Meet Sarah - Animator at BearJam

Ever wondered what it’s really like to be an animator? From sketching out ideas to bringing whole worlds to life on screen, Sarah takes us behind the scenes of her creative process. In this “day in the life,” we get to see not only the craft but also the personality that shapes her work — the routines, the inspirations, and the little details that keep her imagination moving.

“5:30 - 6:30 AM – Chaos, Cartoons & Cornflakes

My day kicks off with the soft, soothing sounds of a 4-year-old yelling “MUMMY”. It's a gentle reminder that I’m not just a Motion Designer — I’m a mum/negotiator/Toy Story expert. 

While my son half eats cereal and doesn't get dressed- I caffeinate. First coffee of the day: essential and almost the only thing that gets me out of bed. 

8:35 AM – School and BearJam bound
Once the school uniform is wrangled on my son and school drop-off is a success, I hop on my bike for the commute from Streatham to Wandsworth Town. It’s a good ride apart from dodging Land Rovers, buses, speed bumps and dog walkers. 

9:30 AM – Designing the Universe (or at least a few animated lower thirds)
At the office, I boot up After Effects and dive into the colourful, kinetic world of motion design. 

I check for any feedback on work that's with clients, and if not I crack on with my current project which can be anything from making an engaging video about pensions (yes it's possible!) to telling the story of a coffee charity - scrapbook style. 

Some days I just get to crack on- straight forward projects where I can just plugin and start keyframing. Others are heavy on problem solving, like trying to find the best way to build a particle stream that can look like flowing data.  

It’s part art, part wizardry, and part “why is this render taking 87 minutes?”

12:30 PM – Lunch & Loitering
It's often hard to find a natural pause in motion work, but when I do I grab some lunch, try and get for a walk and if I have time I scan through design blogs. 

3:00 PM – Morning cont.
Depending on the what I'm working on I'll be keen to have the Creative on the project take a look at it while I'm in the office. Largely to check it's headed in the right direction or if they have any feedback. In which case I'll begin implementing those amends, and cracking on until we have a version ready to share with the client.

6:00 PM – Homeward Pedal

Cycling home gives a bit of headspace before the evening’s second shift begins: LEGO construction manager and storybook narrator.

7:30 PM – 11:00 PM 
Once my son is asleep (in theory), its off to my gym class before dinner with an episode of Alien Earth and that's about it

Repeat again tomorrow — with new animations, fresh coffee, and hopefully fewer getting dressed negotiations."

Check out the Reel on Insta too, where we interviewed Sarah so you can get more of a feel for who she is.

See you next time for the next Day in the life of a member of the BearJam Team!