Creative and Practical Use of Animation Skills with Andrei Myshev

Andrei Myshev
Andrei Myshev

The saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words”; this is perhaps most true because images can circumvent the need for language differences which separate so much of the world’s population. Visual perception can imply much about intention with an overt clarity. Animated images in particular have an ability to elicit positive feelings while communicating ideas. Andrei Myshev understands the power of this and is exceedingly gifted at utilizing it. His work has been seen across the planet in nearly every country due to his work on award-nominated productions like TV’s The Barkers and films such as Fantastic Journey to Oz. One of the great benefits of being an artist who works off-camera is the ability to freely collaborate on diverse projects while utilizing the same skill set with varying levels of creative freedom. An animator like Andrei finds today’s professional environment one in which the opportunities for work allow him a range from feature films to commercials and nearly everything in between. Declaring that he’s never considered another profession, Andrei finds himself one of the lucky few who has attained an internationally successful and fulfilling career in the arts.

When digital health company Rally Health wanted to communicate with users about the services they offer and the possible benefits of it, Andrei partnered with Akili Shine (founder and creative director of Robeson Parks, a Los Angeles based, full-service film and television production multimedia company) to create a video that would achieve this without the need for navigating pages of dry text. The key ingredient to this end is injecting personality into this video while relaying pertinent information succinctly. Andrei served as a motion designer as well as contributing certain illustrations for the video and explains, “Rally Health has a strong design. You must follow their style strictly. At the same time, I wanted to make it cartoonier because I believe it works well for the acceptance of information. This type of video was pretty formal and included a lot of information. Character animation and smooth transitions involve viewers in the story and give them the opportunity to receive this information easily.”

Working with highly established companies necessitates representing them in line with their brand aesthetic. The role of someone like Mr. Myshev is to spark interest with a video that maintains that tone. He notes that he finds these types of boundaries inspiring rather than constricting. Collaborating with Emmy Award Nominated animator Vasil Hnatiuk (of Sponge Bob Square Pants) on a video for American Express, Andrei was essential in creating the “Fly now, earn later” with Delta SkyMiles campaign. Andrei informs, “I received the script from Vasil and illustrations were the first step. Most of these projects have a process that involves revisions in order to hone what the client really wants. For me, every day doing this is a chance to sharpen my ability to understand what the client is imagining…and allows me to work with other artists like Vasil whom I have great respect for. I consider myself very fortunate to be a part of this process and I truly enjoy it. It’s all a part of being a creative professional these days.”

On a project for Yookasa, as part of Infografic Studio, Andrei was the art director, illustrator, and motion designer for this production which displayed how Yoosaka’s service benefits users for different types of businesses. A sign of his elevating prestige within the industry, Myshev oversaw the work of several other designers for the thirty-second long ad. The versatility of what Yookasa is presented in a calming color scheme and characters with mass appeal. With this project as with so many others, clarity is key in what consumers experience through watching what Andrei has created and he recognizes this. He offers, “There are so many possibilities when you’re telling any kind of story. What is most important in my work is that I understand both ‘what’ and ‘how’ the companies I work with want to be perceived by the public. It’s a great responsibility that is placed on me and I treat it as such. I’m quite fortunate that this also allows me to dig into my creative tendencies.”

Writer: Coleman Haan