Meet Dan Stiglmayer: Animator and Motion Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dan Stiglmayer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dan, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
The motion design and animation industry is a very supportive community. From fellow co-workers to artists I’ve met online, their willingness to share insight, constructive criticism and technique has helped continue to inspire and improve my work. I think the majority of talented people working in the animation field are excited and also very open to share their experience and skillset. This helps other artists excel, but also continues to push the boundaries of motion design. 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I grew up in New York City. Street art was always so prevalent that it was impossible to ignore and I fell in love with it. It became my main source of inspiration when learning to draw. Ever since I was a kid it’s all I wanted to do and so, my dream was to be a comic book artist… I came close. Having started out in the mid to late 2000’s, the motion design landscape wasn’t as defined as it is today. Many artists, such as myself, were generalists with a developed ability to composite, animate and to some degree- create visual effects. Learning software and techniques was challenging due to the lack of online information or ease of access to it. In order to get good I just worked really hard. I spent countless hours analyzing motion and absorbing what I could to learn. Once I felt confident with my 2D skills, I jumped into the world of 3D and was instantly hooked. If I had to define my work, I’d say it’s illustrative 2D animation with stylized 3D. I love mixing the two mediums. It gives me so much flexibility to create interesting movement and transitions in my work.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
You can’t come to South Florida and not check out the beach, so that would be a must on an almost daily basis for anyone visiting. I live near Delray Beach, which is one of my favorite places down here. The beach is great as it isn’t too crowded and just a quick walk from the downtown area. I feel it has almost everything you need from the coastal beach vibe, awesome restaurants and bars, to shops, gardens and museums. Subculture is a great spot for coffee and a snack. I’m a diehard fan of mexican food, so you can’t go wrong with Rocco’s Tacos or El Camino – my favorite. Both have great food and a solid bar scene as well. If you’re looking for a change of pace, the Morikami museum and Japanese Gardens is a great place to check out. .

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Sending a shoutout to Battle Medialab and all the awesome people that work there. Thanks to their creative support and vision, I have been encouraged to create some of the most ambitious work of my career. A big thanks to three very talented artists and good friends who have long been a source of support and inspiration. Oscar Bastidas, Jesus Suarez and Carlos Hidalgo. Last but not least, a big thanks to my mom who has always believed in me and supported my creative growth. Thank you.

Website: danstiglmayer.work
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dan.stiglmayer/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danstiglmayer/
Other: https://www.behance.net/danielstiglmayer https://vimeo.com/danstiglmayer

Image Credits
Jordan Jack Animation – Produced at Battle Cognex Deep Learning – Produced at Battle