then, most of us say titles the purest form of design in motion, so it was a constant source of both inspiration and historical context.

Plex Rebrand

Plex needed a functional and flexible motion package that could stretch between on and off air touchpoints. Drawing on their recently redesigned logo and the intrinsic movement of their iconic chevron, we developed an animation system that could flex with their diverse array of content.

When did motion shift from an interest to a clear career path?

I went to a very small college in upstate New York and studied a smattering of art, design, and experimental media. I would always find excuses to use AE for projects, but was entirely self taught. I managed to land a good internship in the city after graduation and walked in thinking that everyone would be a jack of all trades; knowing some design, animation, editing, shooting, 3d, etc. I quickly learned that my fellow interns had all gone to proper art schools and had much more formal training and experience than I did. They were knowledgeable about the industry and how specialized and stratified it could be. They had a focus and purpose to their approach that was both intimidating and illuminating. Ultimately it showed me that I could also hone my skills and focus specifically on the type of work I liked and have a career path within the industry.

How has your background outside of motion shaped the way you work?

In middle and high school I was heavily influenced by the DIY ethos of skate and punk culture. My friends and I were always making skate videos, recording our bands, making our own merch, putting on and promoting shows etc. Through that I gained an interest in design, but more importantly a desire to explore, problem solve, and learn new skills as a means of following my passions. It was also my first real taste of a supportive community based on creative expression, and once you experience that you want it to be a part of everything you do.

Google Marketing Live 2023

"For their annual keynote, Google Marketing asked us to expand the range and functionality of their design and motion language. Knowing everything would have to be made custom for the event and translated by each of their international partners, we set out to create a robust system that was eye catching, versatile, and easy to use."

How has your creative process evolved as the industry has changed?

When I started out, motion design was much more of a post production tool. It existed firmly in the broadcast/commercial post production space as a way of integrating graphic design with film and television. It was more about storytelling and bringing visual messaging into live action narratives. In the last decade or so motion has become an integral part of branding and systems design, which is where I do the majority of my work. Because of that, I’ve come to think of my job as building tools for brands as an expression of their identity. I think of my creative output now as being more puzzle pieces and parts of a whole rather than big standalone pieces.

What part of the process do you always gravitate towards?

I was a lego kid growing up so I’ve always loved building things that move, respond, and react. I think this is why I've always gravitated towards creating toolkits and templates. I’m obsessed with the way things are actually built. I like to get deep in the weeds about workflow efficiency and project structure. These days most of my work ends up being delivered as project files or toolkits that the client uses to create the final expressions of the brand. Because of this I need to pay a lot of attention to both my workflow and the clients, while predicting future use cases or potential shortcomings. I try to always anticipate their changing and growing needs to create the longest lasting and most robust tools, guidelines, and workflow for their motion identity.

How do you keep experimentation alive while juggling deadlines?

I heard a quote from legendary punk/engineer/curmudgeon Steve Albini where he talked about trying one small new thing every recording session. That way you’re constantly learning and expanding your skillset without putting too many eggs in an untested basket. I come back to this as I get older and have less free time after hours to spend at my computer doing tutorials to learn new tools. That's a phenomenal way to learn if you have the time, but I’ve always been much better at learning on the job than in a vacuum. Instead I try to work it into jobs in a controlled manner a little at a time. It provides a structure and a purpose to the learning while keeping it bitesized and not overwhelming. Additionally, working on a team with other motion designers is an invaluable tool for growth and experimentation. Everyone has a different approach, so sitting next to or sharing files with other artists always opens your eyes to new ideas and methods that can help keep your skills sharp.

What principles or techniques do you find yourself returning to?

Learning how to code with AE’s Expression language has made me the motion designer I am today. It completely reshaped my style/workflow/skillset and given me a whole new understanding of the tools and way to approach problems and tasks.

Where are you looking for inspiration at the moment? Any designers or studios you follow closely?

I find I struggle with this often. The old industry blogs aren't the centralized inspiration fountains they used to be, so it feels like I spend more time cheking out studio and artists portfolios for ideas. For brand work I always start with Gretel, Koto, Trollback, Colins, Dixon Baxi etc.

Audible Malcolm X Launch Campaign by Sibling Rivalry.

What trends feel genuinely exciting to you, and what feels like noise?

New tools for procedural/generative//interactive animation. I feel like AI image and video generation is causing a lot of noise. It’s probably not going away, but it’s taking an unreasonable amount of oxygen right now. I’m more lookingforward to the way LLM’s can be integrated into human run tools like programs and plugins to save us all time rather that ways we might be able to make an entire industry out of prompting.

What advice would you give someone stepping into the industry today?

Learn workflow, hone your techniques, work efficiently, anticipate needs and problems, work on teams with other motion people whenever possible.

Thanks for your insight, Matt!

If this conversation has sparked your interest in motion, or you’re looking to add motion thinking to your existing graphic design skillset, our Motion for Graphic Designers course at Shillington Education is designed to help you build strong foundations. You’ll learn animation principles, motion systems, and practical workflows through hands-on projects. All tailored for designers stepping into motion.

Learn more here!