Hello dear listeners! We’re happy and misty-eyed to present the final episode of The Animated Journey Podcast, Episode 100: The Q&A Spectacular! We answer your questions including how to choose an animation school, how the animation production pipeline works, the visa process, becoming a director, the future of the industry and more! We also reminisce about the podcast and our own animated pathways. But take heart! All of the episodes will remain available on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play...

Episode 099 features Co-Executive Producer Aliki Theofilopoulos! Aliki started her career as a 2D Animator for Disney Feature Animation, working on such films as Hercules and Atlantis, before jumping into the world of television and working as a Storyboard Artist on shows like Phineas and Ferb, directing and boarding her own original shorts, directing Descendants: Wicked World, and now serves as Co-Executive Producer and Co-Showrunner for DreamWorks TV’s Harvey Girls Forever!, now streaming...

Episode 098 features recruiter extraordinaire Joy Adams! Special note: at the time of this recording Joy worked as a Recruiting Coordinator at DreamWorks Animation. She is now a Talent Acquisition Coordinator at Netflix. In this interview Joy shares her journey from growing up and working on the East Coast to moving to the West Coast to participate in the NBC Page Program, working as a Receptionist and then an Executive Assistant at Nickelodeon, and making the jump to recruiting for...

Joining us for Episode 097 is director, storyboard artist, character designer, animator and author Carole Holliday! Carole sat down with us to discuss her fantastic journey through the world of animation, having worked at such studios as Disney, DreamWorks and more. She’s also the writer and director of the live action short film Witt’s Daughter, and the author of the book The Food Ain’t the Problem.  Learn how to survive and thrive in the industry and create opportunities for yourself in...

In part 2 of our interview with Waymond Singleton, Way discusses his journey from New York to Los Angeles, how he approaches making comics, being vulnerable with your art, the Black N’ Animated Podcast, and more! Waymond Singleton’s Websites Website www.waysingleton.com Facebook Way Singleton Art Gumroad Let’s Eat – mini comic Instagram @Waymonds Podcast Black N Animated Podcast The...

Today we welcome friend and fellow podcaster Waymond Singleton to the show! Way grew up in New York and South Carolina before moving out West and becoming a part of the LA animation scene as a storyboard artist. In part 1 of our interview Way shares how his love for animation and storytelling inspired him to pursue animation as a career by taking art classes in high school, going to SCAD and getting his first animation jobs in New York City. Enjoy the show! Waymond Singleton’s...

We’re back from our summer hiatus to bring you another exciting interview, this time from The Animated Journey’s own Jeff Schuetze, who this year worked as a storyboard artist on the amazing BoJack Horseman! Jeff shares his art experience leading up to applying for the job, the testing and interview process, what it was like working on the show, the unionization of the show with the Animation Guild and more! And to hear Jeff’s backstory, check out his first appearance on the show way back in...

We’re back to discuss animation and entertainment news and movie and TV reviews! Big stories in this bonus episode include Disney purchasing Hulu, Sonic the Hedgehog’s less than stellar design reception, the new Aladdin live action re-make, the never-ending plethora of streaming services and more! Plus we discuss what we’ve been watching, including Missing Link, Tuca and Bertie, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, How To Train Your Dragon 3, Shazam! and of course, the behemoth still crushing the box...

Everyone wants to be healthy and practice good habits, but the animation industry is rife with stories of people not sleeping, not taking care of mental and emotional health and subsisting on ramen and candy. These are habits many of us pick up in school and carry with us throughout our career. For our final installment of the Your Animated Life miniseries, storyboard revisionist and returning guest Lauren Krieger shares her experiences and we discuss different ways to stay healthy – from...

If you’re from another country, the one constant in your mind when wanting to work in the animation industry in the United States  is how you will get a visa or green card. In today’s episode of the Your Animated Life miniseries, We Bare Bears artists Nooree Kim (prop designer) and Yvonne Hsuan Ho (storyboard artist) explain how they navigated the system to get their student and work visas and how other international students and professionals can do the same. It’s a fascinating look into the...

Today on the show we’re pleased to have Animation Guild member and Storyboard Committee Chair Jake Hollander! A storyboard artist who has worked at Rough Draft and Nickelodeon, Jake shares how he entered the industry and offers advice for students and professionals on how to improve your craft, stay motivated, how the union works and why it’s important to be an active member of the community. Join us for an informative and fun episode and learn how you can support the Guild and how the Guild...

Freelancing – the mythos surrounding the word is palpable. Make your own hours! Charge your own rates! Work in your PJs! But is it the promised land that many of us think it is? In today’s episode character and prop designer and returning guest Todd Favela shares his insights into the world of freelancing. We discuss taxes, health insurance, getting enough sleep, managing client expectations, how to NOT be a hermit, contracts and more. Join us and prepare yourself for your next freelance...

Many people in our society will one day get married and have kids. But what is it like getting married and raising a family while working in the animation industry? Is that even possible? The short answer is – yes! And today on the show we’re pleased to feature Cassie Soliday, Script Coordinator at Wild Canary, and Katya Bowser, Storyboard Artist at Wild Canary, to discuss how they’ve navigated the relationship waters with their husbands and families while also pursuing their careers.  And...

So you want to work in animation in Los Angeles, but you live outside of California. How do you get here? How much should you save? How do you find a place to live? And once you get here, how do you get a foothold in the industry and advertise your work online and in person? Black ‘N Animated Podcast hosts and animation professionals Breana Williams and Waymond Singleton join us for part 2 of our animated life miniseries to share how they got into the industry, networking tips and showcasing...

Working in the field of animation is often harder than most people would have you believe. That’s why we’re here to demystify the process! In this miniseries, your intrepid podcast hosts Angela and Jeff breakdown what it’s like living in LA. We tackle the cost of living, getting a survival job while you work to break into the industry (we’ve had plenty), getting an education, internships, getting critiques on your work, and so much more. We want you to succeed and learn from our successes and...

In part 2 of our last animation podcast episode of 2018 animation director Crystal Stromer returns to discuss the role of a director in both television and feature film animation, working on Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, Unikitty, her personal projects, her dream project, and more! Also in this episode: Netflix announces their new slate of animated shows Our thoughts on The Lion King trailer A lost Oswald The Lucky Rabbit short is found in Japan Our reviews of Fantastic Beasts: The...

Animator Crystal Stromer returns to discuss working as an animation director for Teen Titans Go! To The Movies. Crystal discusses how she became an animation director on the film, working alongside the talented crew, some of her favorite jokes from the movie, watching the movie with test audiences, and more! Join us as we discuss one of this summer’s funniest films. Also in this episode: We remember the illustrious Stan Lee The class action lawsuit against Riot Games Our reviews of The...

In part II of our interview with Jack Kasprzak, Jack shares his experiences working on DreamWorks TV’s Spirit Riding Free and the importance of great communication in order to work well on a production. We also discuss his work with the SketchZone Podcast (on iTunes, check it out!), advice he would give his younger self, and more! Jack Kasprzak’s Websites Website https://sketchbookjack.bigcartel.com Orange Wolf Content https://www.orangewolfcontent.com/home SketchZone...

Hello everyone! It’s Halloween Eve (that’s a thing!) and there were so many news stories in the world of animation that we created a bonus episode to talk about it. We discuss Ed Catmull retiring from Pixar, the Animation Guild’s new agreements, the controversy surrounding Red Dead Redemption 2, events in SoCal, a scary What We’ve Been Watching segment and more! Check it out and make sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play and Spotify. And tune in next week when we bring you part...

Jack Kasprzak is no stranger to the world of animation. After graduating from art school and working for nearly 10 years as a VFX artist for Digital Domain on such films as X-Men: Days of Future Past, 2012, TRON:Legacy, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Ender’s Game, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, and many more, he made the leap to becoming an animation director on DreamWorks TV’s Spirit Riding Free. In part one of our interview Jack shares his love of making films at a young age with his family and...

One Small Step tells the story of Luna, a Chinese American girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut. In part two of our interview with the masterminds behind TAIKO Studios we spoke with CG Supervisor and Rigger Joy Johnson and Head of Pipeline and Technical Animator Andrew Jennings! Join them as they discuss their days in college, working at Disney Animation Studios and making the jump to TAIKO. They share the importance of working collaboratively with coworkers at home and abroad, the power...

One Small Step tells the story of Luna, a Chinese American girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut. In part one of our interview with the masterminds behind TAIKO Studios, the company behind this amazing short, we interviewed studio Founder and CEO Shaofu Zhang, Head of Development and Co-Director Andrew Chesworth, and Art Director and Co-Director Bobby Pontillas. Join them as they share their experiences from working at Disney Animation Studios to embarking on the journey to bring an...

Episode 078 features part 2 of our interview with animator, illustrator, storyboard and comic artist Alina Chau! In this interview Alina shares how her heritage and unique experiences influence her artwork, the importance of taking care of your mental and physical health, how to find a great agent, her current projects, how to manage your time as a freelancer and more. Alina Chau’s...

Animator, illustrator, storyboard and comic artist Alina Chau shares her experiences growing up in Singapore, studying animation at UCLA and working in multiple aspects of the animation industry from gaming to television shows at studios ranging from Electronic Arts to Lucasfilm in today’s episode of The Animated Journey Podcast! This is part one of a two part episode where Alina shares how she became the phenomenal artist that she is today, from working in the industry at studios to...