Switching careers can be incredibly risky and intimidating, but potentially life changing in the long run. In this episode we chat with special guests, Allen Ostergar and Tyler Mahn, about their career pivots from animation to story and accounting to animation respectively. Our very own host Katie will also talk about her major pivots from pre-med to animation, and production assistant to CG animator.
Congratulations! You just scored your first internship, apprentice gig, or temp job, but now you must be wondering: how do I turn this opportunity into a long term offer? In episode 30, we go over our top do’s and don’ts that can help make or break your reputation and score you a job.
In this episode, we are talking about staying inspired! Both the importance of actively keeping yourself inspired as a member of the animation community and some specific ways each of us does this in our day to day lives.
In this episode, we cover the basics of unions and The Animation Guild (TAG). We interview Justin Weber, a union board member, shop steward, and Disney animator, and Allison Smartt, a professional organizer for TAG. Listen in to learn more about the history of TAG, the importance of solidarity, union perks & benefits, organizing 101, and the top myths and misconceptions about unions.
In this episode, we continue exploring a “Day in the Life of a CG Animator” by answering listener questions with a very special guest, Michael Woodside. Michael is an Animator who has been working in the industry for 15 years. Currently at Walt Disney Animation Studios, he has contributed as an Animator on films that include Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, and Moana. He was an Animation Supervisor for Frozen 2 and Encanto, helping to shepherd the musical sequences through Animation. In 2022, Michael received the VES Award for Virtual Cinematography for his participation in the construction of the “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” sequence.
In this episode we finally tackle our own jobs! Listen to find out what a typical day is like for a CG character animator. We ran out of time for listener Q&A so make sure to subscribe and keep an eye out for part 2 coming soon!
We all know it’s not the tools that make an artist successful, what’s more important is how an artist uses their tools…But, let’s just admit that we’re all still curious to know what pencil, tablet, mouse, etc. everyone else is using. In this episode, Garrett, Katie, and Ben discuss their favorite and least favorite animation tools and accessories. This is a lighthearted and fully unsponsored episode, all recommendations are made from the heart!
Burnout impacts many people in the animation industry, and can happen to anyone regardless of their age or position. In this episode, we discuss burnout symptoms, prevention, and treatment, and share some of our own personal journeys with mental health.
Good news! After a much needed hiatus, the Animation Happy Hour is back with a brand new episode in 2024. Listen in as we discuss what we’ve been up to, the current state of the animation industry, and future episodes coming your way. A huge thanks to all who expressed their support while we were on our break! The band is back together!
This month's episode is all about things that surprised us working for a big studio. We hope you enjoy!
As promised, our next episode will conclude our deep dive into a Day in the Life of a Layout/Previz artist! Listen in as we discuss everything from useful resources for students, to what kind of people might enjoy layout, favorite parts of the job, and more!
We're excited to announce that we have another episode in our 'Day in the Life' series coming your way soon! We are honored to have had the opportunity to sit down with two incredible Disney artists, Dorian @layoutsketches and Rocco, to talk about all things Layout and Previz. This is a crucial, and often underrepresented step in the pipeline that requires a vast array of filmmaking and storytelling skills in addition to some impressive technical know-how. In fact, there's so much packed into this step of the pipeline, that we couldn't contain it to just one episode, so join us on January 1st, 2022 to listen in on part 1 of a 2-part series on layout!
Feedback and critiques are essential in the creative world, but that doesn't mean giving or receiving it is easy. Everyone, from seasoned professionals to first-year students, has to grapple with this aspect of our jobs, but you don't have to go it alone! In our next episode, we discuss our experiences with feedback, and give some helpful tips for ways to gracefully give and receive feedback in the professional world. Listen in as we cover this on December 1st!
Garrett, Katie, and Ben have a light and lengthy conversation about the various ways that bad habits can creep into our work lives. Our hosts not only give advice on what to watch out for as you pursue your career in animation, but also how to overcome bad habits when you encounter them!
Get ready folks! In episode 17, we dive into the world of stop motion animation! Our special guest Dan MacKenzie @mackmation draws upon his years of experience in feature film, TV, advertising, and more to give us a picture of what life as a stop motion animator is like. We cover a LOT of ground in this episode--we'll hear what his average day is like at LAIKA, discuss what types of other jobs are available at stop motion studios, go over some practical advice for how best to prepare yourself for a career in stop motion, and much more!
Storyboards are one of the earliest and most integral elements in an animation pipeline, and we have the pleasure of chatting with a couple industry superstars who have extensive experience storyboarding in both TV and feature film. Natalie Nourigat (@tallychyck) and Isabelle Gedigk (@isasketchbook) join us to talk about all things storyboarding, from what it takes to break into the industry, to what an average day for a storyboard artist entails, and more!
Assessing yourself as an artist can be difficult. In episode 15, we cover some practical ways to objectively evaluate where you are in your journey from new student to seasoned professional, and provide tips on how to advance to the next level!
Are you nervous about transitioning from school to the professional world? Do you feel overwhelmed or confused when you hear words like 401K, contracts, benefits, etc? Are you nervous about not landing your dream job right out of school, or possibly being exposed to a toxic work environment? If any of this feels familiar, this next episode is for you!
Can I work in the animation industry and have a normal life? What if I want to have a family? Is the industry all just all-nighters and unpaid overtime? We are pleased to announce that in episode 13, we sit down with married couple and industry veterans Rebecca Perez and David Stodolny, to answer these questions and more as we talk all things work life balance!
What’s the difference between a PA and a PC? Why is Shotgun so important? In episode 12, we sit down with our friends, Alaia Braxton-Walker and Demi Chen, to talk about the ins and outs of production management.
