02 → Beth Morris @bam.create
Beth is a freelance graphic designer based in Cardiff, Wales. She specialises in key art, packaging and branding. The below interview comes from a series of emails shared between the two of us.
RTG: How has your graphic design journey looked?
Beth Morris: I would say organic? I’ve always been interested in graphic design. I did an art & design GCSE and spent my teens playing around with Photoshop making edits of my favourite bands. I studied Fine Art for my undergrad at Cardiff Met. I chose not to specialise in Illustration or Graphic Design as I thought I wouldn’t be able to because I didn’t do a foundation course, but that really doesn’t matter! Fine Art really allowed me to play around and explore what I loved doing, which was primarily collaged/photography based, book art and focused on narrative. I was already in a filmic frame of mind! After graduating in 2015 I continued making collages and worked in a polystyrene studio full time. I was still very much film obsessed, entering Little White Lies’ Creative Briefs and still making collage when I wasn’t working.
Then in 2019 I decided to do a Graphic Design MA, over those few years I’d really become more interested in the film world and wanted to pursue it, knowing I’d realistically be aiming for working at a graphic design agency and probably not film focused. Then the pandemic happened. I couldn’t work from home with my job, so I had a lot more free time, and my MA felt primarily self taught. I had a lot more time so play around so I started making alternative film posters on my design Instagram page. I kept consistently posting, trying to make a poster a day for Shocktober and Noirvember. I really started to get involved with the alternative poster world and started making friends and contacts.
In 2020 I took part in a MUBI student competition to design artwork for Peter Strickland’s Cold Meridian and won! I got my first paid job for a short film poster and opening/closing credits in 2021 for a friend and things slowly started from there.
Were you motivated by family or friends to pursue or not pursue a career in it, or was it entirely self-led?
In school I was good at both Art and Maths. Seems strange I know but apparently at lot of people are the same! I wanted to focus on maths and studied accounting for a year before dropping out. The main reason I felt I needed to do this was because I lost my Dad when I was sixteen and felt that was what I should be doing. It always felt like he never took my artwork seriously when I was in school, but now I think maybe he was worried about me making a career out of it. Everyone else in my family encouraged me to study art, it was clear that was what I wanted to do.
Have you ever felt like giving up? Or could you not bring yourself to do anything else?
I think I would always want to be in the creative world in some capacity, I’d rather be happy with my work earning a fair amount of money compared to hating my job but potentially earning a lot more.
What does your idea of contentment look like? Is it monetary, a state of mind, a mix of two, or something different entirely?
I think it’s finding a great work/life balance. That’s something I’m really trying to work on. It’s so important to rest properly to work at your best. I was diagnosed with MS just over a year ago and I’m suddenly so much more aware of the importance of rest and knowing when I need to have a break. And becoming comfortable with letting clients know I might take slightly longer getting back to them. It can still be tough some months, but earning enough to feel comfortable by having projects booked in for the next few months, and trying to keep up that consistency helps.
Do you believe we can find creative contentment in client work, or do you primarily find it in personal projects?
Definitely! It does depend on the project, the client and how much artistic freedom you’re allowed. I always try to add some of my personality and sensibility in what I do. If it’s something really specific slash rigid it can be difficult to feel like you’re including your personality and that’s where personal projects come in for that release.
Did you have a childhood dream growing up? Apparently 1⁄4 of people actually end up in their ‘dream job’. Is it all bullshit?
My childhood dream job was to be a fashion designer so I wasn’t too far off! But I always wanted to do something creative.
Do you think your background, gender, where you live, etcetra have played into your ability to land work or the way you've been treated or are these factors you’ve found haven't mattered too much?
I’m not sure. The way I got into the film poster world has primarily been through social media. I grew up in the South Wales valleys where there weren’t many opportunities apart from travelling to Cardiff. And luckily I had parents who were interested in a wide range of music, films and art. And I was also a nerdy child so I ALWAYS wanted to go to museums/galleries/sightsee. I do wish I’d lived closer to a cinema growing up. My nearest one was in Nantgarw, about 40 minutes drive from where I lived, or I would have to travel into Cardiff which would take around an hour so cinema trips were a big outing. I only really started getting into more indie/arthouse films once I was in university and could go to some indie cinemas.
I do think location has slightly affected some opportunities, I’ve had a couple of offers of interviews for working at agencies which are primarily London based and are unwilling to do hybrid working unfortunately. But I also like being my own boss, not having to pay an insane amount for rent and working in the indie world, although I do wish I got offered more horror film projects, it’s a genre I love and I sometimes wonder if I don’t get approached as often because I’m a woman.
“I do wish I got offered more horror film projects, it’s a genre I love and I sometimes wonder if I don’t get approached as often because I’m a woman.”
Do you find you’re paid equivalently to the value you bring?
It’s something you have to think about as you evolve as a designer. I try to increase my rates yearly, and I’m getting more confident at sticking to a rate as I do know my worth. Of course there are still some clients who expect you to work for free or very little but it’s very rare and I never work for free. You get better at working out your worth and what the client wants, and if you can make something their their budget that fits their vision.
Do you find clients misunderstand or misinterpret what goes into the service you provide them?
Sometimes? Again I feel it’s quite rare for me, most clients I work with understand my work and what I’m bringing to the project. Sometimes I do have to remind clients that I can’t just work on endless comps (compositions) for them.
Do you have a form of moral code to how you decide on clients to work with, or do you think that’s more of a luxury we can't usually afford? That is to say: Are you willing to sacrifice income for peace of mind?
I don’t think I’ve experienced this too much yet. But I do let clients know if I don’t think I’m the right fit or if I know of other designers/illustrators that better suit the project. But if a project came up that didn’t align with my morals I wouldn’t work on it.
In terms of the future do you feel glass half-full, or half-empty about generative AI?
I’m not anti AI, it’s definitely helpful with a lot of things. But it shouldn’t be taking over the creative world. It should be used as an aid, not something to create which unfortunately is happening more and more.
Do you see A.I. as a growing threat to your job security as a creative?
It does feel like something smaller/indie filmmakers might choose to use more and more which is a problem. As my style tends to be more analogue and tactile, it hasn’t affected me too much yet, but I know how detrimental it is to illustrators which is so horrible. It devalues all art and people expect to pay less and less for it. My worry is just the slow homogeny of AI design and the laziness of relying on it in general. How anyone can think it’s creative or freeing just doesn’t understand the joy of play and the process.
“It devalues all art and people expect to pay less and less for it.”
How similar is your job as a freelancer to how you once perhaps imagined it on the outside looking in? Were your expectations close to the reality of the job?
I think I went in with fairly realistic expectations about the ups and downs of getting work in, and I’m good with constructive feedback, you can’t be too precious about your work. But the amount of admin and replying to emails really does take longer than I initially expected. And stay on top of your accounts and taxes!
Do you feel theres an aspect of your job you think doesn't get enough recognition, what is it and why?
I think connecting and showing your enthusiasm for what you want to work on and the spaces you want to work in. Whether that’s publicly or showing your face at festivals, screenings events. And celebrating fellow designers/illustrators is so important! Don’t gate-keep, I’ve been lucky to work on lovely projects thanks to other designers recommending me, and I hope to do more of the same for other designers going forward!
As a freelancer, how do you personally account for self-doubt and burnout, especially when having to work to client deadlines?
I still struggle with this and ensuring I give myself time to switch off between projects. Self doubt is so difficult, particularly scrolling socials. You just have to remember that all you’re seeing is the best of everyone, not the amount of work everyone has to do to get there. It’s a cliche but it’s like seeing a swan on the water while it’s swimming furiously below or the tip of an iceberg.
“You just have to remember that all you’re seeing is the best of everyone, not the amount of work everyone has to do to get there.”
How do you handle clients, do you have a written contract, or is each project handled on an individual basis? If so, has it changed a lot over the years?
I’ve got a fairly good process now, it took a few years to realise unfortunately which has meant a few nightmare projects ending in no payment or clients expecting endless edits and designs. Before I start on a project I try to ascertain exactly what the client wants and how realistic that is with their budget.
I also ALWAYS ask for an upfront deposit in case there are any issues once I’ve started working on designs or if they change their mind about working with me. It’s protecting me so I don’t end up working for free and if something does go wrong, I’ve been partially compensated for my time.
Sometimes this is difficult with larger clients, but most of the time they are happy to do this. A written contract is something I’m in the process of setting up, so it’s easier for me to send to clients when I start a project and will hopefully be less admin on my end.
Can you discuss a time when you had to compromise your creative vision for the sake of a client's request or project constraints? How did you navigate that situation?
Working to constraints usually produces more creative designs for me! With a lot of projects I work on or short films, some projects will just expect me to work with only the film so I don’t get any additional stills. Or sometimes I have to be careful in case a likeness can’t be used or only certain images can be used. Sometimes if it really doesn’t work out I’ll leave the project. An example was my artwork for the Percy Jackson series. I was already aware that there would be constraints and restrictions working on this kind of project as it’s Disney. I had to be careful using images and likenesses, and I also had to be careful showing weapons due to the target audience. So with more agency based projects, you have to go in knowing there will probably be constraints and you need to think of everything, and don’t take it personally.
I imagine freelancing full-time can feel quite isolating, even with networking, and socialising with other creatives, is there a particular way you’ve found to work around this?
It does feel quite lonely, particularly being based in Cardiff when most of the UK film design world is based in London. But there are so many freelancers working everywhere, it’s great to chat to other designers/illustrators and get feedback/vent/just chat about film stuff online. And it’s great meeting people in person when I get the chance to! My local indie cinema Chapter is my favourite place to go, either for a solo film trip or to meet up with fellow freelancers, and making a trip over the border to Bristol for other film events and socialising!
If you could time travel back to the start of your design career, what wise advice would you tell yourself as a beginner?
Keep on top of your books! And don’t worry, your enthusiasm shines through and the right people will see your work. Also you’ll get to work with Peter Strickland (No I’m still not over this).
Looking ahead, do you have any clear aspirations, or goals you wish to achieve in the next couple of years?
I’m still aspiring to get to work on a Criterion cover. I’ve got my first UK blu-ray release coming out later this year which has been a huge goal of mine too!
Beth’s socials:
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