Ad Land’s Young Guns: Vaibhav Negi, Post Office Studios

Vaibhav Negi is a problem solver and storyteller. He loves art and tech and always works in the intersection of these two fields trying to be a better communication designer. In his career so far, he has worked as a designer and team lead, he gets a thrill from venturing into unknown tech and methods that have the potential to be a great aid to better storytelling.

Currently he is working a lot on RnD in the extender reality space.

In conversation with Adgully, Vaibhav Negi speaks about his journey with Post Office Studios, icons whose work keep him inspired and motivated, long-term career in digital industry, success mantra and more.

What particular skill sets do you think you bring to the table?

I have a passion for art and technology, and I work at the intersection of these two fields to tell effective stories, irrespective of the medium of communication. I get the kicks out of figuring things out, venturing into the unknown and solving problems that require a lot of research, creative thinking and patience.

My absolute fascination for art, cinema, video games, music and literature definitely helps, I have been consuming all of these different mediums of expression very selectively over the years and now I have a decent library of visuals, treatments and ideas in my head that I seamlessly use in my work.

How did you join your current organisation?

I had slowly inclined towards CGI and motion graphics in communication design during my college days, but there was rarely anyone in India who was doing 3D computer graphics.

I was about to wrap up my design degree and was looking for a 4-month graduation project, when I bumped into an opportunity with Post Office Studios. The company was about to launch its first campaign in the 3D computer graphics space for Asian Paints, and they were assembling a team that could make it possible.

Post Office Studios was already doing kickass motion graphics projects in other mediums at the moment and I thought it was a perfect opportunity for me to learn, experiment and grow in a newborn department of a young company.

Icons in this field you look up to and how they have influenced you and your work?

Being a storyteller my inspirations are from a variety of different disciplines, Paula Scher and Aaron James Draplin for traditional communication design. Hayao Miyazaki, Christopher Nolan, Ridley Scott, Edgar Wright, Alberto Milego and Damien Chazzele for their filmmaking and direction. Haruki Murakami, Salley Rooney, Ruskin Bond, Yukio Mishima and H.P. Lovecraft for their writing and world building. Game design is another medium that I thoroughly enjoy and it’s a blend of almost every other art form. Niel Druckman, Kory Bralogand Hidyetaka Miyazaki are some of my inspirations in this field. Finally, modern motion graphics, which is a very new medium. Simon Holmedal, Ash Throph, Peter Tarka are some of the people whose incredible work keeps me inspired and motivated.

What are the five most productive things that you do in your everyday routine?

• Morning runs/ workouts: Helps with motivation and willpower, gives me control of the day.
• Planning the day: Not something very detailed, just a to-do list, so that I can manage my time better.
• Play some instrument: I play very badly, but it gives me a space to learn and fail and I don’t take it too seriously.
• Create something: Creating something daily is important, it doesn’t have to be for the world to see, but creating something daily definitely helps.
• Reading before bed: I love reading, it’s my way of discovering new concepts, emotions and perspectives and that keeps me interested in the world and day to day things.
• Every once in a while, I do nothing, nothing at all. This gives me time and space to think, plan, and relax. This is probably the most important one.

Do you think a career in this field is a viable one in the long term?

The digital space is only going to grow over the years, with newer tech and mediums (XR) on the way, there will be a huge gap to fill for this kind of borderless, immersive digital content. So yes, I think it’s very viable, but it totally depends on the person. One should always be willing to learn and change, time stops for no one. If a person truly loves their craft, they’ll find a way.

What does it take to succeed in a career?

Curiosity, observation, the will to learn and hard work are what I think are the most important. Only time will tell if these things really help me out, stay tuned.

What would be your advice to youngsters planning to enter this industry?

“Stay hungry, Stay foolish”

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

In 5 years, I want to be directing films and games. I want to explore the possibilities of XR and see how far we can push storytelling with it. The future is definitely exciting.

Is there any organisation that you would like to work with in the future?

I am not a fan of huge organisations when it comes to creative work. I always prefer boutique studios and relatively smaller companies, where people have the freedom to easily switch and expand responsibilities, which allows for more learning and growth. Kulfi Collective is definitely one such place, a collection of creative individuals who come together to solve problems and create beautiful stories. Other than Kulfi, I really admire Buck Design, Pentagram, Ustow, Blur Studio, SuperGiant Games for their work.