@Escape_Studios follow: @BerkShop

An extended conversation (more than 140 characters) with our Twitter followers. Five questions finding out more about them and what they feel about the industry, with @TobyJOYdigital our Social Media Manager.

Hi Berkshop, what's your real name and where are you working?
My name is Jonathan Berkey and I work for a mobile software company in the Boston, MA area.

What is your role in the company, and what projects are you involved with?
I produce media content in the form of video and motion graphics.  I am involved in a wide range of projects that may come in, from internal training and support, to marketing and promotional content, to partner videos and customer paid projects. I am the only video/motion producer on staff, so my role and responsibility spans any video content needed within the company, from very simple to the complex. I am involved at every level from concept to completion. 

Why did you become interested in CG and how did you get started?
My interest in CG really derived from wanting to make my videos look better. I got hooked to everything visual, soaking in all that Motionographer and other related sites had to offer. One of my favorite inspirations is the work of Rob Chiu aka The Ronin.   

Where do you see your career progressing, and what lies in the future for the VFX industry?
Ideally, I would like to get more into the commercial world, I love visioning projects and collaborating and creating great work. On the other side I love people and their stories and have deep passion for documentary style projects. Although the most important thing to me is to grow, and be continually challenged. 

Do you have any advice for our students on how they should get into the business?
My advice for students looking to get in to this type of work is to keep an open mind. There are a lot of opportunities out there that you can gain valuable experience from, that may not fit your current idea of a dream job. I started working in Film and Television, and now my work is primarily corporate, but the longer you are on the path the more clear the road becomes, and you will find your niche in the industry. The important thing is to stay motivated, and eager to grow creatively

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Jonathan and we look forward to exchanging tweets in the future.

If you are a keen tweeter and would like to be featured in this series of @Escape_Studios Follows on our Blog, please follow and tweet us or leave a comment on this post.

See you in the twittersphere!