Always remember “Who you are” — Bradley G Munkowitz

R: Can you introduce shortly yourself?

Gmunk: Hello I’m Bradley G. Munkowitz.

I’m a Director and Designer currently based in Hackney, London — I moved here from San Francisco about 18 months ago. I’ve been doing mostly Commercial and Music Video Direction for the past 4–5 years, prior to that I worked for the motion graphics industry for the last 10 years, freelancing and staffing as a Design Director for some of the top motion studios in the

world.

My career started in Flash Animation and Design in the early 2000’s working with the freaks at Vir2L Studios both in Rockville Maryland and London, England. Some of my favorite projects through the career were definitely the Design Direction for the Holograms and Opening Titles for the Feature Film Tron Legacy, and also serving as the Design Director on the Projection Mapping film BOX, which blew up the Internets a few years ago — on both projects I learned more than all the others combined, just amazing experiences all around.

Tron Legacy

One of the proudest thing I directed were many parts of animation, titles and UI in Tron Legacy.

R: Do you do some ritual every day outside of work?

Gmunk: I do a nice workout ( Rowing Machine and Boxing ) at the GYM every morning so I can get a nice burst of energy throughout the day, my work hours are usually pretty weird, I start around Noon or 1pm and finish late late late into the evening, it suits my creative flow a bit better. I like it when it’s quiet and dark.

R: How do you manage to do work with incredible brand such as Audi or GoPro?

Gmunk: I have reps in both Europe and North America, who showcase my work to agencies and brands etc and that’s been very helpful in getting the commercial work rolling.

I think more importantly, I’m trying to define a signature style and technique that separates me from the rest — THAT’S the tricky part, having a unique identity so your work feels original and something brands and agencies will seek out as fresh and current.

R: How did you learn designing incredible things with computer graphics? Any road-map to follow or advice?

Gmunk: There isn’t a path to follow other than just subscribing to an incredibly hard work ethic, and an unwavering thirst for learning, growing and experimenting within your own sensibilities. It’s easy to say don’t follow the money-earning potential and stay true to your own aesthetic, but we all have to pay the bills etc, it’s always a tough balance.

I’ve found that LEARNING is what brings me more happiness than money, or recognition etc — it’s learning new techniques and tools, and pouring over new references that inspire new scenes and ideas — all of that stuff is the secret sauce for staying engaged in your career.