Episodes

2D animator and storyboard artist Alex Kwan shares how she decided to jump into the field of animation! She’s worked on a number of amazing shows including WordGirl for Soup2Nuts and Motorcity; China, IL and Niko and the Sword of Light for Titmouse. She is also a freelancing ninja and in her spare time creates whimsical illustrations. In part I Alex discusses how her artistic journey led her to attending the School of Visual Arts in New York, how she landed her first internship at World Leaders ...

Freelance artist, children’s book illustrator and kitten enthusiast Chelsea Kenna graces the podcast today with her words of wisdom on succeeding in art school, making the transition from working as a lead artist at a video game studio to working full-time as a freelance artist, negotiating contracts, creating art you love and more. It’s a wonderful interview with a great guest that you won’t want to miss! Chelsea Kenna’s Portfolio Sites Website www.chelseakenna.com Facebook https://www.faceb...

Voltron. Korra. TMNT. Generator Rex. These are just some of the amazing shows that director and storyboard artist Steve Ahn counts as highlights in his illustrious 10 year career. In our interview Steve shares his experiences growing up in various regions in South Korea, emigrating to the U.S., and being accepted into CalArts. Along the way Steve used his artistic skills to express what he felt he could not express in words as he navigated through the field of animation to become a director on V...

In part two of this week’s episode Todd discusses what he would tell his younger self, the art of pitching your own series to various networks, the importance of taking time off from work, how to get hired for freelance jobs (and not work for free) and even how to build your own spa! And we talk about working at Puny Entertainment on their new show premiering next year on Amazon, Danger & Eggs. It’s a fun conclusion to our two part interview that you won’t want to miss! Todd’s Websites Portfoli...

This week Todd and I enjoyed an excellent and fun conversation about his journey from student to professional at studios like Titmouse and now at Puny Entertainment where he works as a character designer on the new Amazon series Danger & Eggs. This is an exciting time for Todd — at the time of the recording he worked as a Clean-up Design Artist for Puny, and right before the release of the episode he was promoted to Character Designer, so way to go Todd! In Part 1 of our interview Todd discusse...

Tim is an amazing and hardworking guy who I first met as a student at Academy of Art University. He originally dreamed of being a fine artist and graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Illustration/Graphic Design. After working as a freelance artist and graphic designer he decided to switch careers to become a 2D animator. Now he works as a lead animator at Concept Art House, a mobile game studio in San Francisco, CA. He’s also illustrating a children’s book in his spare t...

Episode 21 features the amazing and awesome Erin McGarry! Erin works as a visual development and storyboard artist at a mobile game start-up in San Francisco called ClassDojo. Before launching her career in the mobile gaming industry she attended Princeton and majored in fine art. Later on she discovered that she loved mobile games and began pursuing her dream of working in the gaming industry. Her story reflects the importance of working hard, being organized and getting feedback along the way....

In today’s interview ‘We Bare Bears’ creator and executive producer Daniel Chong discusses what it’s like running a hit animated television show. Daniel is no stranger to hard work and dedication, having storyboarded for ten years in feature animation at studios including Disney, Pixar, Blue Sky and Illumination before pitching his ideas to various studios. His story demonstrates the importance of taking charge of your career and persevering through the ups and downs that come with company layof...

In part two of my interview with Michael Tucker we discuss what it was like transitioning from being a student at San Jose State University to becoming a production assistant intern at Pixar, to being hired full-time at Pixar and then to becoming a producer at Double Fine. He also talks about the importance of being nice to people, networking and not being afraid to ask questions. It’s an interview you won’t want to miss! Michael Tucker’s Portfolio Twitter @tujomi Instagram @michaeljosephtuck...

Cinzia Angelini is the pro’s pro when it comes to the field of animation. The animation veteran who specializes in animation and storyboarding has worked for some of the most well-known companies in the industry including Amblimation, DreamWorks, Sony, Disney and Illumination. Her work spans the 2D and 3D gamut including Balto, Sinbad, The Prince of Egypt, The Road to Eldorado, Meet the Robinsons, Open Season, Spider-Man 2, and Bolt, several DVD projects including Kung Fu Panda Secrets Of The Ma...

Michael Tucker is no stranger to hard work and dedication. As a student at San Jose State University he worked on a number of animation and video game projects. Later he interned with famed game developers John and Brenda Romero. He then worked at Pixar Animation Studios as a production intern and then as a production assistant on The Good Dinosaur before becoming an associate producer at Double Fine Productions in San Francisco. In part one of our interview we discuss the importance of being ki...

In part two of my interview with Daria Eremina, Daria discusses what it was like working on LAIKA’s upcoming film Kubo and the Two Strings, forming a team to create her own upcoming indie mobile game, and what it’s like teaching the next generation of animation students at Ex’pression College in San Jose, CA. Daria Eremina’s Reel Vimeo https://vimeo.com/66084612 The Show Website www.theanimatedjourney.com Twitter @animjourney Instagram @animjourney Facebook www.facebook.com/theanimatedjour...

Daria Eremina grew up in the former USSR, learned how to speak English in school and by watching Babylon 5, and earned her Bachelor’s degree at Moscow State University. She then moved to the United States and earned her MFA in animation and visual effects. She worked as a character technical director and rigger at several companies, and eventually made her way to LAIKA where she worked as a junior rapid prototyping rigger before becoming a junior technical director. Hear her story and the power ...

In part two of Pat Marconett’s interview, Pat discusses his work on Adult Swim’s Mr. Pickles, Fox ADHD’s Axe Cop and Disney TV Animation’s Sofia The First. He also talks about the importance of having a personal project and how that helps fuel your personal creativity as well as enabling you to become a better employee , balancing work and family life, and keeping self-doubt at bay. It’s an excellent conclusion to this two part episode! Pat Marconett’s Websites Website www.patmarconett.com Tum...

Pat Marconett worked his way up from learning how to draw at San Jose State University to interning at PDI/DreamWorks and Nickelodeon, working in the mobile gaming industry and working on shows like Mr. Pickles, Friends Night, VeggieTales, and Sofia The First. In part I of our interview he talks about his journey from being a videographer in high school to deciding to major in animation, how he landed his internships and how he started working for Adult Swim on Mr. Pickles. It’s a fascinating ta...

This week’s episode features Pixar Story Artist Rosana Sullivan! Rosie started her collegiate career in science, with the goal of becoming a veterinarian. After taking an art elective and being encouraged by some of her professors she found her true calling in the arts, changed her major, attended grad school as a visual development major, worked at a game studio then joined the story team at Pixar Animation Studios. She discusses the process of how she decided to pursue art, the highs and lows ...

This week on Episode 11 of The Animated Journey I interviewed a true super star in the field – Tamara Lusher-Stocker! Tamara has the illustrious distinction of working as an animator on the BIG THREE Disney Renaissance films – Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King! She also worked on Hercules, Dinosaur and Treasure Planet in story and visual development, and she’s worked at several other studios including Pixar, Wildbrain, Rainmaker Entertainment, Blue Sky, and Lucasfilm Animation. She...

In the exciting conclusion to the three part interview with Marji Bordner, Marji discusses the opportunities now available to learn about the craft of animation and getting more involved, the pros and cons of art school, the future of movies and TV, and so much more! And here’s that link Marji was talking about from Noah Bradley on how to be an artist without going to art school. It’s a great read: https://www.noahbradley.com/blog/how-to-be-an-artist-without-going-to-art-school/ Marji Bordner’...

In part II of my interview with Marji Bordner we discuss how to make Christian-themed content cool instead of lame, the pros and cons of going to art school, how amazing it is that animation can be made at home, what life was like before the internet and the variety of animated films being made today! Marji Bordner’s Portfolio Website http://marjibordner.blogspot.com/ DeviantArt http://marji4x.deviantart.com/ Twitter https://twitter.com/marji4x The Show Website www.theanimatedjourney.com Tw...

Marji Bordner is a powerhouse of animation talent! After graduating from Savannah College of Art and Design she landed her first animation job at Radical Axis, working on Adult Swim’s hit show Squidbillies, then moved to Boston to work at Soup 2 Nuts on the Emmy-award winning series WordGirl for PBS. Now Marji works as an animator for the mobile game Minomonsters and is the creator of the webcomic Pride Lands. This is part 1 in a 3 part series with Marji and you’ll want to stay tuned to hear abo...

In part 2 Eric dives deep into his career as a professional animator and what it’s like working as a freelancer. He discusses what it was like to venture into the realm of mobile games while working for Playdom, which was later acquired and rebranded as Disney Interactive, working with animation legend Eric Goldberg at Duck studios, and working as a freelance artist for DreamWorks. Along the way Eric learned how to balance his time, network with friends and former colleagues in order to find gre...

Eric Cerda is no stranger to the world of animation. After seeing Who Framed Roger Rabbit he knew that the animator’s path was the way for him. He attended the Savannah College of Art and Design during the end of feature 2D animation in the United States with the resolve of finding a career in animation no matter the cost. He pursued his dream by visiting and cold-calling studios, and working as a waiter before getting his first gig at Radical Axis. While at the studio he worked on Adult Swim st...

In 2015 Alyce Tzue became the Student Academy Award Gold Winner For Best Animated Film for her 3D animated short film Soar. Currently she works as a live action music video director for Smule in San Francisco, CA. She also worked as an animator on Henry, a virtual reality short film created by Oculus’ Story Studio. In this episode Alyce shares how she decided to become an animator after graduating from Princeton with a degree in architecture. She shares how she collaborated on a team of over 100...

Christine Knopp’s career spans from working in game design to book illustration to teaching at Academy of Art University. In this interview she shares how she worked full-time while also attending school, starting her school’s visual development club, and her first few years in the industry. She also loves cats! Christine Knopp’s Websites Website http://christineknopp.daportfolio.com/ Tumblr http://kikidoodle.tumblr.com/ Twitter https://twitter.com/kikidoodletweet The Show Website www.thean...