Sarah Gullickson
Sarah Gullickson
Media Artist / President of Westslope Creative Studios Inc.
Bozeman, Montana
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“I call myself a Media Artist because in my day to day work I do a lot of different things.”
The majority of my time is spent as an animator and illustrator, but I also do work as a graphic designer, video editor, visual effects artist, and script writer. Long story short, I work with companies to develop stories about their brand and products.
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
I’ve always wanted to be an artist. I remember when I was little, my grandma asked what I wanted to be when I was older. After I told her I wanted to be an artist, she said that I should look into other ideas. So after one year in the Paleontology program at Montana State University, I transferred to the University of Montana’s Media Arts program. And in 2014, I graduated with a B.F.A. in Integrated Digital Media. After working for the video production company Complexly as an Associate Producer in Missoula, and a two-year stint in Washington State, I moved back to my hometown Bozeman. I had gained several loyal freelance clients since my time in college, and after I moved back to Montana I knew I was ready to take on my own business full-time.
How do you stand out in your field?
I have a multitude of skills which allow me to be available to many kinds of work and has trained me to be flexible and open to new ideas. I am always seeking to learn new points of view and to grow my skill set. Whether it’s a new trick in After Effects (that I never knew about!) or delving into 3D animation in Cinema 4D. By immersing myself into so many mediums I can effectively and quickly troubleshoot problems and morph to fit a client’s needs.
I am communicative and a very hard worker which has translated to amazing client relationships and I have seen remarkable client retention. Basically, I'm nice!
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
Literally, right this moment, I am working on animation prep for a Microsoft project through one of my amazing clients, Lucy Woodworth.
As far as the big picture, I am working on developing my marketing strategy to reach local businesses and cement my brand in the professional sphere. I’m working on social media assets, print media, and an animated commercial.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
I enjoy creating clean and slick animation, very vector. But, I also really like pops of color with texture. When it comes to motion in particular, I don’t want to notice it. I love it when it wows me, and I can’t see any flaws in the work, just smooth as butter. I love seeing morphing shapes and colors, very hypnotizing.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
I wish I could focus more on cell or frame by frame animation. My day is filled with animation, but it has to be streamlined and is usually completed using After Effects to make the most of my time. When I have the opportunity to work within a cell animation it is so rewarding.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
Lack of time! I love my work and client projects, but I cannot find the time to invest in my personal projects that really show who I am. Can I get a clone please?!
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
I would task them with responding to emails, creating engaging social media content, and researching potential project leads.
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
I would go back to my high school computer IT class. I was constantly harassed as I was the only girl in the class, and called really unkind things. The teacher never intervened and I eventually dropped the class. I would have told myself to talk to the school principal to help with my situation and to stick with the class. I let others get in the way of my education and missed out on an important opportunity to understand the tool that I use everyday for my artwork.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
I would love to know about the animation process for Adobe Animate, formerly Flash. I do not understand the animation workflow and I know it would be beyond useful for projects.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
I am looking for projects where I can assist throughout the animation process. I love taking ownership of style, storyboarding, asset design, and of course animation. I love projects where I’m able to participate in the scripting, exploring voice talent, and music because all of these aspects affect the animation and tone of the product.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
The best relationships are collaborative with lots of communication. Understanding client expectations and goals are essential, as well as respect for my experience. I love asking questions and always appreciate when clients look for more insight as well. Plus, a well thought-out client/artist contract never hurts!
WHAT IS YOUR HOURLY RATE, RETAINER, OR SALARY RANGE?
I am flexible with my rates, but generally my hourly rate is $75.00/hour and my day rate is $600.00. For a fully animated video, for every minute of animation, we’re looking at about $750.00 per minute. This may change depending on the style of animation and what the needs of a project are.
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
Please feel free to e-mail sarah@westslopecreative.com
We can talk about our dogs or if you really want to, animation, illustration, and graphic design.
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Go outside to the mountains and look around.
This member profile was originally published in x 2019.