Barton Damer was a skateboarder who shot and produced skateboard videos influenced by the style and tone of hip-hop and sneaker culture. Barton enjoyed editing videos of tricks he performed and also creating digital and motion graphic art on top of the day job he had at the time. He wasn’t sure where his passion for art would lead him but soon learned that he was on the right path.
Barton’s solo projects were landing him dream clients he never imagined actually being able to work with. The most popular sneaker companies, a skateboarding footwear brand, and a rapper he admired were some of his first clients. He was proud of the work he was doing and felt that there could be a successful future for him if he decided to start his own studio, but Barton didn’t want to bet it all before knowing that the glory would last. When he received an award for digital artist of the year in 2009 and another the next year as a creative trendsetter, he knew he should capitalize on his talents. In March 2010, Barton took the leap to found his studio, Already Been Chewed, and wanted to take on staff who could support the demand for his company’s work.
Barton had his art displayed in venues like London and Berlin and was extremely successful in his industry, but knew that Already Been Chewed needed a team to be sustainable. As Barton was adding unique and skilled artists, he pinpointed errors in his industry that he didn’t want to repeat. Barton knew how toxic and unhealthy the environment was in other studios and never wanted to create a workplace he would never choose as an employee. Therefore, Already Been Chewed started to develop its foundation of principles it wouldn’t stray from.
The biggest one for Barton was to put people first, not profits. Other industry-leading studios jumped at money grabs and the whims of a client without respecting their staff’s time and limits. Already Been Chewed wasn’t afraid to tell clients when something was outside of their contract parameters, which allowed them to work with countless prestigious sneaker, luxury, and other multibillion-dollar companies without sacrificing their sanity. Barton proudly expresses that his studio won’t discard artists before they turn 30 either. His team doesn’t suffer from burnout and exhaustion like other artists who are overworked until they escape the industry.
Already Been Chewed is an outlier in their industry because they have a legacy of unconventional, captivating art that’s influenced by a combination of skateboard, sneaker, and hip-hop culture. This inspiration stems from Barton’s love of all three and the role they played in his creative journey. He describes this idea and how the three cultures fuel everything Already Been Chewed produces: “The name Already Been Chewed is inspired by skateboard culture because when you’re filming tricks, you’ll ask the cameraman, ‘What has already been done?’ So when I was founding my company in 2010, I repurposed that phrase to say Already Been Chewed is always producing unique content. We always evaluate our clients and their competitors to help them create something that stands out. And as a skateboarder, we look at the world differently and I wanted to bring that out-of-the-box mindset with the originality of hip-hop and sneaker culture. My team isn’t afraid to do something different and get up when they fall, which is why we deliver trendsetting material.”
Barton Damer looks forward to the bright future Already Been Chewed has. It has already become a well-established company in its industry due to its flexibility when navigating and connecting with consumers who want to see something different. Barton remembers editing skate park videos in a style that was tailored for hip-hop beats and he thinks it has translated to the style of animation and motion graphics in his work.
Back in the day, he didn’t know that he would be doing something he loves and uplifting his peers who are passionate about the same medium of art. He feels grateful for the talented staff he has and the clients that have made an impact on their brand and their view of being an artist. Working as any kind of artist is heavily scrutinized as a profession, so it is refreshing to see the value Already Been Chewed is bringing to clients, and the experience a viewer has seeing their content.
About Already Been Chewed
Already Been Chewed is a graphic design company specializing in 3D animation, motion graphics, and brand design. The company is based in Dallas and was founded in 2010 by award-winning digital artist and motion designer Barton Damer. Already Been Chewed strives for originality, trendsetting results, and defining itself as a studio unlike any other in its industry.
Media Contact:
Name: Barton Damer
Email: [email protected]
