For this past Black History Month, we wanted to spotlight a young Black person who was making waves in their industry. Though February has since come to a close, with March comes Women’s History Month. What better way to tie the two months together than by spotlighting a young Black woman?
Geneva Hines (@geneva_hines_on Instagram) was our pick. An up-and-coming motion designer who has interned at Solis Animation and Alter Ego Inc and has recently launched her own Etsy shop, Geneva is becoming quite the force to be reckoned with. Her feed is an explosion of colours and designs; immediately, I was enraptured. I could go on and on about her endless creativity and undeniable talent, but I would much rather let her words speak for themselves.
Introduce yourself, please.
My name is Geneva Hines and I am a Motion Designer, Illustrator and Editor based in Toronto, Ontario. My goal is to create captivating and unique designs that tell a variety of stories. I love creating colourful designs, ranging from commercial and brand work, music visuals and TV titles and intro sequences. I am currently in my 4th and final year at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson), in the Media Production program. A fun fact about me is that I enjoy roller-skating during my free time!
How’d you get into your current field of study?
I started editing in iMovie in high school and really enjoyed the post-production world and processes. I then moved into Adobe Premiere Pro in grade 12 where I got to get better at this skill. When I got into Media Production at TMU, there was a first year class called digital media. This class opened my eyes to the world of motion design which completely shifted my focus from editing to motion design.
What exactly does a motion designer do?
As a motion designer I create colourful and unique visuals that move and tell a story. The word animator can sometimes be used interchangeably, however a motion designer works predominately in 2D spaces in programs like Adobe After Effects and sometimes 3D softwares like Cinema 4D.
Examples of my work can be found here: https://hinesightmd.squarespace.com
What is your favourite piece that you’ve created?
I would say the Get Together interactive game intro sequence I got to create was incredibly fun to make. They gave me a lot of creative freedom and allowed me to play around with a variety of ideas while creating it.
Which work (yours or someone else’s) has affected you the most?
There is an artist named Emonee LaRussa in California and she creates such beautiful work that I love. She not only is a two time Emmy-winning motion designer but she is the only Black female motion designer who I have seen in this industry making incredible strides in her career. She also recently started a non-profit to help kids get access to computers and learn digital arts. All in all, she is an inspiration to me and her work is so unique and versatile.
Who inspires you?
Definitely Emonee LaRussa but also another designer based in Australia named Ben Marriot. During the Pandemic, all I did was watch his YouTube tutorials where he would break down his design processes. I have also taken 2 of his online courses that helped me become a better designer. He is absolutely incredible and his Youtube channel inspires me to want to also teach people motion design skills online.
In an ideal world, where would you be in ten years?
In ten years I would be continuing to work on my craft and getting better at what I do. As a life long learner I am constantly updating my skill set and trying out new design strategies. I will also be working with a variety of musicians creating music visuals for them and working with TV shows creating motion graphic intro sequences. I will have won an Emmy for some of my designs and also be an educator in the University system helping students enter the digital design world. Lastly I will continue to add videos to my Youtube channel that break down my designs and how I created them.
What advice would you give to young people today?
The advice I would give to young people today is that it is never too early to start and never too late to begin. If you are interested in something, then go out and do it. Seek out what you are interested in and try everything. I have encountered a few people in my life who use the word “can’t” and I have removed that word from my vocabulary. If you don’t know how to do something, learn it, if you fear you are “not good enough”, practice! Anything is possible if you work hard for it and put in the time and energy.
How do you think that you exemplify Black Excellence?
I exemplify Black excellence by pushing myself everyday to do and be better. As a designer, I constantly push myself to learn and grow. If I don’t know how to implement 3D into my work, I practice it, if I want to become a better illustrator, I start taking time to do that. Furthermore, when I work on a project, I always do the very best I can as I strive for success.
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