Moisés Arancibia began his career studying Graphic Design at Universidad Católica de Chile, and soon after began working at several design, animation, and post-production studios. In 2006 he founded motion graphic studio Smog, one of Chile’s pioneers in this field, which he and his business partner direct today. Simultaneously, since 2008, he’s taught Design at several universities in Santiago.
What video/ television piece inspired you recently?
There are so many interesting things happening online and TV lately, both in a visual sense as well as in regards to storytelling.
Part of my job is to constantly review what is being done in other parts of the world, so I spend a certain amount of time “window shopping” every day. Not long ago, I saw an animated short film by a CalArts graduate, called Polaris, which was about a young polar bear leaving home for the first time—fantastic. My new favorite is the short film Looking for Something, by César Pelizer. Everything about that short film is fascinating. In feature films, Isle of Dogs, by Wes Anderson.
What is most exciting for you at the moment within your industry?
It’s mainly two things. On one hand, formats; when I began doing this, we produced pieces for television and film screens. Therefore, the formats we worked in were quite delimited and linear as far as storytelling. For some years now, the massive use of smartphones, VR, AR, etc., have opened up an enormous spectrum of possibilities for design and animation. The rules for visual storytelling that we knew up until now are no longer valid; we’re constantly rewriting them.
And on the other hand is the fact that nowadays in this industry, one can work for any part of the world, no matter where you are. A few years ago, all of my clients were in Chile, and specifically, in Santiago. Today, 80% of my clients are in other countries: USA, Australia, China, Japan, Switzerland, etc. This has greatly enriched us in a creative sense, forcing us to leave our comfort zone and try new things.
What is one thing the Telly Awards community should know about you?
I work a lot, but I have a lot of fun doing my work, and I spend all the money I earn on Vinyls and my kids.
What is a piece of work you are most proud to have worked on?
One of my greatest points of pride is the entire campaign that we made for the Amparo & Justicia Foundation, since I’ve been with them from the very beginning. Thanks to our help, we managed to turn a subject as delicate as child abuse into a nation-wide topic, which led to drafting legislation and getting Congress to approve it. I am currently still working with them on new videos that explain how to put the law into effect.