NEWBURY PARK, CA — At this year’s 2018 NAB Show, Maxon hosted a luncheon panel session entitled, “Women in Motion Graphics.” According to Paul Babb, president/CEO, Maxon US, the company organized the panel of successful female artists, each working in different areas of the motion graphics industry, to address the struggles of women entering and getting ahead in the industry, and to promote industry role models. A video of the April 9th panel discussion is now available on a new site, Women in Motion Graphics (www.womeninmograph.com). The site is also home to recommendations from each of the “Women in Motion Graphics” panelists for how the industry at-large can welcome more women into the ranks, and aims to provide aspiring artists and professionals with inspiration and resources.
At the “Women in Motion Graphics” session, moderator Tuesday McGowan, a multi-award winning creative director and designer, engaged Penelope Nederlander, Julia Siemón, Caitlin Cadieux, Robyn Haddow and Sarah Wickliffe, in frank conversation about their career experiences, the everyday challenges women face to achieve recognition and gender parity in a male dominated work environment, and strategies women can use to advance their careers.
McGowan opened the panel citing a 2016 survey in Motionographer that polled 30 motion design studios and found the gender gap among animators was to be an average of 79.5% men to 20.5% women. “There’s a problem, and even though there are signs that more young women are entering the field, overwhelmingly, men still dominate motion graphics and have a monopoly when it comes to 3D," said McGowan. "Today, we want to discuss the issues, and why and how we might change the status quo.”
Negotiating wages, mansplaining and being ‘talked-over’, the importance of flexible work time for women raising families, and the need for women to seek out industry mentorship were among the topics addressed in the session with overall encouragement and optimism expressed toward young women entering the field.
“The Women in Motion Graphics panel offered incredibly constructive dialog from top female motion graphics designers on ways our industry can be more accommodating to women,” said Babb. “MAXON is committed to 3D artist education and community building. It is our hope this new website will provide aspiring students and female professionals in the 3D motion graphics industry with resources to help them bolster their careers and maximize their creative potential.”