CREATIVITY + DESIGN
My name is Neil Gittins, I AM AN ANIMATOR, DESIGNER AND DIRECTOR for the CREATIVE industries. I thrive on creativity, and I create high-level conceptual ideas and designs.
With over 15 years of experience as a designer and director, I possess a positive, creative mind which is always eager to learn and grow. I am skilled in working IN 2D, and 3D DESIGN. I enjoy being part of a team, leading a team, or working independently. The central themes and ideas are crucial to me, and everything else revolves around them.
MY EXPERIENCE AS A designer include:
Developing creative concepts: Creating original work for animation, MOTION DESIGN, film AND TV
Leading projects: Taking projects from briefing to delivery
Providing art direction: Contributing to art direction, including storyboarding and post-production management
Mentoring junior designers: Sharing guidance on techniques and best practices
strong communication and presentation skills, and being able to justify creative ideas
OTHER skills and experience include:
A passion for animation, motion design, FILM and TV
A strong understanding of animation principles and motion design
FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE OF VISUAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES
drawing + DIGITAL PAINTING skills
Experience using Adobe Creative suite ( AFTER EFFECTS, ILLUSTRATOR, PHOTOSHOp, PREMIER ), C4D, ARNOLD, REDSHIFT.
Excellent time-management and organizational skills
BELOW are my CORE FUNDAMENTAL design AND DIRECTION principles that guide me during MY CREATIVE process.
If you can imagine, you can create.
Failing is part of the process of learning.
Every problem is an opportunity to improve the work.
DIRECTION PRINCIPLES.
What effect or feeling do you wish to create? Name the emotional mood.
What reaction do you want from your audience? Make sure you have this in mind for every decision you make.
What is my subject?
See new ideas by seeing new connections between different subjects.
What are the visual stylistic requirements?
What are the characters thinking & feeling?
Which images or pictures could represent this theme?
Picture making is a reaction. You want to get the audience involved.
The picture is how you visually feel about the idea.
Great picture making whether still or moving will manipulate the subconscious.
Good art should feel like you’re sharing in the artist’s dream, mind, or consciousness.
Design can create rich meaningful experiences.
A good image is about something.
Nature is the ultimate designer.
DESIGN PRINCIPLES.
What colours, lines, perspective, shapes, and values will represent this?
A good picture should have the following 4 basic attributes - Contrast / Idea / Rhythm / Sense of Scale.
You make things meaningful by aligning and organising them.
You take what is there and reduce it to design.
Everything in a picture is a compositional tool.
By showing less you communicate more.
All areas should help to establish the focal point.
Contrast is the key — design where your contrast is.
Work in stages of iterations & build to a finish.
Sketch ideas to see the visual potential.
Use the rule of thirds / golden proportion ratios to compose elements in the frame.
© THE CIRCLE THE SQUARE 2025. All rights reserved.