Meet Matthew McCleskey | Animator & YouTuber

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

Hi Matthew, why did you pursue a creative career?
I chose to pursue a creative career because I have always been a creative person. Growing up I made so many different types of videos, art projects, and music that being creative became part of who I was. I made stick figure animations, stop-motion Lego videos, and so much more. All of these were posted to YouTube at some point, so I feel like I have always been on a trajectory leading to where I am today. When it came time to select a career path, I didn’t see how I could do anything besides channel that creativity. I believe I am extremely lucky for my passion to have become a career as finding success on YouTube can be difficult.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art exists in the form of animated comedy videos. However, the animation is unique in that I film it for real on camera, and then draw over a few frames for each shot. A program called EbSynth interpolates those drawn frames to match the rest of the shot. You get a fully animated shot with WAY less drawing.

I got to where I am today by making videos entirely for fun. I was learning a lot, and having a lot of fun in the process. I enjoyed the creative process, and a growing audience on YouTube enjoyed the output! I just kept going and it eventually became a viable career.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
On a week-long trip to Houston, I would take a friend to some of my favorite spots. The Zoo, Hermann Park, and Miller Outdoor Theater would make a great day. If you’re lucky, the Oh My Gogi! food truck will be nearby for dinner!

The museum district is also a great outing for a day.

I would also take them to eat at some of my favorite places: First Watch, Annie’s Hamburgers, Torchy’s Tacos. Los Tios, and I’d be down to try a new place. It’s hard to miss in Houston – that’s what I love about it!

I don’t want to over-schedule the trip – leaving time to relax at home is also very important!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
One of the people who deserves some recognition in my success story is Joel Haver. He is another creator on YouTube who developed the particular animation method that I use. Instead of keeping it to himself, he released a tutorial video explaining his workflow in an effort to democratize the medium and inspire creativity in others. As soon as I saw this video go up, all of these ambitious ideas that I had been sitting on had become an instant possibility. I didn’t have to worry about finding the budget to make good-looking, live-action films, but now everything could be stylized and animated without the necessity of drawing each frame by hand. All of a sudden, any idea I came up with was entirely possible. I love the mindset of sharing art and the ways to create that art with everyone. More art is a net win for everybody. That’s why I owe success to Joel Haver and continue to be inspired by him.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewmccleskey.gif/?next=%2F

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mccleskey_matt

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfBLdldyxStkLfACw2Zqoaw

Image Credits
Matthew McCleskey