Meet Desmond Du of Du It Better in Midtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Desmond Du.

Desmond, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was only 15 years old when I stumbled upon a YouTube tutorial about how to clone yourself with a video-editing program. Computers were still novel for the young me in 2009; I was fascinated and curious about this “cloning” video because it never occurred to me that I can use a computer to create content rather than consume them. I was excited to give a try and see how fun it will get.

Armed with my ancient Sony Ericsson walkman phone with a 2-megapixel camera, I recorded my friend performing silly actions in a classroom as footage for my cloning video. I watched the YouTube tutorial relentlessly as I struggled with the video editor. Yet I was determined to see it through. When I presented the final video to my friends, we had a good laugh, and I had a thought:“what else can I create?”.

Following that thought, I later discovered Adobe Creative Suite and Video Copilot which fueled my curiosity and equipped me with the knowledge to develop this newly-found power of mine. I spent much of my time watching even more tutorials and making random stuff. It was immensely fun, yet it was nothing but a ludic pastime. This notion was challenged when my brother-in-law asked me why not pursue that interest and take a polytechnic course after finishing secondary school. I dismissed it for the culture of my home country Singapore advocated for going to junior college as a stepping stone to success. However! The universe aligned the stars and rerouted my destiny with a chance to enroll in a new polytechnic course in visual effects and motion graphics. It came at an opportune time; a few months before my graduation I just knew that I had to enroll in it for the timing was perfect, and so I did.

That diploma opened up my world to digital media and motion design. I was trained in multiple disciplines ranging from graphic design, photography, film-making, computer graphics, and animation. After receiving my diploma, my journey was on hiatus as I went to serve the army for two years. During those two long years, I spent much ruminating deeply about this path less traveled that I embarked on and what comes next. It became apparent that I still love digital design, and I want to pursue it even further.

After a series of both fortunate and unfortunate events, I was able to land a full-tuition scholarship to attend Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)! It was a combination of hard work, serendipity, and patience. Studying at SCAD brought me closer to the heart of the motion design industry which was prevalent in the US. My skill set and knowledge were further deepened as I got to work with wonderful peers and teachers. After graduating in Spring 2019, I was offered a Motion Designer position at WarnerMedia Studios (formerly Turner Studios) to work on broadcast motion design. The projects or the brands I got to work on in the past year were astounding: NBA opening night 2019, NBA Draft Show, NBA All-Star 2020, March Madness, Turner Classic Movies, E-League, and even some Cartoon Network stuff. I even got to see my works several times being used on television, how neat is that! Looking back all these years, I am grateful that one thing led to another and brought me to a career that I am passionate about.

Has it been a smooth road?
My road to success has certainly been a rocky one. My biggest struggle was right after I completed my two years of the military draft back in Singapore in late 2015. I was rejected by local universities to further my studies, I ended a relationship of three years, my design skills were definitely rusty from not doing creative work as frequently as I used to, and finding employment seemed impossible. Those last few months of the year were extremely crippling, and I laid in bed for many days defeated and thinking about my hopeless situation.

It was only a matter of time before I regained my spirit and started working towards my goal of just pursuing my craft even if it means I had to start from the ground up again. I did a lot of self-study by watching tutorials, reading books, taking Adobe Certification exams, starting a blog to teach digital media, and worked on myself industriously. Many times, I thought what was the point of working so hard when my efforts might not amount to anything. I had a lucky break when I got employed by Double Negative to do visual effects for Hollywood films. However, I was naive to think that my life stabilized again as the company branch closed down four months after I started working there. I took some time off to salve my wounded mind and heart after experiencing this tragedy but things were about to change for a whole lot better. Not long after, I was invited for an interview to enroll at Savannah College of Art and Design. With all the free time in the world due to my unemployment, I went for an interview with no expectations; only just to kill some time and figure out my next life plan.

Despite not being concerned with the outcome, I was highly prepared for the interview with my portfolio, accolades, and things I need to say. The next day later, I was informed that I received a full-tuition scholarship. It was unbelievable! It certainly felt like a miracle, and all the trials and tribulations I went through was utterly worth it. My life was changed in that instant; I was given a ticket to study in the US, and the rest was history. The full article detailing this emotional saga can be found here: https://medium.com/@desmonddu/journey-to-a-full-ride-56e1be17c0de

Du It Better – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a motion designer, currently working at WarnerMedia Studios (formerly Turner Studios), that specializes in After Effects, JavaScript expressions, Houdini, and automation. I am known for my penchant and passion for teaching, I often organized software workshops to aid my peers at work or schools.

I even run a software tutorial YouTube channel called NoSleepCreative as of 2020. Half a year in, today I have made 23 tutorials and that has brought me many accolades than I expected including the opportunity to receive yet another full-tuition scholarship to pursue graduate studies at SCAD.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Atlanta is a good city that is not too busy and overwhelming as New York City. I enjoy the peacefulness and slower pace here. The one thing that I am not a big fan of is public transportation because they do not seem very reliable to get you to places.

Contact Info:

• Website: duitbetter.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: instagram.com/desmondddu/
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/c/nosleepcreative

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