Check Out Ryan Laux’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Laux.

Hi Ryan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been a creative person for as long as I can remember. As a kid I loved drawing, building, or finding ways to be crafty, and that quickly transitioned into making some of my first stop-motion animations and videos around the time I was 10 using my dad’s 8mm tape camcorder. Disney movies were a huge inspiration for me, especially “Mary Poppins”, and I was enamored with how they used some of the earliest VFX techniques to merge live-action with stop motion and hand drawn animation.
I was obsessed with figuring out how I could make my own version of what I saw on screen of the movies I watched, and always watched the behind the scenes features on DVD movies I’d get over the years. To me it was so interesting to see how Hollywood approached a particular technique, and how I could shrink those techniques down in my own way. I started making VFX short films with friends and family in my early teen years, and frequently asked teachers to make videos for my school projects instead of papers.
Flash forward a bit, I got a jump start learning tools like Adobe After Effects & Premiere Pro at a vocational high school where I’m from in New Jersey. I spent lots of extra hours following YouTube tutorials and learning from early VFX training sites like videocopilot.net (which is crazy that almost 15 years later, I got to meet the site’s creator at a Filmmakers convention!). I continued learning through my undergrad, during a videography internship at DreamWorks Animation in 2016, and throughout my first job in NYC at a PR/marketing agency called MMWPR, where I was an in-house content creator working on brands like Nikon, Kelly Blue Book, Marshalls, & more for over 7 years.
During the pandemic I stumbled upon a creative’s zoom call and digital coworking space called Edit.Party, which little did I know would put me on a wild new path now living and working as a VFX freelancer in LA. In 2021 I moved across the country to live with a group of other freelancers from the community, which opened up an insane world of opportunities, from creating resort content in the Maldives, producing the intro package for Miss Universe in El Salvador, and finding a niche in the live events and coverage space. I’ve been able to connect with other artists from across the globe, and have even had meetups with my digital friends in Bali and Europe.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have had the support from family, friends and educators at such a young age to be able to turn my creative interests into my career today, and generally speaking have had a pretty smooth path to where I am today. I think the largest challenges come now as I navigate what might be the right way to sustain a career in an artistic industry, with so much about what we know changing so quickly between advancements in AI, economic changes, and business shifts. I do my best to stay on top of learning the latest tools and techniques, but it’s definitely easier than ever to feel burnt out, especially now as a freelancer and independent content creator.
I’m finding that social media & dopamine addiction can be a very real thing, and as a creative it becomes so easy to get imposter syndrome and think your work isn’t strong enough when there is so much great content out there. I think the biggest challenge for me right now is learning to turn off the noise, let my creative mind wander, and trust the process more.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
For most of my career I’ve considered myself a multi-disciplinary content producer, primarily creating short form work for the social media pages of many brands and companies. While working at MWWPR I wore many hats, from coming up with fun motion graphic animations, shooting and editing launch trailers for new products, leading lifestyle and commercial shoots as a DP & photographer, and working with celebrity talent at PR events and commercial sets. Much of the time I’ve worked with a small team to produce high level videos, which I absolutely love as I get to be involved in every facet of production from writing, directing, shooting & editing.
Although I strayed away from a career as a VFX artist at a larger, more traditional studio, I always find a way to add some VFX & animation magic to all the projects I work on. I’ve recently found a niche in on-site VFX content creation, which means I’m tasked with creating fun composites and animations for live festivals & shows, sponsored parties, and corporate events, typically with an overnight or 1-2 day turnaround time.
I’ve also gotten really into hyperlapse photography, which in a way ties together photography, stop motion animation, and VFX editing, all of which I enjoy the most. I think it adds such a unique perspective when creating event recaps and social-first content, and I love getting hired just to create those types of shots to hand off to a more seasoned recap editor.
I think what sets me apart from others is always looking for a way to evolve and level up what I can offer clients. Whether it’s using 360 cameras in creative ways, incorporating AI tools to create things I wasn’t able to before, or mixing elements in ways people haven’t seen, I strive to create something unique for anyone I collaborate with.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
If you’ve read this far, thank you! I love connecting with other artists and getting inspired, and recently have been posting my own content and short tutorials on my Instagram page @ryanchriscreates. I’m excited for what opportunities may be ahead!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ryanlaux.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ryanchriscreates