Meet Ben Burke

We recently connected with Ben Burke and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ben, great to have you with us today and excited to have you share your wisdom with our readers. Over the years, after speaking with countless do-ers, makers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists and more we’ve noticed that the ability to take risks is central to almost all stories of triumph and so we’re really interested in hearing about your journey with risk and how you developed your risk-taking ability.

I believe that risk is a crucial factor in creating any art. I feel that a lot of contemporary movies and shorts are afraid to take risks, examples being the MCU and other superhero films that dominate and oversaturate the market. While I think things are getting better in some regards, nothing has really caught my attention lately. And I think the frustration with nobody taking any risks in film and music, especially, comes down to not caring what the reception will be. In the world we live in, we are driven by virality and the next big thing, leading to creators not wanting to take risks and be safe, giving them the feeling of having to chase it and play it safe for the sake of profit and virality…Now with that long-winded explanation aside, I think that the unwillingness to sacrifice my vision and serve the piece I am making rather than serving those who are watching it. It took a long time to develop, especially as my skill level has increased, and the time it takes to complete projects has increased. And taking risk is about overcoming the fear of what others will think, we have so much content and media at our fingertips, and we get clouded by that and don’t see the uniqueness within ourselves, it’s about personal satisfaction over the satisfaction of others, in my opinion.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a sound designer, stop-motion animator, and musician. I think that the most special thing about my art is that I get to combine my favorite mediums into one cohesive piece. Along with using my interests and inspirations to guide me to create my own personal style. I am focused on telling stories about humanity and the natural world through the lens of creatures and animals that are not human. I combine my love for prehistoric life, history, religion, politics, my music taste, horror, the natural world, and industrial aesthetics into something that I can call my own. I have always loved the stories created by writers like Harry Harrison (West of Eden trilogy), Frank Herbert (Dune), Hajime Isayama (Attack on Titan), and Albert Orna (YouTube). These are just some of the works I am inspired by and that are inspiring my newest venture, “The Osoverse”. It is a series revolving around a Saurian named Oswald who is discovering his place in the world and journeying through the hardships of post-war Gondwana. It is soemthing similar to my own life experiences, and I hope to be able to work on more of it soon!

I have launched a few short films as well!
(All available on YouTube)
– Ancestor? (2025)
-Communing Gods (2025)

Along with pieces of music, too!
(On YouTube and Soundcloud)
-Spears and Crossees
-The Photographer
-Fallen Leaves (demo)
-Desolation=Liberation (Demo)

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think that the three skills that have kept me going, and I am still working on, are:

-How to tell a story: I think that this step is so often overlooked within the realm of film and contemporary art. It is the most important skill to learn in any field in the arts, because what are you going to do with something that looks and sounds pretty but has no substance or nuance? You need to create with the intent to tell a story, because we are so caught up in aesthetics and vibes, but not with what they represent or mean. Create something that will make people feel something, or better yet, create soemthing that will make YOU feel something.

-Knowledge of history and the world: This one I won’t go into too much detail on, but I feel that knowing the past is important to progressing and creating a better future. Along with using it as inspiration for your own stories, and reflecting on how you feel about the world or your own life. And history doesn’t just mean imperial politics or expansion and how that influenced the world today; it can be from stories shared by pre-modern peoples, the way they saw the world, and older stories.

-Understanding yourself and what you like: This is something I am going to keep preaching until I can’t speak anymore. Create for you and not for an algorithm or a group of people. Understand what you like and how that influences you and your vision of your piece. Realize that you are unique and nobody has the same vision for your art other than you. You know what you want to make, so make it anyway, don’t worry about what others will think, don’t try to please people, satisfy yourself and your vision.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

There are many books that I could put into this category and that have inspired me, and I think that the current one that I am thinking of is Pleasure Activism by Adrienne Maree Brown. And that book was recommended to me a long time ago, and when I first read it, it was hard to grasp, but I think that the main takeaway is the ability to find light, hope, and joy during the darkest times. How to commit to things with a full yes and take care of yourself. It’s been so important, and I couldn’t be where I am without the lesson I have taken from it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ben-burke.my.canva.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_saurian_/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_saurian/featured
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/the-saurian-observer

Image Credits

All of these were taken by me!