Picture this. You’re standing in front of a 60-foot screen — the kind that dominates a keynote stage — as it erupts into a kaleidoscope of mesmerizing graphics. That moment, where cutting-edge data and AI concepts coalesce into visual storytelling, is where motion designer Timmy Beckmann thrives.

A key member of the Brand & Creative team, Timmy is an engineer of narrative, using a blend of old-school pencil sketches, new-school After Effects scripting, and the power of collaboration to bring the story of Snowflake to life. Watch the video and read below to learn what it’s like to craft compelling visual stories and grow as a creative at Snowflake.

Before the first frame is rendered, how does ideating with the Brand & Creative team usually go?

One of my favorite things about my team is how many people love to pencil sketch an idea. During our meetings when we're discussing concepts, people on my team will be furiously drawing frames for a storyboard and asking, "How does this feel?" So, by the end of a meeting, I already have a starting point to jump into After Effects or Cinema 4D to start experimenting. I really appreciate that part of working with my team and my manager — who is an amazing storyboard artist — is having those visuals to support me along the way.

How do you and the team make brand partnerships more than just a logo swap?

Some of the best projects within Snowflake are the social media cross-promotionals we do with our partners. We usually do a skit featuring Snowflake the Bear that we film in our in-house studio. It's a really smooth process because we collaborate with the partner early on how we're portraying their brand so that we have a solid storyboard. We're able to put all this creativity into a video that can live on its own and is entertaining to watch. Because of that, I feel like Snowflake partnerships and the promotional assets we create have a lot of impact across the entire ecosystem.

Beyond the standard creative suites, what unexpected tools or techniques are you learning to stay ahead in motion design?

I personally find a lot of joy in learning new tools or new techniques, especially AI and LLMs. For example, I’ve been using AI to help with scripting for After Effects and being able to easily code a button with no JavaScript experience. With help from our Developer Advocates, I also got my start making my own Streamlit apps, creating tools to help make my team more efficient. I would never have started learning Python or coding if it wasn't for being at Snowflake.

Outside of work, I design video games as a hobby, but learned that I can use game engines to help with live rendering in my work. Being able to use my hobby to efficiently make graphics for a Snowflake event was really exciting.

When you step back from the pixels, what made you love working at a Snowflake as a creative?

Working at a leading AI and data company is extremely exciting for a creative person because it attracts so many like-minded and passionate individuals. Everyone has so much experience in so many different fields, and it's interesting to see how they take what they learned and apply it to their fields. For example, one of my coworkers used to work at a magazine, another used to work on the old flash games. Not only do we attract so many creative people, but they work through problems and see challenges in the same way I do as a creative.

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Timmy Beckmann is a Brand Motion Graphics Designer based in New York City.