Animation Industry Podcast

This episode features the multiple Primetime Emmy and Annie award-winning director, producer, and co-creator of Adult Swim’s Robot Chicken: Matthew Senriech. He shares the reason behind why Robot Chicken has become one of the longest running animated shows on air. You’ll also learn: *The story of how Matthew sold Robot Chicken to Adult Swim *The number one thing Matthew wishes someone said to him...

This episode features Spike Decker and Kat Alioshin who share a behind the scenes look into their documentary, Animation Outlaws, which covers the rise of the Spike and Mike Animation Festival. You’ll also learn: *The guerrilla marketing tactics that had people pouring into theatres *How Spike gave a start to today’s animation bigshots including Tim Burton and Nick Park *What risks animators can t...

This episode features animator Christian Lie on how he found success on YouTube and decided to change the trajectory of his career towards animation. He also shares: *His personal study schedule as he learns the principles of animation *The formula he uses to get views on YouTube *How he got his start by sharing rock music history through video essays ~[Sponsored Message]~ This episode is sponsore...

This episode features Development Executive Dave Padbury who shares a behind-the-scenes look at what happens to your pitch after you leave the room. You’ll also learn: *The #1 thing you as a new creator can bring to the table *The do’s and don’ts of pitching *How to build an enticing story engine More about Dave: Dave joined the Guru development team six years ago to work on "True and The Rainbow...

This episode features story artist and illustrator Aaron Hazouri who sheds light into the harsh reality of pursuing work as a storyboard artist in LA. He also shares: *How much networking really matters in landing a job *The real reason he stopped pursuing storyboard work in LA *What studios will never tell you about their job postings ~[Sponsored Message]~ This episode is sponsored by Bloop Anima...

This episode features legendary stop motion animator Anthony Scott who shares how he made a career out of the wonderful world of stop motion animation. He also shares: *How he went from being a janitor to animating Jack Skellington on The Nightmare Before Christmas *The old-school tool Anthony still uses that trumps all of today’s stop mo tech *The best path new animators can take to get into toda...

This episode features Jackie Davis, the webcomic artist behind Underpants and Overbites. In our chat she shares how she figured out how to make a sustainable income off webcomics. You’ll also learn: *The not-so-talked about details of what quitting your job to pursue your passion is actually like *How Jackie deals with self-doubt *How Jackie smashed the perfectionist attitude while still making gr...

This episode features Lauren Orme, an animator and studio owner based in Cardiff, South Whales. She shares the story of how she started running Cardiff Animation Nights in 2014, which evolved into the Cardiff Animation Festival. You’ll also learn: *How the festival evolved during the 2020 pandemic *The steps to start an animation festival from the ground up in your hometown *How she’s learned to p...

This episode features Lauren Orme, an animator and studio owner based in Cardiff, South Whales. She shares the story of how she started running Cardiff Animation Nights in 2014, which evolved into the Cardiff Animation Festival. You’ll also learn: *How the festival evolved during the 2020 pandemic *The steps to start an animation festival from the ground up in your hometown *How she’s learned to p...

This episode features animator and studio co-founder Liam Gilbey who shares what it took to create a studio with his classmates right out of school. You’ll also learn: *How the studio got their first client (and continues to do so) *How operations and finances are run *How animation students can start their own successful studio out of school too ~[Sponsored Message]~ This episode is sponsored by...

This episode features Adam Ciolfi, a multiple award-winning stop motion animator who shares how to become successful as an independent filmmaker. You’ll also learn: *The reason Adam left the professional animation industry *How Adam’s created a life that sustains his independent filmmaking *What he’s learned from attending festivals all over the world More on Adam Ciolfi: Adam Ciolfi’s lifelong fa...

This episode features director JJ Villard who shares what it took to create his recent show JJ Villard’s Fairytales for Adult Swim. You’ll also learn: *The reason behind why JJ quit DreamWorks *JJ’s approach to pushing his animation career to new heights *A full behind-the-scenes look of what it took to produce JJ Villard’s Fairytales More on JJ Villard: JJ Villard is a writer, producer, actor, an...

This episode features director and producer of Adult Swim’s The Shivering Truth, Cat Solen. She shares how her career led up to directing The Shivering Truth, and a unique behind-the-scenes of how each episode was created. You’ll also learn: *How Cat launched her career right out of the Art Institute of Chicago *The top three things that have honed her directing skills *Her best advice for someone...

This episode features director and producer of Adult Swim’s The Shivering Truth, Cat Solen. She shares how her career led up to directing The Shivering Truth, and a unique behind-the-scenes of how each episode was created. You’ll also learn: *How Cat launched her career right out of CalArts *The top three things that have honed her directing skills *Her best advice for someone else who wants to fo...

This episode features director and creator of Danger & Eggs, Mike Owens, who shares the journey of creating his own show. You’ll also learn: *How he became the lead animator on Animaniacs right out of college *His top tips for collaborating with a big team around the world *The real reason he decided to create his own studio More About Mike: Mike Owens is an Emmy Award-winning Director living and...

This episode features Director Jamie Caliri, who shares how he created Dragonframe Stop Motion Software. You’ll also learn: *Insights into Jamie’s career as a music video director *How he and his brother manage to stay ahead of the curve with Dragonframe *His best advice for following your dreams More about Jamie: Jamie Caliri is one of the creators of Dragonframe software, the foremost stop motio...

This episode features James Walsh, a writer for children’s animated TV shows. James shares his journey into writing and how he landed a role on the smash hit Hey Dugee. You’ll also learn: *3 things that will help you develop judgment for writing *How to make yourself invaluable as a writer (it has nothing to do with writing) *The ultimate answer to what makes a good writer? More about James Walsh:...

This episode features Toronto CG Animator Gemal Plummer who shares what it takes to get hired as a CG character animator. You’ll also learn: *3 super tips that will speed up your workflow *An overview of which studios in Toronto work in CG *Which non-animation activities can help you improve your animation [SPONSORED MESSAGE] This episode is sponsored by The Animation Box. The Animation Box is an...

This episode features Amber Padgett, a stop motion director, animator, and fabricator who shares how to quit your job and follow your ultimate dream. You’ll also learn: *How Amber went from working at a grocery store to some of the top stop motion studios in the US *How to make uncomfortable comfortable to push yourself to new heights *How Amber carved out a niche for herself in outdoor stop motio...

This episode features The Sketch Effect Founder William Warren, who shares what the B2B animation industry is like. You’ll also learn: *The top 3 things that set you apart from other animation applicants *How The Sketch Effect grew without any traditional marketing *What skills you need to make it in the B2B animation side of things More about William Warren: William is an entrepreneur, illustrato...

This episode features Adam Taylor on how to get hired as a stop motion animator. You’ll also learn: *How to become known for a specific animation technique *How to ensure you have a constant flow of gigs lined up *A list of all the stop motion studios in the USA More about Adam Taylor: Adam Taylor has an MFA in stop-motion from Falmouth University. He is currently a freelance stop motion animator...

This episode features 2D animator Josh Pinker on how to network properly in the animation industry (so everyone knows who you are). He also shares how he developed his latest e-book Your Animated Journey, a self-help guide to getting hired and working your way up as an animator. You’ll also learn: *How to use LinkedIn’s algorithm to get a job *The three not-so-talked about things that will get you...

This episode features Trevor Hardy, a Stop Motion Animator and Director from the UK. In this chat, he shares how he ended up directing the stop motion feature film Strike, and what it’s like to make a living in the industry. You’ll also learn: *What the stop motion industry is like in the UK (and it might surprise you) *What it really takes to pursue stop motion as a full-time career *The nitty-gr...

This episode features Filipino-Canadian Creator, Director, Writer and Filmmaker Mathias Richard Horhager on how to become a kid’s TV show director. You’ll also learn: *The secret ingredients to producing a hit episode *Which part of the show to spend the most time in as a director *How to create a mentality that always pushes you forward in your career More about M.R. Horhager: M.R. Horhager is a...

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features two prominent Blue Sky Studios Lighting Artists - Jasmine Katatikarn and Michael Tanzillo - who also run the Academy of Animation Art. In this chat, they share how to become a CG lighting artist in today’s industry. You’ll also learn: *What to include in your portfolio when applying for jobs *The simple goal that will light a scene well no ma...