Jack Vaughan Podcast

Jack Vaughan
  • 5.0 (3)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Conversations with heroes and colleagues in the world of Software, Design, and Motion.

  1. FEB 15

    Jonny Burger | Remotion, Programmatic Video, and Agentic AI

    Today I'm speaking with Jonny Burger, the creator and founder of Remotion, a framework for making videos programmatically with React. In other words, making videos with code. I reached out to Jonny a few weeks ago to book this interview. Two days later, Remotion went viral in the Claude ecosystem when they released agent skills. Almost overnight, Remotion had thousands of non-coders prompting videos into existence. They went from a fairly niche developer framework to suddenly having three-quarters of their users be non-technical people one-shotting videos with AI. For someone deeply interested in agentic video, it's one of the clearest real-world examples of early agentic video becoming practical. We go back to the beginning: Jonny's original intention with Remotion, the first use cases, and how it's evolved over five years. We cover the stack (React, headless Chromium, FFmpeg), source-available vs open source licensing, and why Remotion focuses on being composable with other tools rather than building a full After Effects replacement. We also dig into the Claude skills wave, what's needed for AI to understand motion better, the Lottie and Rive integrations, and where Jonny sees Remotion in five years.

    1h 22m

  2. FEB 14

    Ben Fryc | 3D Artist and Designer at Framer and Creator of Knob Keyboard

    Today I'm speaking with Ben Fryc, a 3D artist, motion designer, and creative who's worked with Google, Figma, Loom, Wealthsimple, and now, for the last year, at Framer.I've followed Ben's work for years and really admired it. It's been exciting to watch his 3D and motion craft bring even more polish and energy to Framer's already stellar brand over the past year.In our conversation, we dove into his first year at Framer, the tight-knit marketing/video team, how he collaborates with folks like Andy Orsow, and the creative process behind their in-house work. We also covered his tool stack (Cinema 4D, Redshift, After Effects, Plasticity, and where each shines), the shift from freelance to full-time, his fantastical Knob series (and the role of Joseph Sims' sound design in elevating it), the wild journey turning those renders into real hardware with Work Louder, and where AI fits (mostly conceptual, not production).We also spoke about his personal work building the Knob keyboard, from "how hard could it be?" to shipping Batch 1: the compromises, community momentum, and what he'd tackle next with limitless resources (like a dream mouse or desk takeover). I really enjoyed this interview. Ben's a great guy. So I hope you do too. -- Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Ben Fryc and His Work 01:43 Joining Framer: A Year in Review 04:24 The Creative Team at Framer 07:31 The Role of 3D in Framer's Brand 10:30 Creative Process and Collaboration at Framer 13:32 Experimentation and Learning in Design 16:24 Tools of the Trade: 3D Design Software 19:13 Challenges in 3D Design and Production 22:16 The Intersection of Speed and Craft in Design 30:12 Navigating Project Timelines and Client Work 31:13 The Challenges of Scoping Projects 32:31 Pre-Production: Aligning Teams and Feedback 33:46 Rendering Techniques and Tools 34:11 Exploring Plasticity and the Knob Series 35:29 The Role of Sound Design in Visual Projects 38:16 From Concept to Creation: Designing a Keyboard 43:09 The Power of Willing Ideas into Existence 49:11 AI's Role in Motion Design and 3D Work 54:58 Looking Ahead: Future Projects at Framer

    56 min

  3. JAN 28

    Justin Taylor | Hyper Brew, Bolt, Open Source and Adobe Plugin Development

    Today I'm speaking with Justin Taylor, editor, motion designer, and founder of [Hyper Brew](https://hyperbrew.co), a company that builds plugins and automation tools for creative teams. If you listened to my conversation with Adam Plouff, you'll know that Adam builds many of his tools on top of something Justin created called the [Bolt frameworks](https://github.com/hyperbrew). Adam makes the tools. Justin makes the tools the tool makers use. This episode goes deeper into the development side than most. We talk about what "pipeline" actually means at studios like Buck, how the Adobe plugin landscape evolved from expressions to CEP to UXP, and how Justin turned open source into a business model. If that's not your world, the conversation opens with his journey from churning out product videos to automating the boring parts, and closes with where video tooling is headed (AI, Figma acquiring Weavy, and whether we'll all be writing our own tools soon). ## Topics Discussed - From shooting product videos to automating the edits in Premiere Pro - Working at Verasity CoLab and sharing tools with a mid-size video team - Getting ProIO on aescripts and meeting Lloyd Alvarez - Meeting Zack Lovatt at SIGGRAPH and the Adobe dev community - Working at Buck as a creative technologist on pipeline development - What "pipeline" actually means at studios like Buck - Building tools for Cinema 4D, Figma, Nuke, Maya, and Houdini - The early days of Adobe plugin development before proper documentation existed - Going full-time with Hyper Brew - The tagline evolution from "software solutions for video" to "we automate the boring" - Working with Eric Moore from Brand Autopsy on messaging - Adobe Video Partner Program and testing beta builds - The Adobe plugin landscape: expressions, ExtendScript, CEP, and UXP - Why Adobe moved from CEP to UXP - How Bolt CEP became Bolt UXP, Bolt Figma, and Bolt Express - Getting funding from aescripts, Figma's Creators Fund, and Adobe - Custom tools for clients: image recognition, OCR, custom captions for a sports league - Languages used: JavaScript, C++, Rust, Python, Lua - Why extensible tools (Premiere, After Effects, Figma) win over closed ones like Affinity - Klutz GPT and why Hyper Brew doesn't use AI for client code - Custom vs off-the-shelf tools: 50% vs 100% - Remotion and agents for video - Figma acquiring Weavy Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Justin Taylor and Hyperbrew 01:44 The Journey to Tool Development 06:42 The Evolution of ProIO and Its Impact 12:26 Building a Community and Networking 15:15 Understanding Pipeline Management in Large Agencies 23:37 The Role of Technical Directors 24:54 Transitioning to Full-Time with Hyperbrew 26:49 The Evolution of Business Taglines 29:27 Understanding Adobe Partnerships 33:03 Custom Tool Projects and Automation 37:18 Navigating API Limitations in Video Tools 41:28 The Importance of Extensibility in Software 43:54 The Adobe Plugin Landscape Explained 48:59 The Development of Bolt and Open Source Contributions 55:35 The Evolution of Open Source Projects 58:51 The Benefits of Open Source Development 01:01:12 Custom vs. Off-the-Shelf Tools 01:01:13 AI in Custom Tool Development 01:04:32 The Future of Video Tools and AI 01:15:37 HyperBrew's Vision and Future Projects

    1h 18m

  4. 09/02/2025

    Danny Perry | Plugin Play, AI Development, Agentic Motion & a New Motion Marketplace

    Learn more about Danny at https://www.dannyperry.me  Learn more about the podcast at ⁠https://jackvaughan.com Today I’m speaking with Danny Perry — Founder of Plugin Play — historically a plugin development company and just recently expanding to be a new marketplace for motion and video pros. We spoke about - How AI development has evolved in his organization — particularly agentic-accelerating dev and org speed. - Comparing dev & motion - and the need for similar support/agentic power - What it would take to get motion to this point-agentic editing & motion - AI in products - Future of Plugin Play and bringing a new marketplace of tools to the community By the time this podcast goes out, Danny will have launched the new chapter for Plugin Play, and I'm really excited to see where it leads. Summary (AI generated) In this conversation, Jack Vaughan speaks with Danny Perry, founder of Plugin Play, about the evolution of the company and its integration of AI in motion design and development. They discuss the impact of AI on productivity, the importance of customer feedback in feature development, and the future of motion design tools. Danny emphasizes the need for project files in generative AI and the challenges posed by the lack of training data. They also explore the development landscape for motion graphics and the significance of UI design in creating effective tools. In this conversation, Jack Vaughan and Danny discuss the intricacies of building web tools, particularly in the context of motion graphics and UI design. They explore the challenges of creating user-friendly interfaces, the interdisciplinary nature of motion and code, and the future of software development with AI integration. Danny shares insights on the upcoming projects for Plugin Play, emphasizing the need for a cohesive platform for motion tools and the importance of user feedback in shaping their offerings. The discussion also touches on the evolving landscape of software development and the role of AI in enhancing creative workflows. Chapters (AI generated) 00:00 The Evolution of AI in Development 07:29 Transforming Daily Operations with AI 13:24 Agentic Editing and the Need for Project Files 19:17 Integrating AI with Editing Software 25:24 The Journey of a Motion Graphics Entrepreneur 38:49 Building Proprietary Platforms and Tools 43:57 Transforming Long-Form Content into Short-Form 49:10 Transitioning to UXP: A New Development Framework 55:56 UI Design and User Experience in Motion Graphics 01:09:46 The Power of Real-Time Feedback in Motion Design 01:16:06 AI and Automation in Video Editing 01:23:39 The Role of Plugin Play in a Crowded Market 01:29:23 The Evolution of Software Development and Human Oversight

    1h 39m

  5. 08/21/2025

    Antonino Iacona | Apple, Google Creative Lab, Motion with Intent & Studio Santo

    Learn more about Antonino at https://antoninoiacona.it Learn more about the podcast at ⁠https://jackvaughan.com Today I’m speaking with Antonino Iacona — motion designer & director. Antonino has worked at Apple, Google Creative Lab and is now running Studio Santo. We spoke about: How Apple shaped his craft through slow, iterative, detail-obsessed design.The experimental mindset he developed at Google Creative Lab — and why ideas, not tools, come first.What it means to design "motion with intent", and why expressive and functional motion must work in tandem.The way he and his co-founder Ben work — blending motion and design from the start.And a discussion around the value or product that Studio Santo actually delivers to its clients. Not finished mp4s — but more like motion systems & identities — flexible, collaborative toolkits. Summary (AI generated) In this conversation, Antonino Iacona, a motion designer and co-founder of Studio Santo, shares insights from his experiences at Apple and Google Creative Lab. He discusses the importance of crafting motion design with intent, the collaborative design process at Studio Santo, and the balance between expressive and functional motion. Antonino also reflects on the evolving role of AI in design and the future direction of his studio. Chapters (AI generated) 00:00 Introduction and Title Clarification 04:58 Key Projects at Apple 14:53 Collaboration and Client Engagement 17:36 Expressive vs Functional Motion 21:12 Navigating Language and Comfort in Communication 23:44 Transitioning to Google Creative Lab 26:08 The Role of Prototyping in Innovation 26:32 Defining a Motion Designer's Role 30:08 Tools and Techniques in Motion Design 31:47 The Role of AI in Design 34:24 Future Directions for Studio Santo

    37 min

  6. 06/17/2025

    Justin Poore | Lead Producer of Cleo Abram's Huge if True

    Learn more about Justin at https://www.youtube.com/@CleoAbram Learn more about the podcast at ⁠https://jackvaughan.com Today I’m speaking with Justin Poore — an animator and the producer of Huge if True — a show by Cleo Abram that’s had a ton of attention and engagement over the last few years, recently reaching 6 million subscribers on YouTube. Cleo is one of the fastest growing YouTube channels about tech and science, and Justin’s work plays a huge part in it. We spoke about: - The origins of Justin and Cleo’s collaboration - The team they have - Their processes for pitching, script writing, on-set production, and more - What they’ve learned about engagement on social media — and they really know! - Their strategy around shorts and repurposing content - And of course, a deep dive into Justin’s skillset as an animator and producer Summary (AI generated) In this conversation, Justin Poore, animator and producer of the YouTube show Huge If True, discusses the rapid growth of the channel, the creative processes behind their engaging content, and the importance of audience connection. He shares insights into their collaborative work, the evolution of their team, and the strategies that have contributed to their success. Justin also delves into the technical aspects of animation, the impact of short-form content, and the exciting experiences from field shoots. Looking ahead, he expresses enthusiasm for the future of Huge If True and the potential for further growth. Chapters (AI generated) 00:00 Introduction to Justin Poore and Huge If True 00:51 Scripting and Storytelling Techniques 11:25 Story Selection and Idea Generation 13:53 Team Structure and Roles 17:00 Engagement Strategies and Early Success 19:59 Shorts and Content Repurposing 22:25 Field Shoots and On-Site Experiences 25:06 Approaching Big Organizations for Collaborations 27:31 Design and Animation Style 35:27 The Animation Process: From Sketch to Screen 38:24 Design Principles in Animation 39:33 Exploring 3D Animation Techniques 41:15 Rendering Challenges and Solutions 43:46 The Production Workflow: Animation and Review 45:04 Utilizing Assets: Stock vs. Custom Models 46:55 The Art of 3D Modeling and Rigging 48:05 Tools of the Trade: Software and Techniques 52:06 Engagement Strategies for Content Creation 56:22 Looking Ahead: The Future of Huge of True

    58 min

  7. 05/29/2025

    Grant Shaddick | Tella, Editing Agents, Video in the Cloud, Design Constraints, and Screencasting

    Today I’m speaking with Grant Shaddick, CEO of Tella. Tella is a recording and editing tool that is totally cloud-based. It’s like Loom but more HQ, and it handles a lot of the post-production for you. I’ve used Tella for a couple of years now and have been using it more recently as I’ve moved to more off-the-cuff production. It’s been a really delightful experience. Grant and the team think a lot about the user experience and tow a good balance between enabling high-quality video production and keeping the tool simple. Something we spoke a lot about. We also touched on The deeper capabilities that LLMs are giving them — including their upcoming editing agent.His thoughts on competitors and related tools like Descript & Underlord, Loom, Riverside and moreThe platform itself and what it takes to record, edit, and share all in the cloudThe future of the platform as it relates to automation & generative AIAnd the future place of video in the workplace. Chapters (AI Generated) 00:00 The Evolution of Teller: Vision and Goals 04:59 Harnessing AI for Enhanced Video Production 08:08 The Future of Editing: Auto Layout and Beyond 11:14 Navigating Terminology: AI, Agents, and Collective Intelligence 14:05 The Role of Design in User Experience 16:54 Understanding Customer Needs and Constraints 20:06 The Importance of Focused Use Cases 23:16 Comparing with Competitors: Descript and Others 26:08 Creating a Seamless Recording Experience 29:07 The Design Process: From Chaos to Structure 32:12 Balancing Features and Simplicity in Editing 41:34 Streamlining Video Creation Processes 44:22 Enhancing User Experience in Video Recording 47:54 The Future of Video Editing with AI 50:57 Building Trust in Video Creation 54:00 The Impact of Video Tools on Knowledge Sharing 56:55 The Role of AI in Video Planning 58:49 Navigating the Ethics of AI in Content Creation 01:02:42 Ensuring Authenticity in Video Content 01:04:01 Balancing Complexity and Usability in Design 01:12:52 Optimizing Video Recording and Uploading 01:15:55 Understanding Video Storage and Upload Challenges 01:18:34 The Infrastructure Behind Video Storage 01:21:45 Enhancing Video Editing Features 01:25:42 Streamlining Video Sharing and Publishing 01:32:41 The Future of Video Automation and AI Integration Summary (AI Generated) In this conversation, Grant Shadick, CEO of Tella, discusses the innovative approach of Tella in simplifying high-quality video production through user-friendly design and the integration of AI. The discussion covers the importance of user experience, the role of AI in automating editing processes, and the future of video creation. Grant emphasizes the need to empower users to communicate effectively through video while maintaining a balance between simplicity and functionality in design. In this conversation, Grant and Jack explore the evolving landscape of AI in video production, the importance of authenticity, and the challenges of integrating advanced technology into user-friendly design. They discuss Tella's backend mechanics, the complexities of video editing, and the future of publishing and sharing content. The conversation also touches on the potential of automation in video communication and how AI can enhance the creative process.

    1h 44m

  8. 05/27/2025

    Audrey Havey | Riot Games, Visual Communication, Esports, Art Direction & Experiments

    Learn more about Audrey at https://www.audreyhavey.com Learn more about the podcast at https://jackvaughan.com Today I’m speaking with Audrey Havey - a freelance designer, illustrator, and motion designer. I know Audrey through her YouTube channel where she teaches and vlogs on a wide variety of topics. And as I discovered her work i really wanted to have a chat with her here. She’s a true multidisciplinary artist and a great communicator — both things I’m trying to be — so I wanted to pick her brains and learn from her. We spoke about: Personal projects & experimentation.Her advertising degree.The important of strong conceptual ideas.We covered a lot on designing for esports & her work at Riot games.We talked about Art direction, branding, and networking.The logistical nature of designing in large organizations.and much more… Summary (AI generated) In this conversation, Audrey Havey, a multidisciplinary artist, shares her journey from childhood creativity to her current role as a freelance designer and motion artist. She discusses the importance of personal projects, the impact of her education, and the transition to freelancing. Audrey also highlights the role of YouTube in expanding her network and the evolution of her artistic style. Throughout the discussion, she emphasizes the significance of communication skills and the value of experimentation in the creative process. In this conversation, Jack Vaughan and Audrey Havey explore the creative journey of Audrey, touching on her notable projects, her experience at Riot Games, and her passion for gaming and design. They discuss the importance of communication in large teams, the influence of music in design, and the evolution of her career from freelancing to a full-time role at Riot. Audrey shares insights into her passion project, Vandal, and reflects on her aspirations for the future, including the impact of her upcoming child on her creative endeavors. Chapters (AI generated) 00:00 The Journey of Creativity 05:03 Childhood Inspirations and Early Experiences 12:37 Education and the Advertising Degree 24:07 Skills Acquired and Professional Development 26:46 The Importance of Personality in Creative Work 29:01 Navigating Early Career Experiences 31:50 The Impact of Freelancing on Personal Growth 35:18 Finding Fulfillment in Creative Roles 38:21 Leveraging YouTube for Networking and Growth 44:08 The Evolution of Communication Skills 45:59 Understanding Style and Personal Identity in Art 54:00 Navigating Creative Pivots 54:31 Exploring Notable Projects 01:02:29 The Journey to Riot Games 01:06:28 The Love for Gaming and Art 01:17:16 Vandal: A COVID Passion Project 01:18:25 The Genesis of a Creative Organization 01:22:32 Building a Team in Esports 01:22:56 Understanding Riot Games and Team Fight Tactics 01:29:10 The Art of Marketing in Gaming 01:36:06 The Art of Marketing in Gaming 01:37:45 Navigating Large Organizations and Communication 01:39:38 Personal Growth and Future Aspirations

    1h 44m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Conversations with heroes and colleagues in the world of Software, Design, and Motion.

Information

  • Creator
    Jack Vaughan
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jack Vaughan
  • Show Website
    Jack Vaughan Podcast