About me
I make the pictures, videos and adverts for small businesses, so the right people notice them.
Hi, I'm Neal
Neal Strydom Studios is a one-person studio run by me, Neal Strydom, in South Africa. "Studios" is in the name to leave room to grow, not because there's a team behind a reception desk. When you work with the studio, you work with me from the first message to the final file.
I make social content, campaign content, video edits and explainer videos for café owners, trade businesses and family-run shops. In plain words, that's the posts, adverts and short videos that help the people near you notice your business, trust it and keep coming back.
How I got here
I didn't come into design through the front door. After school I went from job to job, saving to study, and when I finally managed a year of 3D animation and VFX, I learnt the software but not how to think like a designer.
In 2011 I was hired as a graphic designer and taught myself the job I'd just been hired to do. Since then I've worked in-house for several companies and twice in agencies, and I've freelanced on the side since 2013.
Over those years I kept seeing big promises at the start and very little at the end. So the studio works the other way. It's small by choice. I tell you what I can do and what I can't, and then I do the work.
How I work
- I learn how your business works before I make anything for it, so expect a few questions first.
- I size the work to your budget and tell you where your money will go furthest, even when that's the smaller package.
- You get realistic timelines and straight answers. If something isn't working, you'll hear it from me first.
- Over time, you should need me less for the day-to-day work and more for the bigger pushes. That's how I know it worked.
Other things I'm part of
Pixelsmith Studios. I'm a co-owner of Pixelsmith Studios, an online marketplace for illustrators and designers.
The Artist's Tavern. My podcast about the business side of creative work: pricing your first job, contracts in plain words, getting paid on time and knowing when to walk away. New episodes go up on the Neal Strydom Studios YouTube channel.
Live nights at Crossroads Refuge
Some evenings I stream as Neal_TheWaykeeper. Crossroads Refuge is an inn at the crossroads for gamers, artists and nerds, with Warframe nights, live painting and plenty of dark humour. It's for adults, so expect some swearing on stream. Pull up a seat and lurk as long as you like.
When I'm not working
I'm drawing, gaming or writing my graphic novel.
Tell me about your business. I'll make it look good.