The Animator’s Friend

In the interest of making new friends while attending Animafest Zagreb this year, I hung out at the festival picnic to record some impromptu conversations. This feels especially meaningful since Animafest is where I got the idea for the podcast this time last year! I was graciously joined by Sawyer Rippon , designer of the TAF logo, to chat with some new buds about Animafest's programming, frogs,...

Listen to my chat with my two favorite Annecy Achievers Michael Dondero and Shengnan Dong , whose film Nostril has been programmed into Annecy International Animation Festivals 2025's WTF Block !  If you are going to Annecy, book your ticket for one of the WTF blocks ASAP or rush day of!   Links to points of discussion: Nostril's website Michael Dondero's website Michael Dondero's Instagram Shengn...

Two episodes in one month!? Don't get used to it!... yet. Brent Sievers was in NYC a few weeks ago to receive a Webby for his show The Land of Boggs , becoming the podcast's first Angelino; allaying any blind East Coast/West Coast allegiances with his holistic perspective on the bites, the vibes, and the views. Links to points of discussion: Land of Boggs on Instagram Brent's Instagram The Divide...

The Animator's Friend reaches Unc Status by having Jasper Lin on the show. In our chat, Jasper does everything in his power to get us both canceled by crowning me the Joe Rogan of Animation, starting animation beef with Oscar winners, and attempting to settle multiple disputes with me on mic.  Jasper is an animator, computer artist, and educator. His work ranges from narrative short films to exper...

Sit poolside with me and Nicole Otaola as we discuss pauses, pivots, persistence, politics, and Jurassic Park.  Nicole is an artist and filmmaker currently based in Miami, FL.  She is a recent graduate of the BFA Animation Program at the School of Visual Arts.  She is an animation generalist, previously at Augenblick Studios - clients including PBS, Netflix, Irony Point, G-Fuel, Toei Animation, an...

I think the theme of my chat with Anne is BALANCE: the balance between creative desires; improvisation and planning; nature and opportunity; perfection and imperfection; Alice in Wonderland and Scar; the artist and the critic. The deep sea angler fish serves as a sublime enactment of this search for harmony. Anne Beal is an award-winning animation filmmaker and multimedia artist whose work merges...

This month, I made a new friend! John Morena joined me to talk all the most taboo topics: religion, and the tristate pizza wars. Morena is a Bronx-born animator and art director, currently living in Brooklyn.  His films have been selected by such prestigious festivals Annecy, Ottawa, Hiroshima, Anima Mundi, Animafest Zagreb, and the International Children's Festival. He is currently working on an...

This month, The Animator's Friend is joined by the self-proclaimed Animator's Friend's Friend Josh Pilch. Josh is an animator at Augenblick Studios and has worked on such projects as City Island and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. He has his own improv podcast Big Town Improv which can be found on all major podcast platforms. This lively conversation leaves listeners wondering... is Josh brat? Is Jo...

The Animator's Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an animation educator at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In this new podcast, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for lighthearted and unexpected conversation. In this episode, Ind...

Welcome to the inaugural episode of "The Animator's Friend," hosted by India Lombardi Bello, an animation educator at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In this new podcast, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for lighthearted and unexpecte...