Jack Sewell is a busy freelance designer / video editor based in London and joined our crowdsourced design network in April. He also comes from a music technology background and enjoys sound design and creating ambient electronic music.

“tell us more about creating the motion graphics for NCsoft at gamescom 2009.

The motion graphics work was for the film that was broadcast on the stand’s projectors. I had to cut together a punchy film which the animation was part of. It basically involved a lot of particle emitters and lights to bring life to the assets I was given for the game. The gamescom gig is a great big run around for me. The main job is on-stage camera work (for live performances and prize giveaways), but I also have to create a film to represent NCsoft’s presence at the show.
The gamers all love the games they put out and the stand is enormous. It feels like one big party, it’s great.

If you could time travel what time would you travel to & why?

I reckon it would have to be a little glimpse of the future. Just to see when they sorted out the technology for the hover-board in ‘Back To The Future II’, “Hey McFly, you bojo! Hover-boards don’t work on water!…..Unless you have POWER!!……..HAHAHAHAHA!” Classic.

What most influences you in your work?

I always love designers and artists that have a strong sense of space about them. There’s a landscape artist called, Caspar David Friedrich who really brings so much quiet to his work. So much so that your mind (or maybe your heart) makes up the rest of the environment itself. You’re stood there with him in the end, and you get a wonderful sense of sharing and communication from it. I find that incredible…………….now who’s for a verse of ‘Kum Ba Ya’?

Nick Knight is also a massive inspiration to me. It’s so easy to be seduced by his pieces. He can produce sensuality just as well as grit and aggression. I also love the fact the he’s doing a lot more film. I always find it really interesting to see someone you’d associate with image, design and photography, producing live action. It’s great to see that his artistry, in terms of its buoyancy and spirit, is consistent in that medium too.

Does creating music give you the same buzz as designing?

Blimey, that’s a hard question……I’d love to say that I prefer the buzz I get from design, as it’s where I’m putting all of my energy at the moment. But whenever I’ve made some audio I’m happy with, I’m on cloud 9. Although, making music does tend to take it out of me. I have to work really hard to produce something convincing. I think that’s mainly because I don’t have a very good musical foresight. It’s a sense of space that I work from, and so that can take a long time to chisel out.
I think I’m doing design more now because it relaxes me. There’s a lovely rhythm to working an image and conceiving design.

Some of my audio can be heard at: www.myspace.com/jojs

What question would you ask a designer?

‘Why do you do what you do?’