Up Close and Personal #4

Reading: 4 mins

The fourth in a series of Motionlab team profiles
Nina Skarbalova - Back Office Manager

Tell me a little about your background and how you ended up at Motionlab?

NS - I was in my undergraduate year when I wanted to get some "real world" experience. After some research, I came across the Motionlab website and noticed they were looking for an assistant. I was intrigued by the whole idea of personalized videos and decided to apply.

What do you like about a personalised video and how would you describe it to someone who knows nothing about it?

NS - What I like about personalized videos is their uniqueness. While I see countless video ads every day, I rarely come across a personalized video.
My explanation? It's a video that has been tailor-made for each person. It contains personal information such as name, gender, address, and is created based on the specific behavior and preferences of the viewer. When you watch a personalised video, you will immediately know that it has been created exclusively for you.

What is your role at motionlab and what does a typical day look like?

NS - I'm officially a back-office manager, but I like to call myself the Jack of all trades. I'm responsible for a variety of tasks, including day-to-day administration and providing support to the marketing and sales teams. A typical day for me involves checking emails and messages, overseeing accounts payable and accounts receivable, and ensuring the smooth running of the company.

You work part-time, what do you do besides work for Motionlab?

NS - In addition to my part-time job, I am currently completing a Master's degree in Marketing and Sales. I am also completing a marketing and production internship in Portugal. Besides that I am pursuing photography, which has developed into a career in its own right. Whenever I have the opportunity, I dedicate myself to capturing narrative photography.

Now you're in Portugal to study, what's it like for you to work remotely?

NS - I'm very used to remote work. A week after I started at Motionlab, the Czech Republic was hit by a covid epidemic, I moved back to Slovakia and didn't go to the office for a few months. Thanks to this experience, I learned that I can do almost anything from anywhere. The only downside is that I don't see my colleagues, only through online calls.

What is your field of study and how do your work experiences complement your studies, and vice versa?

NS - My field of study revolves around marketing and sales, which matches perfectly with my work experience at Motionlab. The broad foundation I gained at university helped me to understand the different processes. Motionlab also helped me with understanding what I was learning, and I wasn't just simply memorizing information.

As far as I know, you did your bachelor thesis on personalized video, what was it about?

NS - My bachelor thesis was about Motionlab rather than personalised videos. I analyzed our website and social media and came up with a few ideas. My master's thesis focuses on personalized videos. There is still a lot of work to be done. I am analyzing people's perception of personalized videos and their opinions about them. For the purpose of this research, I prepared personalized videos for more than 30 participants and carefully monitored their reactions using an eye-tracking device. In addition, I conducted post-viewing surveys after watching the videos to gain further insights. I must say that the reactions were sometimes very interesting.

What you do in your free time when you're not working or studying?

NS - Most of my free time is filled with photography, but apart from that I really enjoy sports like swimming, running, gym or hiking. Now I'm in Portugal, so I also travel a lot.

Pavla Mádrová, Motionlab