Ep. 029: Michael Yates – Story Artist for Pixar Animation Studios

If you love storyboarding, you’ll love today’s interview with Pixar Story Artist Michael Yates! Michael worked as a Story Trainee at both Disney Feature Animation and DreamWorks Animation, as well as working as a Story Intern at Pixar, before taking a full-time job as a Story Artist on Cars 3 at Pixar. In today’s interview Michael discusses the importance of working on personal projects, learning as much as you can in and outside of school, and developing a thick skin in order to improve your storytelling chops. And check out his amazing student film, The Legend of the Flying Tomato!

Michael Yates’ Websites

Tumblr
yatesart.tumblr.com/

Twitter
@yyates05

Instagram
@yyates05

The Legend of the Flying Tomato
https://vimeo.com/90549174

The Show

Website
www.theanimatedjourney.com

Tumblr
www.theanimatedjourney.tumblr.com

Facebook
www.facebook.com/theanimatedjourney

Twitter
@animjourney

Instagram
@animjourney

The Host

Website
www.sketchysoul.com

Tumblr
www.sketchysoul.tumblr.com

Twitter
@SketchySoul

Instagram
@Sketchy_Soul

Continuing Education

I am taking courses at two online schools — check them out:

The Oatley Academy – The Storyteller’s Summit

Schoolism – Alex Woo’s Gesture Drawing Course

Awesome find of the week: The Gnomon School

Check out their live stream, Bringing “Stranger Things” to Life: An Evening with Aaron Sims Creative, and see how the Burbank, CA studio created the terrifying Demogorgon!
http://bit.ly/2c7XIsw

Ep. 028: Alex Kwan – 2D Animator and Storyboard Artist for Titmouse – Part II

 

AlexKwanTitleCardEp028In part two of my interview with Niko and the Sword of Light Storyboard Artist Alex Kwan, we discuss how to manage your time as a freelancer, the importance of saying no to jobs, her amazing trip to Japan and her tours of various Japanese animation studios, and she discusses her beautiful  Titmouse 5 Second Short, Chasing Sunlight!

Alex Kwan’s Portfolio Sites

Twitter
@ChunksTheMighty

Tumblr
http://chunksthemighty.tumblr.com/

Instagram
@chunksthemighty

Chasing Sunlight Short
https://youtu.be/KGbaYspipS0

The Show

Website
www.theanimatedjourney.com

Tumblr
www.theanimatedjourney.tumblr.com

Facebook
www.facebook.com/theanimatedjourney

Twitter
@animjourney

Instagram
@animjourney

The Host

Website
www.sketchysoul.com

Tumblr
www.sketchysoul.tumblr.com

Twitter
@SketchySoul

Instagram
@Sketchy_Soul

I am taking courses at two online schools — check them out:

The Oatley Academy – The Storyteller’s Summit

Schoolism – Alex Woo’s Gesture Drawing Course

Ep. 027: Alex Kwan – 2D Animator and Storyboard Artist for Titmouse – Part I

2D Animator and Storyboard Artist Alex Kwan

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 Entertainment and how she became a professional animator and now storyboard artist for Titmouse. It’s a fun episode you won’t want to miss!

Alex Kwan’s Websites

Twitter
@ChunksTheMighty

Tumblr
http://chunksthemighty.tumblr.com/

Instagram
@chunksthemighty

The Show

Website
www.theanimatedjourney.com

Tumblr
www.theanimatedjourney.tumblr.com

Facebook
www.facebook.com/theanimatedjourney

Twitter
@animjourney

Instagram
@animjourney

The Host

Website
www.sketchysoul.com

Tumblr
www.sketchysoul.tumblr.com

Twitter
@SketchySoul

Instagram
@SketchySoul

Ep. 025: Steve Ahn – Director for DreamWorks Animation TV for Voltron: Legendary Defender

SteveAhnSocialPhoto

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 Voltron: Legendary Defender. His tale is an inspiring and uplifting story for anyone with a dream and a desire to create amazing worlds and share the joy of storytelling with others.

Steve Ahn’s Websites

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/artofsteveahn

Twitter
@steveahn82

Tumblr
http://steveahn.tumblr.com/

Instagram
@artofsteveahn

Action Adventure Cinematic Online Storyboard Workshop
https://gumroad.com/steveahn82

Replay Vol. 2 Sketchbook
https://gumroad.com/l/replayvol2

The Show

Website
www.theanimatedjourney.com

Tumblr
www.theanimatedjourney.tumblr.com

Facebook
www.facebook.com/theanimatedjourney

Twitter
@animjourney

Instagram
@animjourney

The Host

Website
www.sketchysoul.com

Tumblr
www.sketchysoul.tumblr.com

Twitter
@SketchySoul

Instagram
@Sketchy_Soul

Ep. 021: Erin McGarry – Mobile Game Visual Development and Storyboard Artist – ClassDojo

ErinMcGarrySocialMedia

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.

Erin’s Portfolio Sites

Website
www.erinmcgarry.com

ClassDojo
http://bit.ly/29RsdF0

The Show

Website
www.theanimatedjourney.com

Tumblr
www.theanimatedjourney.tumblr.com

Facebook
www.facebook.com/theanimatedjourney

Twitter
@animjourney

Instagram
@animjourney

The Host

Website
www.sketchysoul.com

Tumblr
www.sketchysoul.tumblr.com

Twitter
@SketchySoul

Instagram
@Sketchy_Soul

Ep. 020: Daniel Chong – Creator and Executive Producer of ‘We Bare Bears’

Shoot 25434_001, We Bear Bares VO unit and headshots. Daniel Chong, creator

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 layoffs, mergers, films getting shelved, pitches being turned down and ultimately, crafting and creating a hit series for Cartoon Network. It’s a fascinating journey that you won’t want to miss!

Daniel Chong’s Portfolio

Twitter
@threebarebears

Tumblr
http://theicebearjudgesyou.tumblr.com/

‘We Bare Bears’ Official Crew Tumblr
http://wedrawbears.tumblr.com/

The Show

Website
www.theanimatedjourney.com

Tumblr
www.theanimatedjourney.tumblr.com

Facebook
www.facebook.com/theanimatedjourney

Twitter
@animjourney

Instagram
@animjourney

The Host

Website
www.sketchysoul.com

Tumblr
www.sketchysoul.tumblr.com

Twitter
@SketchySoul

Instagram
@Sketchy_Soul

 

Ep. 018: Cinzia Angelini – Director of ‘Mila’

'Mila' director and storyboard artist at Illumination Cinzia Angelini

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 Masters and the Universal Theme Park ride for Despicable Me, Minions Mayhem.

In this episode Cinzia and I discuss her experience growing up in Milan, Italy, majoring in graphic design and animation, working at various studios, and directing her short film, Mila. The film, about a little girl caught up in the bombing of Trento, Italy during WWII, is a passion project of Cinzia’s based on the stories told to her by her mother and grandmother.  Combining the forces of 250 people from 25 countries from around the world, and with the support of Unicef, Pixel Cartoon, and Ibiscus Media, the short film encompasses the largest virtual studio collaboration ever created. Learn more about this important film and support the Indiegogo campaign today!

Cinzia Angelini’s Sites

Portfolio
http://cinziaangelini.com/

Official ‘Mila’ Website
http://milafilm.com/

‘Mila’ Indiegogo Campaign
http://bit.ly/27aufXE

The Show

Website
www.theanimatedjourney.com

Tumblr
www.theanimatedjourney.tumblr.com

Facebook
www.facebook.com/theanimatedjourney

Twitter
@animjourney

Instagram
@animjourney

The Host

Website
www.sketchysoul.com

Tumblr
www.sketchysoul.tumblr.com

Twitter
@SketchySoul

Instagram
@Sketchy_Soul

Ep. 012: Rosana Sullivan – Pixar Story Artist

RosieSullivan01

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 of becoming an artist, having confidence in yourself and your work, and what it was like working on The Good Dinosaur and what it’s like working on Coco. 

Rosana Sullivan’s Website

Website
http://rdsullivan.blogspot.com/

The Show

Website
www.theanimatedjourney.com

Twitter
@animjourney

Instagram
@animjourney

Facebook
www.facebook.com/theanimatedjourney

The Host

Website
www.sketchysoul.com

Tumblr
www.sketchysoul.tumblr.com

Twitter
@SketchySoul

Instagram
@SketchySoul

Ep. 003: Domee Shi – Pixar Story Artist

(Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)

(Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)

Domee Shi emigrated from China to Canada, studied at Sheridan and interned at Pixar Animation Studios as a Story Intern. At the end of her internship she became a Story Artist at the studio and  worked on the Academy Award winning Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, and is currently working on Toy Story 4. She was also nominated for an Annie Award for her storyboarding work on Inside Out. In this interview Domee shares how she developed her love for art and animation, how she persevered to become a Pixar Intern and what it’s like working at a major studio.

Domee Shi’s Websites

Tumblr
http://doremimi.tumblr.com/

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/domeeshi/

The Show

Website
www.theanimatedjourney.com

Twitter
@animjourney

Facebook
www.facebook.com/theanimatedjourney

The Host

Portfolio
www.sketchysoul.com

Tumblr
www.sketchysoul.tumblr.com

Twitter
@SketchySoul

Instagram
@SketchySoul