We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ian Taylor Schlitz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ian, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?
I run a 3D animation studio, primarily using the software Mine-Imator. Prior to starting my studio, I made Minecraft animations for fun on YouTube. I started animating in 2017, and was picked up as a freelance animator in 2020 by a studio that made Minecraft server trailers. From 2020 – 2022, I worked with various editors and content creators to create animated trailers and advertisement for Minecraft servers and in-game vendors. As I amassed a greater following on YouTube, I begun receiving animation orders from content creators, specifically for their Minecraft machinima YouTube videos. So to answer the question, I acquired my first client by being present on YouTube and showcasing my art. Popular content creators I’ve worked with include IShowSpeed, Moosecraft, Tubbo, I’m Shiba, Indawgnito, etc.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
To begin, I am 20-year old Learning Technologies Ph.D. student at the University of North Texas. Prior to this degree, I acquired my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Tarleton State University. I was homeschooled for what would be my K-12 experience, which is where I discovered 3D animation through Minecraft parodies online. I used to repeatedly watch a video titled “I am believing – A Minecraft Parody of I got a feeling” by Lachlan, and was inspired to make my own animated videos. My YouTube channel is called BeinBian, and this is where my animation journey began in 2017. I started with making random meme and skit animations, until I stumbled upon a sub-community called the “MGB community”. MGB stands for Mine-Imator Gladiator Battle, and essentially involves two characters battling each other, almost as if they’re in a fighting game. I really loved the idea of making action animations, and Mine Imator allowed me to explore that interest.
As mentioned in my previous answer, I got into freelance work in 2020. It ranged from server trailers, advertisements, YouTube intros, etc. The following link showcases some creative works I’ve done under my name / studio: https://beinbianstudios.carrd.co/. Throughout my channel, there are many many videos I have created throughout the years that consist of educational content (tutorials) and action animations. Once again, my name on YouTube is BeinBian.
I’d also love to talk about my amazing friend group. My closest friends are ones I have yet to meet in person, and live all around the world (Canada, USA, & Indonesia). I’ve known them since I was 12 years old, and we actively talk nearly every day. We made a “studio” (nothing official) titled Old Dog Studios, where we would make funny / meme animations based on inside jokes within our group. I wouldn’t be the animator / person I am today without them.
I am most proud of my growth as a creative, and an instance of this is “Aether”, a animated music video my team and I worked on for Indawgnito, a content creator who pulls millions of views on average. Another thing I’m very proud of is working alongside a Minecraft partner to produce a trailer for their product on the official Minecraft Marketplace. That trailer addon is titled “Fantastic Pets – Minecraft Addon” by Tubbo.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
My story begins in 2017 when I published my first Minecraft animation titled “Guy and Dragon”. I built my audience throughout the years by consistently creating animated videos and action sequences, to which I amassed around 6000 subscribers. Where I really began taking off was around 2023, where I created my studio and began creating tutorial content on YouTube. I made many fan animations and Minecraft adaptations of trending topics at the time, such as my animated adaptation the “A Minecraft Movie” trailer. My advice is to explore how you can apply your craft to relevant topics, as a means to showcase your artistic talent. You need to identify hooks, and then retentions comes from your artistic value. I am still growing, so I’m sure I have much to learn; but this approach has skyrocketed my channel growth!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
While there are few lessons I’d say I had to unlearn, one of the most significant ones was the hustler’s mentality of “always accept client work.” In creative spaces, you will encounter clients who have unrealistic timelines or budgets, and I had to unlearn the idea that “any order is better than no order”. Learn to say no. Your art is only as valuable as you price it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.iantaylorschlitz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianw.ts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IanTaylorSchlitz/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-taylor-schlitz-b8aa0a186/
- Twitter: https://x.com/BeinBianAnims
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@beinbian
- Other: https://beinbianstudios.carrd.co/
Image Credits
N/A. All made by me.