A few years ago, Erik Modin decided to go freelance and set up a small animation studio. Today, the company MoMotion designs and animates films in 2D - often with a twist. Erik is one of eXpression Umeå's latest additions among entrepreneurs, aiming to develop both himself and his business.
- I really like the entrepreneurial life, freelancing, being in different contexts and working on projects. It's the ability to take on different perspectives that is so interesting. I need to be on the move to develop and feel good," says Erik Modin.
MoMotion produces mainly 2D ads and explainer films, often mixing the two together. The ambition is first and foremost to be able to make a living out of creating and collaborating with others. A little further down the line, the hope is to contribute to popular education through effective and well thought-out animated explanatory films, preferably with major players.
But we back the band up a bit.
Growing up in the small community of Matfors near Sundsvall, Erik quickly became the clown of the class and friends. Erik describes himself a bit reluctantly, being from Matfors after all, as funny in a lovely combo of being ambitious and driven with a huge love of nerdiness.
- I love learning new things and delving into different specialist areas and I really look up to people who are really good at something narrow. I guess I've been seen by others as the club guy, the one who is always involved in different activities. And I probably gave that impression because I wanted to be involved everywhere. It's a recurring thing with me, that I have a great need to get more perspectives and impressions that help me develop as a person. All of this comes naturally to me in my business.
Just movement is a recurring theme around Erik Modin. He is obviously a guy who wants to move forward and in recent years, having found his passion for animated video during his time as a university student at the digital media production programme in Umeå, that drive has been circulating around developing a small animation studio.
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It was sometime during the DMP programme that I stopped thinking "what am I
best at" to focus on what was actually the most fun,
what I wanted to do most. Suddenly the choice became easy. It
I wanted to do animated video," he says and continues.
Passion and interest drove me to become better at the craft itself. All of a sudden I realised I was pretty good at animation, one of the best in the class.
The was by no means obvious that the choice would fall on animated video. During high school, it was the engineering programme that was the a seed was sown during a web design course.
- I've never seen myself as a graphic designer, not as a technology guy either, I was the best at languages, at keeping boxes and presenting in front of a group. But when I got to try out the digital tools, it was like something came loose. To illustrate or paint for was never my thing, but in the digital world I felt the freedom and the desire to create grew.
Back to today.
At the moment, Modin Motion is both a new addition to eXpression Umeå's incubator programme and producing a bunch of information films for a well-known study association - an initiative that will train leaders in the cultural field. As usual, there's a lot going on. For example, at the time of writing, both the graphic identity and a website - scheduled to be launched during the summer - are being developed.
One thing is certain. Erik has no plans to stop moving. Welcome to eXpression Erik!
Fact box
Name: Erik Modin
Age: 23 (and a half)
Family: Mother & father, two older brothers, two dear sisters-in-law and (soon) four nephews!
Live: Umeå
From: Matfors
Eats preferably: Vegopizza
Get bored of: Treading water
Last read book: Myth by Stephen Fry
Best tip you ever got: Second hand shopping
Unexpected feature: Hockey skills
Do in five years: Creating important and beautiful animations with people I like!
Favorite GIF right now: Now and forever, the Huzzah poison by Tobias Fünke from Arrested Development
