Newbie on the Spot: App and Web Animator Jonathan Nash

This week we chatted up with Jonathan Nash, total animation pro, and an all-around visual storyteller, who is on his way to an illustrious Fiverr career, creating mesmerizing web and mobile designs. Read on for a drop of inspiration and an insight into the day-to-day of this creative freelancer and fierce Doer.

Who: Jonathan Nash

What: Animator

Where: Edinburgh, Scotland

Fiverr tagline: “I create custom-made 3D promos for apps and websites.”

Hey Jonathan! First things first – tell us a little bit about yourself

My name is Jonathan Nash, I’m a 35 years old animator based out of Edinburgh, Scotland. I make 3D animation, specializing in promo videos for apps. I’ve always enjoyed drawing and painting, but only really discovered the joys of animation about three years ago, when I decided to take the leap into freelancing full-time. It feels like a rapid progression, but considering the feedback I’ve been getting, I feel nothing but excitement and positivity about what lays ahead.

What drew you to the App world?

Last year I made an iPhone pool-like animation which went totally viral. It generated a lot of interest in my work and I have been lucky enough to have had continuous work since then. I feel like I’m still only scratching the surface when it comes to opportunities and I hope Fiverr will play a big part in creating that.

Walk us through your typical day

8:00 AM – Rise and Shine
Even though I work from home, I like to get up early and prepare for the day as if I was still a 9 to 5 worker. So I get up at around 8:00, wash my face, get dressed, have breakfast and my morning coffee and then I tidy up my workspace. I feel like this routine puts me in the right headspace to get work done.

9:00 AM – Work time
I usually start working at around 9:00. I feel like I’m more efficient in the mornings so I’ll set most of my tasks to the AM and assign them different time slots. For examples, 9:00-9:30 I’ll scout for 3D references I like, from 9:30-10:00 I’ll work out the lighting for the scene and between 10:00-12:00 I’ll model the scene and so on and so on. This usually helps me not to procrastinate during the day.

13:00 PM – Break time
I normally take my break at around 13:00 PM to grab some lunch and do any non-work related tasks that need to be done. Basically, I try to stay away from the computer screen and relax.

6:00 PM – At the end of the day…
After my break, I go back to work until around 17:00-18:00 PM. That’s when I take time to respond to email and upkeep my social media accounts. I’m also currently working on a live wallpaper App for iOS, so I like to work towards getting it ready for the launch in the evenings.

Can you spill the beans on the biggest animation trend right now?

Perfect loops are always popular. If your animation can loop back to its starting point seamlessly it is always more satisfying for the viewer and encourages repeat viewing when posted on social media.

What keeps you inspired when you’re not animating?

Instagram! My feed is full of great artists. When I see the kind of creative work people are putting out on a daily basis, it inspires to keep creating and be a part of that.

Why Fiverr?

I needed audio for an animation I was working on when I stumbled upon Fiverr and realized straight away the potential there. I knew I had to create a Gig and start putting my work out there. My goal is to expand my services, reach more clients and start selling on a regular basis. I see people who found huge success on the platform – I would love to emulate that.

Lighting Round!

Video or stills? Video
Android or iOS? iOS
Favorite app: Instagram
Work or play? Work
Day or night: Day
TV or film? TV
Instagram or Facebook? Still Instagram
Rihanna or Beyoncé? 100% Rihanna!