When it comes to starting a career, there are those who are dedicated, and then there’s Jayson Whitmore. Jayson isn’t just a Full Sail graduate, he’s a graduate three times over. Coming to study Recording Arts fresh out of high school in 1996, he would end up staying on to complete two additional programs, also adding Film and Digital Media to his resume. But that’s Jayson, when he’s passionate about something he throws himself into it full force – a drive that has continued throughout his career as a motion graphics artist and studio owner, where he’s been able to blend his love of music, film, and digital art into a successful brand.

“I was really persistent when I left school,” he says. “I went out to L.A. with a list of the top five motion graphics companies I wanted to work for. I even researched all of their producers, designers, and projects, so I was prepared for whatever they were going to ask me. I got an interview with the CEO at my top company, he seemed impressed by my enthusiasm, and I got an email right back asking me how soon I could start.”  

The company was Pittard Sullivan, an Emmy-winning design house where Jayson cut his teeth as a junior designer/animator for a number of years before going out on his own as a freelance motion graphics artist. During that time he would assemble a credit list that's more like a recap of pop culture highlights, acting as co-creative director for the Apple iPod Nano “colors” campaign, as well as creating national television promos for ABC, Nicktoons, NASCAR, and Bravo, live concert graphics for two Madonna tours, a music video for Beck, and the memorable title sequence for the film Punch-Drunk Love.

“You really have to be able to deliver in this business, and with persistence and the foundation that I learned at Full Sail I moved up the ranks fast,” he says. “I think the most important key to doing great creative work is figuring out what inspires you, and using that. I learned early on that it was not just about doing the project for the person you’re working for, but to do it for yourself as well. If you like it, if it sings inside of you, they’re going to love it.”

That philosophy helped him build a loyal list of clients, and he eventually set his sights on starting a company. This led to a partnership with fellow artists Brien Holman and Jennifer Lucero with whom he founded the successful motion graphics studio, Royale, which has been Jayson’s home since 2007. Royale is based in Los Angeles and specializes in high-end packages for television, film, and the web, and has attracted such companies as Comedy Central, VH1, Blackberry, Diesel, JetBlue and Nike.

“Using the foundations we had all built throughout our careers, we decided to do it ourselves and I think we’ve created some pretty amazing work together,” he says. “To this day every time I see one of our commercials it’s still really exciting. You go through this long project, and you put your heart and soul into it, and the client loves it, and then suddenly two months later you flip on the TV and then it’s there for everyone to see.”

While it’s obvious from looking at their projects that Royale isn’t your average studio, Jayson has also made sure that the company’s work environment mirrors that same innovative approach to design. Having worked his way up through other firms in the industry, he has fulfilled another career goal in helping create a workplace that is dedicated to supporting the creativity of its artists – the kind of studio that he would have wanted to end up at when he graduated from Full Sail.

“When you run a business you can’t always be the artist and the entrepreneur,” he says. “Because of that we spend our profit within our company to make sure that you as an artist are taken care of, because that makes our creative process better, and makes our lives easier. The better you are, the better we are. So we really respect anybody who comes and works for us, because you’re working with us, not for us. I think that relationship is what continues to inspire me.”