Meet Moritz Praetorius (Damojo) from ActiveDen!

Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from, what do you do for a living?

My name is Moritz Praetorius and I’m a 28 year old web designer living in the center of Cologne/Germany together with my girlfriend. For the last three years I’ve been working for a media agency in Düsseldorf, creating flash applications and websites. Whenever my free time allowed me to do so I’ve tried to work on my ActiveDen portfolio.

Starting in August I will leave my current workplace to be a full-time ActiveDenner and freelancer working from home.

Which marketplaces do you belong to? What types of files do you sell?

Since I’m a Flash guy, I have found my home at ActiveDen uploading all kinds of components like banner rotators, image galleries and video payers but also full website templates.

During the last months I have started moving from AS2 to AS3 and Im finishing my first AS3 template within the next weeks.

How did you get started? Have you had any formal training?

I got into Flash while doing an internship at a web design company back in 2002 where I was supposed to create a time-line based logo animation.

After the internship I wanted to learn more about Flash and animation and started studying “Creative Media and Technologies” in Stuttgart for two years and then moved to Bradford/UK for another two years, finishing a Bachelor and a year later a Master of science degree in “Computer Animation and Special FX”. During that time I build a couple of flash games for project work and also got into 3D modelling/animation with 3ds Max.

Describe your home workspace.

My home workspace is currently located in my living room consisting of a desk with 24 and 22 inch widescreen monitors and a Core2Duo @ 3GHz PC with 4 gigs of RAM.

I prefer getting up early, working for 8-10 hours and enjoying the rest of the day not touching my computer.

Describe your creative process. What steps do you normally follow to create your files?

My creative process usually starts with an idea that pops into my mind randomly, sometimes while taking a walk, watching a movie or under the shower.

The first step when creating a website or ActiveDen template is a layout in Photoshop. When I’m 100% happy with the visuals I plan on how to develop the file programming wise and then get to work on the first elements in Flash.

I always try to create my files thinking from a buyer’s perspective, making the product as reusable and restylable as possible while still having a professionally appealing preview configuration.

What is your advice to other authors regarding how to create a successful portfolio?

What I have learned is that building a portfolio on ActiveDen takes time and needs permanent attention.

If you want to generate a stable stream of income you will need to release new files on a regular basis and improve older files as well by releasing updates. Also, one should always describe every single option of your file in the documentation and update the FAQ with anything noteworthy. Step by step instructions are usually the best so every customer can get the most out of your file.

Another very important aspect is customer support. I always try to answer file comments within a day and help out wherever I can with small requests and offer file customizations on a freelance basis.

What do you do to market your files?

In order to market my files I run a blog (it really needs to be redesigned) where I post all my files to drive some extra traffic to my ActiveDen portfolio. In addition I publish every file on the Adobe Exchange, which takes a while to approve but is definitely worth it to generate a few sales.

I also post file news on Twitter and my Facebook page.

How much have you made on ActiveDen so far?

I have been an ActiveDen member since March 2008. In my first month I have made roughly $22 and in March 2010 which is two years later, my monthly earnings were about $7000.

I have recently received the Blue Steel Paw, which is equal to $100,000 of sales in total.
My personal goal is to achieve the Plutonium Paw ($250K sold) by the end of next year.

What are your three favorite files, and why do you like them?

1. Flash XML Editor Version 2 by michaelhejja. I always recommend the Flash XML Editor Version 2 by michaelhejja to clients looking for a CMS like add on to any xml flash template as it is easy to use and makes updating content a charm.

2. Cinematic XML Backlight Intro and Text Effect by bitfade. Bitfade’s fully code-generated effects are just mind blowing and really showcase the true power of Flash on the Web.

3. XML Flip Book / AS3 by mpc. Already one of the best-selling files ever on ActiveDen, this flipbook is another great example for a type of effect which can only be achieved in Flash.

Apart from yourself, who is your favorite marketplace author, and why do you like them?

My favorite marketplace author is definitely ParkerAndKent as the guys have really made an impact on the quality of files on ActiveDen and never fail to impress with their new file releases. Lately they have also started to be very successful on ThemeForest producing some awesome WordPress themes.

What do you do in your spare time?

In my spare time I do sports like running and I might start doing kickboxing again once I have more time. I also love to travel as much as possible, doing sightseeing and lying on a nice and sunny beach. On weekends I enjoy having a night out with friends or going to the movies with my girlfriend.