"Less is always more in animation": a day in the life of senior animator Jonathan Pui

I’ve recently become a morning person so I’m up pretty early these days. With a sketchbook always on hand, I love starting my day doodling with breakfast. I’ve tried to make a habit of it by spending 5-10 minutes just sketching. Drawing a simple shape like a square or circle, and turning that into something; either a character, a pattern, or whatever else comes off the page. It’s a fun, low commitment exercise that helps generate ideas for the day ahead.

On the commute to work, I’m usually tuning into a podcast. Some interesting motion specific podcasts I’ve followed over the years include School Of Motion, Motion Hatch, and the Collective Podcast. I also enjoy the A Small Voice, a podcast which focuses on photography.

My day at Never Sit Still begins with project dailies, to see what’s on for the day. Each day is different depending on the stage of each project. I could be working on anything from storyboard sketches, look development and style frames, research and development, animation, or battling with the computer with final renders.

A quick game of pool breaks up the day with lunch with the team. I end the day with a quick WIP check in to see what everyone has been up to, set any renders off to render overnight and head home.

My career began primarily in print design in the tourism industry. From there I moved to an agency that serviced a consulting/technology firm. There I worked on all types of design, from printed publications, event booth designs, web design and flash animations. At that time I thought I would stay as a generalist designer.

I learnt Flash (now Adobe Animate) at university and that was a taster into motion. At that time I was a generalist designer and I worked on storyboards for motion graphics. Eventually I started picking up some basic After Effects and gradually learnt on the job. It was a time when I knew I loved the craft and that I would finally decide to focus on motion full-time. I gradually picked up 3D on the job too, spending time working on personal projects in my own time, and applying what I could into projects.

I like the blend of different techniques that end up making something look unique. Inspiration from sketches, paintings, photography, or anime.

The project I am most proud of has been the SXSW announcement video. Together with my colleague at the time Danny Stern, we conceptualised and co-directed the announcement film for the first SXSW Event in Sydney in 2023. To showcase the diversity and scale of this event, we decided on a mix media approach using a mix of illustration styles, collage cutouts, live-action footage with graphical treatment, and character animation. I'm particularly proud of this one as from the start the client trusted us with the creative vision, and allowed us to use various skills throughout the project. The announcement made the nightly news so various outlets featured our animation.

One of the challenges we have with our craft is educating clients on the process of animation. Each phase of the animation process is really important and every decision has a flow on effect down the line. Working with clients to ensure they understand the process and importance of each phase is something I have had to learn throughout my career.

I find that less is always more in animation. With so many elements the viewer needs to take in, be it typography, character, music etc, there needs to be a clear hierarchy. Movement should be clear and with intention giving the audience enough time to take everything in.

First and foremost would be research and development. It’s helpful to see what has been done before, and what interesting areas I can tap into. This is usually a mood board with references, notes and inspiration.

Keep it short. Once you've done the first edit, see if you can cut that in half again. Never go over one minute as people will lose interest.

Show your best work at the front of the reel. Not everyone will watch an entire reel start to finish so you want to make sure you show your best at the start to have the best chance of holding the viewers attention.

Be strict in curating your own work. Show the work that excites you and shows the work that you want to do. You don't need to show everything you can do. You can show personal work too if it is at a high level, and it showcases your passion for the craft. Try and show things that are not just rehashed tutorials.

Show others and ask them for feedback. They have a more objective view on quality as they would be detached from the projects. It’s easy to want to show a project that you know you’ve spent a lot of time on, but that might not necessarily be the best project to show for the reel.

Mike Tosetto and the leadership team have built a great culture here at NSS. It is a tight-knit team with no egos. Everyone's word no matter what level is heard. There is a lot of collaborating and good camaraderie amongst the team. The team is so talented, and I feel there is a healthy level of competition too.

My past few workplaces have all had a strong focus on making the workplace feel inclusive either through initiatives or making sure they are as non-bias in their hiring process. Never Sit Still is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion and I can feel it from the first day I’ve stepped in the door that everyone is welcome and is in a safe place to speak their voice.

I’ve had a few dream clients. More so they were individuals I’ve worked with rather than businesses who share the same passion about your work that you do. I won’t name because of an NDA, but the clients who have the same passion for the craft. They respect what you do and give a lot of trust into what you can do.

It is never too late and don't be afraid to make mistakes. I started my 3D animation journey quite late in my career, but I’ve been dedicating my time to it. Now it has led me to this current role in Never Sit Still. Six years ago I never would have imagined I’d be creating what I can currently create.

In terms of other advice, I'd say stay hungry, it is beneficial to find like-minded people in the same industry. It is people who motivate you.