Animation Career Community

A quick chat to update the community on whats happening this summer!

In this episode of the Animation Career Community Podcast, John and Kathy discuss what Leadership means in the animation landscape.  What kind of management roles exist in the creative space, how do they differ or overlap with the roles of individual creators.  What makes a great motivator when it comes to the conversation in the commercial world of filmmaking?  John and Kathy both share their per...

In this episode of the Animation Career Community, we speak with veteran animator, Eric De Carolis, about his career starting from the Canadian animation scene, to working on high profile projects such as K Pop Demon Hunters, and Goat at Sony Pictures Image Works. We talk about the surprising paths animation careers can take, and how the influence of family changed the trajectory of his life.

In this episode of the ACC we’re talking with two very special guests, Eileen Kohlepp and Sarah De Gaudemar, both are experts in the specialized world of Stop Motion Animation. Eileen is a producer and animator, who’s worked on projects like Anomalisa and Marcel the Shell.  Sarah is a Director and Animator who has worked on projects like Coraline and Robot Chicken, among many others. We talk about...

In our latest episode “Opportunity Knocks”, Katherine MacDonald and John Lei speak with retired veteran Jeff Dickson. From a start on the floor at the stock exchange, to cinematic craft at Disney on films like “Beauty and the Beast”, “The Lion King” and “Mulan”, Jeff shares his cool and offbeat journey. So grab your snacks and get comfy, this is another fun one!

In this episode of the Animation Career Community Podcast, John and Kathy discuss how they have navigated the many type of layoffs that artist can encounter in their careers.  They discuss the lows and surprisingly some of the highs of working in a contract based career.  It's time to get to the nitty gritty of what moving jobs and projects regularly can be like.

In this episode of the Animation Career Community podcast we chat with professional Animator and Creator Alicia Eisen.  With years of experience working the stop motion space both as an artist and studio owner. Alicia shares what her career has been like and how working as an independent creator, creates unique challenges and partnerships.  

In this Episode we chat with Perry Shulak, who operates his studio, Critical Fusion, out of Edmonton, Canada.  We talk about what the community is like in less talked about regions of the country and how diversifying his productions has helped him build his dome films and distribute them world wide. https://www.criticalfusion.com/

On this episode John and Kathy chat all things Festivals.  We discuss what it's like to be someone selling a project, navigating industry events to the creative side of showing films and making new connections.  

In this episode we chat with the incredible Jason Thompson.  From his start in the business world, his pivot to animation and now his own strategic storytelling company helping people of all professions tell their stories.  Pivoting careers is a hot topic right now and we cover a wide range of topics from AI to Jason’s one man show “The Art of the Dad".  Join us for this uplifting and hopeful...

In this episode John Lei and Kathy MacDonald, the ACC hosts, discuss their own careers working in animation and why they started the Animation Career Community.  We cover how we got into the industry, what it's like working in it now, Canadian Tax Credit system to our own personal challenges working in an ever changing field.  Stick around to the end for a short Q&A from our audience.

In this Episode we chat with Lance LeFort who is the founder of LeFort Talent Group, Lance consults internationally across creative and emerging tech industries. We chat about his beginnings as a creative, where he see’s things in the industry right now and what his company does in the talent acquisition space.  

In this episode of the Animation Career Podcast we chat with Filmmaker and Animator Tarun Padmakumar.  We talk about how he moved from an artist working in the studio system, making his own creative projects to now producing his own content for television.  We cover a wide range of topics from working in India to his own creative process.    

In this episode we talk with Animator Jamie Presement about what networking in animation is like now, and how it's changed over time. Find her work here : https://jamiepresement.com/