Animation Industry Podcast

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Stephen Chiodo, who is one of the great masters of stop motion, puppetry, and special effects. He shares how he was able to carve out his career in stop motion specifically and become sought-after for his skills in animation, puppetry, and special effects. You’ll also learn: *How to mentally position yourself so you’ll always be in-demand by studios *Important notes to make when negotiating a contract *How to gain connections at the top studios *What is was like working with Tim Burton on Vincent ~[Get 10% Off Stop Motion Supplies]~ This episode of the podcast is sponsored by AnimateClay.com, where you can get 10% off any of the stop motion Bend-D armatures, Bend-D rigs, or a copy of Stop Motion Pro Software by using code AIP. Here are the links: *Bend-D Armatures (use coupon code AIP for 10% off): www.stopmotionstore.com/index.php?mai…x&cPath=25_55 *Bend-D Rigs (use coupon code AIP for 10% off): www.stopmotionstore.com/index.php?mai…x&cPath=25_56 *

Episode 31: Adventure Time Character Designer & Amphibia Director Derek Kirk Kim's Journey into Animation This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast featured Derek Kirk Kim, prolific comics writer and artist, Senior Character Designer on Adventure Time, and Director for Disney TV’s Amphibia. In our chat, he shares the struggles of trying to make it as a comics artist and how that led to his career in animation. You will also learn: *His proven structure for publishing graphic novels *How to get the right industry connections *A very clear picture of what it’s like being a character designer Derek Kirk Kim is a writer, director, and artist who has been captivating audiences for over 20 years. Most recently he worked on the new Disney series, AMPHIBIA, directing 20 episodes for the first season. Before that, he worked for Cartoon Network on the Emmy Award-winning series ADVENTURE TIME. He also worked for Warner Bros as a storyboard artist on GREEN EGGS AND HAM, an adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s legendary book

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features master claymation animator Marc Spess who shares his encyclopedia knowledge on everything you need to know about sculpting clay for claymation. You will also learn: *Every answer to every question you ever had about clay - and even ones you didn’t think to ask (like heating up clay colours in a pot to mix them faster). *How to set up your layers and reduce glare for animating on glass *The pitfalls of making a career out of stop motion and Marc’s advice if you’re losing interest, or feel like giving up (like I did for nearly a decade). ~[Get 10% Off Stop Motion Supplies]~ This episode of the podcast is sponsored by AnimateClay.com, where you can get 10% off any of the stop motion Bend-D armatures, Bend-D rigs, or a copy of Stop Motion Pro Software by using code AIP. Here are the links: *Bend-D Armatures (use coupon code AIP for 10% off): www.stopmotionstore.com/index.php?mai…x&cPath=25_55 *Bend-D Rigs (use coupon code AIP for 10% off): www.stopmotions

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Sylvain Marc, a Vis Dev artist who’s helped develop the look and feel of BoxTrolls, Hotel Transylvania 2 & 3, and the Amazing World of Gumball, shares how to develop concept art for film and television. You’ll also learn: *The top three pieces of art to showcase in your portfolio *The entire process of pitching concept work for a feature film *The number one skill every concept artist needs to develop no matter what Sylvain Marc is also a Production Designer, Illustrator, and Animation Director. He started his path in Paris at Ecole Estienne and then went on to graduate from the highly esteemed Gobelins Animation School in 2006. Since then he’s been highly sought after for his amazing illustrative talents by Laia, Blue Sky, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Sony Animation, Passion Pictures, and many more. Plus, I have been a big fan of his work for a long time. Today he is going to chat about exactly how to develop concept art for a film or TV show and

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features seasoned stop motion animator Javan Ivey, on everything you need to make a beginner stop motion studio in your bedroom that will give you professional-quality videos. You will also learn: *Javan’s journey into the world of commercial stop motion film making *The exact camera, lighting, stop motion equipment and software set up you need without breaking the bank *Where to find really good tutorials and reviews on equipment ~[Get 10% Off Stop Motion Supplies]~ This episode of the podcast is sponsored by AnimateClay.com, where you can get 10% off any of the stop motion Bend-D armatures, Bend-D rigs, or a copy of Stop Motion Pro Software by using code AIP. Here are the links: *Bend-D Armatures (use coupon code AIP for 10% off): https://www.stopmotionstore.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=25_55 *Bend-D Rigs (use coupon code AIP for 10% off): https://www.stopmotionstore.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=25_56 *Stop Motion Pro Software (no code needed

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Tina Nawrocki, one of the original hand-drawn animators on the Cuphead video game. Tina shares how she got her start in traditional 2D animator, how she landed Cuphead, and what opportunities exist for hand-drawn animators in the marketplace. You’ll also learn: *The top 3 skills you’ll need to thrive in hand-drawn animation (2 of them may really surprise you) *How Tina risked everything to pursue hand-drawn video game animation *Tina’s complete process for creating the unique character loop animations in Cuphead Tina Nawrocki has over 13 years experience working as an animator and concept artist in the video game industry. Throughout her career, her clients have included Disney, Warner Bros., National Geographic, PBS Kids, One Drop Foundation and MLB. Tina joined Studio MDHR in 2015 to work on Cuphead as a Concept Artist and 2D Animator. She designed and animated Baroness Von Bon Bon and the mini-bosses for the Sugarland Shimmy level. She also creat

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Mixer/Producer, and Studio Co-Owner Barrett Slagle, who shares everything an animator needs to know about sound design. You’ll also learn: *The biggest mistake animators make when composing sound for their films *The best place to find a sound designer or composer for your film *A beginner’s cheat sheet for creating studio-level sound effects Barret Slagl started his journey into animation sound design way back when he signed with Atlantic Records as a recording artist, where he did extensive touring, shared a stage with and co-wrote songs with Alain Whyte (of Morrissey), cut a record with legendary producer/engineer Joe Chiccarelli (U2, Beck, White Stripes) and mixer Brian Malouf (Michael Jackson, Queen), all before the age of 23. After gaining experience and learning from these masters, he realized his passion for the studio and chose to pursue a full-time career as a producer. Since then he’s produced, recorded, mixed, and co-written dozens of albu

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features David Braun, Creative Director at Open the Portal, a stop motion studio in LA. David shares the journey it took to create the studio from scratch, while also developing and pitching an original series idea to major networks. You’ll also learn: *The hardest questions a producer will ask you during the pitch *The #1 thing that will immediately impress any studio executive *A complete list of absolutely everything you need to prepare before you walk in to pitch your series ~[Sponsored Message]~ This episode is sponsored by the awesome team at Startastudio.com Start A Studio, is a new online school focused on the business side of animation. They have both free and paid courses, an online community and downloads to help you succeed in your animation career, and build your own cool, creative and viable animation studio. You can use the unique discount code ‘AIP’ in the checkout to save 20% on their popular Pro Studio Startup course. So, whether you’re lo

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Whitman Theofreastous, a second year International Animation Student at Sheridan College in Canada. Whit shares his experience with applying to multiple animation schools and the complete process to get into Sheridan from the USA. You’ll also learn: *The big difference in application requirements between SVA, CalArts, Ringling, and Sheridan + the best place to get advice for each program. *The complete application process to apply to Sheridan as an International Student (including your visa and how much you’re allowed to work) *The number one biggest disadvantage of being an international student, plus three really great advantages Whit is in his second year of Sheridan’s Animation program and he’s also an international student from America. In fact, he was actually in the same class as me last year at Sheridan and gave me a lot of feedback on my projects. And besides talking in a Boston accent constantly, another thing he specializes in is special ef

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Aminder Dhaliwal, Director at Disney TV and creator of the massively popular comic Woman World, on how to find success on Instagram as an Artist. You will also learn. *How to refine your storytelling process to be super punchy and clear *The difference in studio culture between Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney *5 Practical tips on how to stay mentally and physically healthy as a full-time artist *Plus, why Aminder will never show anyone her sketchbook *And… Aminder’s best advice for Sheridan students’ grad film (she’s an alumni!) Aminder Dhaliwal is a native of Brampton, Ontario and received a Bachelors of Animation from Sheridan College in Oakville. She now lives in Los Angeles, where she is a Director at Disney TV Animation. Previously, she worked as a Storyboard Director at Cartoon Network and a Storyboard Director on the Nickelodeon show Sanjay and Craig. On the side, she is very well known for Woman World, her biweekly Instagram comic w

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Tracy Strong, 2D Effects Animator at Pipeline Studios on the steps to build a career out of 2D effects. You will also learn: *The 3 specific things to include in your portfolio if you want to get into 2D Effects (it’s not what you think) *What 90% of the job of a Special Effects Animator actually entails *Why being told you’re great at art can actually make you fail in animation Originally from Newfoundland Canada, Tracy graduated from Max the Mutt Animation School where she went on to work as a generalist at a small studio, doing jobs ranging from rigging, character animation, design and compositing. She hopped around from studio to studio until landing as a special effects animator for Pipeline Studios in Hamilton. On top of this, she’s also become the master of Toon Boom Harmony animation software and runs a YouTube Channel called Stylus Rumble where you can find over 130 tutorials of everything from how to animate fire effects to making the shadin

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Maximilian Lopez, stop motion animator on Tumble Leaf and Founder of Apartment D Films on how to get stop motion client work. You’ll also learn: *How Max worked his way from painting a bathroom during his first internship to owning his own studio *How to entice clients to take on stop motion projects *A whole lot of really really really really solid business advice for anyone who wants to become a professional animator ~[Sponsored Message]~ This episode is sponsored by the awesome team at Startastudio.com Start A Studio, is a new online school focused on the business side of animation. They have both free and paid courses, an online community and downloads to help you succeed in your animation career, and build your own cool, creative and viable animation studio. You can use the unique discount code ‘AIP’ in the checkout to save 20% on their popular Pro Studio Startup course. So, whether you’re looking to up your freelance game or plan and launch

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Brent Dienst, Pixar Animator on how to create believable character performances. You’ll also learn: *What Pixar looks for when they hire character animators *How to turn “throwaway shots” into career jumping opportunities *What the culture at Pixar is like for animators Brent Dienst began at Pixar Animation Studios as an animator the summer of 2017. Since joining the studio, he has worked as a fix animator on the Academy Award® winning feature film “Coco” as well as “Incredibles 2.” and most recently he worked as an animator on “Toy Story 4,” which is set to release June 21, 2019. As an animator, Brett really breathes life into the characters on the screen so that they feel natural and authentic to the viewers. Prior to Pixar, Brent was a Hand Drawn animator, animating iconic characters such as Tony the Tiger and the RiceKrispies Treat commercials. Then after transitioning to CG animation, Dienst worked for Arc, Blue Sky, and Walt Disney Animation S

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features NFB Director Dale Hayward on his latest film Bone Mother and how to build a career out of stop motion. You’ll also learn: *The complete process of how National Film Board of Canada films are produced. *How Dale and co-director Sylvie created their own 3D printing process for face replacements *The one thing that will make you appear more legitimate to companies when seeking client work Dale first appeared on my radar about 10 years ago when I came across his short film of a cute little old-timey flower that gets repeatedly stabbed in the eye by a bee. Ever since, I’ve been hooked on Dale’s work, and he’s worked on tonnes of stop motion projects, shows like Celebrity Deathmatch, commercials for Nike, Tim Horton's, Lego and even feature films like The Little Prince. In all that time he even managed to create his own studio, See Creature and very recently he finished work on a completely self made short film with his wife Sylvie for the National Film Boa

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Bill Tedford, Art Director at Brown Bag Films, on how to develop children’s programming IP. You’ll also learn: *The complete process a children’s show goes through from ideation to air *What kind of market research Brown Bag does before they develop an IP *Why it’s easier for background painters to become Art Directors Who is a Toronto-based Director, Art Director and Artist with an extensive list of Television, design, and artistic achievements in both children's and adult television programs including the Emmy award-winning Peg + Cat, Peep and the Big Wide World, and most recently, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Which won best preschool animated television show at this year's Daytime Emmy awards. Throughout his 20 year career, he has done it all. He’s been a cameraman, compositor, assistant editor, animator, storyboard artist, and design supervisor - and one of the characters he’s developed is Daniel Tiger. If you haven’t heard about Daniel Tiger'

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Fernando Stockler, Sheridan Animation Student, on how to get into the program and do really really really well. You’ll also learn: *How to get top marks on your animation portfolio *The #1 thing animation students struggle with *How making your mom freshly squeezed orange juice can help you get better grades *(plus, hear me say “like” 12,000 times) Originally from Brazil, Fernando Stockler is an animation student at Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada. Besides drawing ultra rad poses of buff girls and dudes and creating video game animations, you can find him streaming on Twitch. Follow Fernando on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolfgand/ Follow Fernando on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wolfgand_shuric Follow Fernando on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/wolfgand_shuric/ See Chris Delara’s Pin-up Girl Art on her website: https://crisdelara.myportfolio.com/welcome Learn more about this podcast at terryibele.com/animation-industry-podcast/

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Davey Ferguson, a freelance, Glasgow based animator who talks about how to specialize in silly animation and artwork for TV, games, and online content. You’ll also learn: *How he ended up animating a guest episode of Adventure Time *How to time manage yourself as a freelancer *The biggest stress a freelance animator faces There’s a short animation out there called The Funny Fish Finger Friends fall in the pond. It’s this silly story about an apple who is friends with a frog and just falls in a pond, and that’s it. The style is so unique - it’s this cut-out-looking animation mixed with live puppets, and the dialogue is hilarious. I can still quote every line from it even though it’s been nearly a decade since I first saw it. Even though the animation isn’t super well known, its style is so unique that the animator has had some really cool opportunities to work on some pretty big projects which we’ll talk about how he got those. His name is Davey Fer

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Andrew Strimaitis, Animation Director at Guru Studio who talks about mentorship and how a feedback loop can further your career (in leaps and bounds!). You’ll also learn: *The KABOOMS formula for animating characters at maximum efficiency *The #1 thing Andrew’s seen motivate animators to do their best studio work *Andrew’s best advice on how to land any entry level animation job Andrew has been animating since he was a kid, but started his professional career at Cuppa Coffee studios after graduating from Seneca college. Since then he’s gone from Junior Animator, to Senior Animator, and most recently, Animation Director for all of Guru Studio. He’s also worked on a number of shows including Paw Patrol, Ever-After High, and the stop motion show Celebrity Deathmatch. Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-strimaitis-8b19b732 See Andrew’s demo reel, including his animation of Slime from Mudpit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Elyse Castro, creator of The Summoning on Cartoon Hangover, on how she pitched her show idea to Frederator. You’ll also learn: *How ridiculously simple Elyse’s pitch was *Everything you need to put together your own pitch (and all the stuff you don’t actually need to do) *The different types of tension that will make the story better Two years ago I saw a post on Reddit titled, “My friend showed me her comic strip for feedback before she entered it in a competition. It won, and today "The Summoning" came out on Cartoon Hangover.” The post had racked up nearly a thousand comments and the video itself was well over a million views. So I watched it and like everyone else, immediately fell in love with the short’s clever cat witch, her cat sidekick, and their poo-eating bunny nemesis. This was well before I began my own journey into animation and to me at that time it seemed impossible that someone had written a comic and somehow gotten it made into a co

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Emmy winning Stop Motion Animator Sarah de Gaudemar on how to make a career out of stop motion animation. You’ll also learn: *How to improve your stop motion skills (if you feel like you suck at it) *The best way to get into the industry *The big difference between TV stop motion and feature film stop motion Sarah graduated from NYU’s film program in 1997 where she quickly landed a role as a Production Assistant at the Jim Henson Company. However, that role was very short lived as she got an opportunity to work on Celebrity Deathmatch as a stop motion animator. Since then she’s spent over 20 years developing her craft, and if you like stop motion, there’s a good chance you’ve seen her work. She’s animated on nearly two dozen TV shows like Moral Orel, and WWE Slam City, plus she was an animator on Coraline. Currently she’s living in Paris, France doing freelance stop motion work for various clients. Get in touch with Sarah through her Instagram: http