In this episode, we chat to Michael Morgan, a U.K. based senior character animator and animation mentor about his journey into the industry and working with some of the most highly respected studios in the world. Michael has over two decades of experience in the VFX industry, and has contributed to some of your favourite movies and characters on the big screen, ranging from Marvel's Black Panther, Guarians Of The Galaxy: Vol 2, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Venom, Pacific Rim: Uprising and more! In this episode, we discus his journey into the industry, his experiences leading and supervising teams. We also go on to discuss what qualities he looks for in animators, as well as the common practices and mistakes animators do, showreel advice, motion capture, and more As always, if you liked this episode, please like, comment, subscribe and share! You can find Michael on Linkedin Chapters: 00:00 - Pre roll and what to expect in this episode 03:24 - Welcoming Michael on the show 05:28 - Did you always want to be an animator? 07:10 - Journey into the industry 14:20 - Doing 3D animation at home in the late 99's and 2000's 15:43 - Getting into the industry 17:07 - Preference between being a senior animator and supervisor 23:20 - Best way for animators to get in the industry or transition into, from different departments 27:05 - Traits you see in those who go on to be successful 28:31 - Qualities you look for in animators on your team? 29:52 - Why has 2D animmation mostly become redundant 37:31 - Will Maya remain the industry standard for animators? 39:05 - Would you hire an animator, if you liked their work but had never used Maya? 40:10 - Parents thoughts about your career choice 44:25 - Preference between animation for VFX and full animated feature 49:27 - Achieving realism in animation with/without motion capture 53:34 - Approaching a new sequence or shot 57:08 - Confidence with filming your own references 59:45 - Managing stressful days End of Part 1 Listen to all episodes on our website #vfxpodcast #animator #vfxanimation