Artists Brian Simpson (left) and Travis Krause (right)

The rigorous Department of Art and Design at Fort Hays State University cranks out spectacular talent. We, at Intake Studios, know this first-hand because we have two alumni on staff. Meet Brian Simpson and Travis Krause. Both grew up in small Kansas towns with a creative eye for design. Fort Hays State University drew each of them in separately – Brian in ‘99 and Travis in ’03, but their paths never crossed.

Years later, both already accomplished motion graphic artists, their professional livelihood brought them to independently seek out Intake Studios, where they would then partner with ad agencies and brands to visually tell stories through their designs. Brian joined the Kansas City office as Associate Creative Director/Motion Graphics Artist. Two years later, Travis started in the Wichita studio as a Art Director/Motion Graphics Artist.

While we immediately noticed the correlation in schooling, other similarities are still unfolding. And it made us wonder what is it that makes a good designer– great? The answer must be in their tiger blood.

Fort Hays State University, whose mascot is a stand-alone Tiger, has a Fine Arts program known for its intensity, demanding only the best from its students both academically and creatively. Brian and Travis each credit the school’s focus on the foundation of design and the pressure to succeed for appropriately preparing them for the challenging world of advertising design. They believe the sheer fast-pace of the school’s program didn’t allow time for second guessing their own creativity or measure. “You worried about the work and didn’t let anything else get in the way,” Brian says. They also credit the school’s remote location to weeding out distractions.

Brian’s interest in becoming a motion graphic designer was sparked by the natural progression of technology many Gen-Xers have grown up with – when the traditional art world merged with computers. While Travis’ career trajectory was altered when he originally enrolled for web development, but found the required graphic design classes excited him more. (He likes to joke that he also wasn’t a gifted coder, which probably helped push him to the other side.) 

When static letters become animated, they spring into the world of motion design. Using motion can breathe life into a still picture or stationary text and blow them into the world of 3D. They are omnipresent, showing up on mobile phones, TV ads, film credits, websites and brand identities. Clients like using them because you can literally create graphics from scratch, and incorporate the brand, look and feel instantly into the piece. In certain instances, building a spot with these elements can even provide a more cost-effective venture than shooting live-action.

Community outreach is at the top of both their lists as well. This year, Travis created and designed a poster, which he then brought to life through animation for AIGA. He also serves on their advisory board, and he frequently uses his screen-printing studio, one that he built in his basement, which allows him to play with a different medium. Brian is a professor of Motion Graphics and Media Compositing in the evenings.

The beauty of it all is that they are both incredibly humble Midwestern guys who just want to do good work. And good work they do! We couldn’t be happier that they are part of our creative team at Intake Studios.

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Stay tuned for our next issue when we peek behind the curtain at the before & after of CGI effects.

WSU is such an integral part of our community, and we are loyal supporters– both personally and professionally!

Hold on, we need to brag for a moment! Talk about making good use of downtime. Take a look at what our mograph artist, Travis Krause, did in his spare time for AIGA! What started off as a collaborative poster effort morphed into building short award clips to liven up the presentation. (You know, instead of just reading boring old names.) Travis took his poster and brought it to life. We’re feeling pretty lucky to have this incredibly talented guy on our team!

View his poster here.

Intake Studios is a video production and motion design studio located in Wichita, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. As a top-caliber creative resource in the Midwest that takes projects from inception through completion, Intake consistently delivers a final product that exceeds expectations.

Housing professionals with backgrounds in broadcast production, graphic design, advertising and marketing, Intake prides itself as being a creative extension to its clients’ abilities. Many of the staff hold national reputations as innovative, experimental animators and editors with a huge range of skills that bring a fresh perspective to all projects that go out our door. Clients include advertising agencies, design companies and corporate firms with various needs including TV commercial production, motion graphics, web video elements and trade show, event and promotional marketing videos.

Intake Studios is a video production and motion design studio located in Wichita, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. As a top-caliber creative resource in the Midwest that takes projects from inception through completion, Intake consistently delivers a final product that exceeds expectations.

Housing professionals with backgrounds in broadcast production, graphic design, advertising and marketing, Intake prides itself as being a creative extension to its clients’ abilities. Many of the staff hold national reputations as innovative, experimental animators and editors with a huge range of skills that bring a fresh perspective to all projects that go out our door. Clients include advertising agencies, design companies and corporate firms with various needs including TV commercial production, motion graphics, web video elements and trade show, event and promotional marketing videos.

President/Executive Director Troy Lott

Hammering out a budget for producing your company’s marketing video, online video or television commercial can feel like solving a Rubik’s Cube, but it doesn’t have to be if you follow these simple guidelines:

Have a budget or budget range in mind from the get-go. A frank and open discussion with your production company, up front, is the best way to get the party started. Production can easily be tailored to fit almost any budget, so the key is to know where your dollars are going and what you truly have to work with. A long-standing rule of thumb for pricing videos equates to $1,000 per finished minute, but costs truly boil down to three overall categories: time, talent and tools.

How do you build a better production budget without sacrificing creative?

1) Allocate the correct amount of time for the project. Essential pre-production needs take up a certain amount of man-hours like storyboarding, script writing, management, planning and preparation. Skimping here only costs you during the shoot or post production.

TIP: Trying to be creative with your budget?  Establishing a detailed outline for your video or providing the script yourself can be a cost-effective way to trim those critical pre-production dollars.

2) Determine the number of talent that appear in your video. How many people are you casting and will you use a casting agency?  Would you prefer a callback session to finalize your talent choices? Are they traveling from other cities? Is your video for broadcast only or will you use it on the web? Careful consideration of these talent questions will help keep your budget surprises to a minimum. Remember, negotiating the best long-term talent deal upfront is more cost effective in the end.

TIP: Using real people to fill the talent roles in your video can be a cost-effective way to trim talent costs. Even if you’re hiring your primary talent, try supplementing other scenes with willing employees, friends or customers.

3) Consider the tools in your arsenal. Whether it’s prime locations, the optimal equipment or seasoned professionals, the tools you use in your production will have an impact on the quality of your video.  Don’t underestimate the power of hiring the right production company to match your expectations! Start by hiring an experienced producer, who will manage your project from concept through completion. If it’s a quality product that you’re wanting, spend money on a great camera that will give you the look you desire. Remember, your video is a direct reflection on the image of your company. Keep in mind: awesome isn’t free!

If you’re still struggling to solve all the facets of your video budget, find a skilled partner that can help you crack the pricing puzzle. You can still get a good product with a smaller budget, you just have to be creative in how you attack it. Having the best-laid budget will make you feel secure and in control and allow you to quickly make decisions on other things that pop up. Confidence in yourself and in your video – now that’s what it’s all about.

Join us for our next issue when we talk to motion graphics artists Brian Simpson and Travis Krause for their insights into how useful a tool motion graphics can truly be.

Intake Studios is a video production and motion design studio located in Wichita, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. As a top-caliber creative resource in the Midwest that takes projects from inception through completion, Intake consistently delivers a final product that exceeds expectations.

Housing professionals with backgrounds in broadcast production, graphic design, advertising and marketing, Intake prides itself as being a creative extension to its clients’ abilities. Many of the staff hold national reputations as innovative, experimental animators and editors with a huge range of skills that bring a fresh perspective to all projects that go out our door. Clients include advertising agencies, design companies and corporate firms with various needs including TV commercial production, motion graphics, web video elements and trade show, event and promotional marketing videos.

Emily is saying goodbye to Kansas City, but not goodbye to Intake. Our Marketing Department is heading west! We wish her the best in her transition to Boulder, Colorado as we expand our reach in this new city & look forward to the adventurous opportunities that await us!

What does “Free Enterprise” look like from over 1000 feet in the air? Like this!

“Free Enterprise OKC” started airing in June of 2012. It contains the same exact copy as its sister spot “Free Enterprise Wichita,” but with completely different aerial imagery of the OKC skyline. We captured this gorgeous footage using an elite Cineflex rig, which is a high-definition camera mounted near the nose a helicopter. If you haven’t seen one, take it from us, it’s a stellar piece of equipment. It’s so intricate that it requires a specially skilled Cineflex operator! We could not have been happier with the shots and the whole experience actually. Pretty clutch if you ask us, but yeah, then again that’s just how we roll. Above is the OKC version and below is the Wichita one. Watch it and see which one is your favorite!

Housing professionals with backgrounds in broadcast production, graphic design, advertising and marketing, Intake prides itself as being a creative extension to its clients’ abilities. Many of the staff hold national reputations as innovative, experimental animators and editors with a huge range of skills that bring a fresh perspective to all projects that go out our door. Clients include advertising agencies, design companies and corporate firms with various needs including TV commercial production, motion graphics, web video elements and trade show, event and promotional marketing videos.