Animation Happy Hour

CG Lighters are truly the unsung heroes of the 3D animation pipeline. In fact, often when people say “The animation looks so good,” they are really talking about the lighting! Being at the back of the pipeline, lighters face extreme crunches and work harder than anyone else to get our movies across the finish line. Today we are talking with two incredible Disney artists, Justine Codron Moulayess and Mason Khoo, about their day to day jobs. Tune in to learn how Justine and Mason first got into lighting, what softwares they use, the do’s and don’ts of a lighting demo reel, and more! Check out our detailed show-notes here! Enjoying the podcast? Consider donating to help support our show! https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

In this episode we talk all about personal projects, whether it’s something on the side of work or your personal project is your full time job! We’ll quickly touch on drawing, podcasting, screenwriting etc., but spend the bulk of our time discussing our host Garrett’s big move into independent animation. Check out our detailed show-notes here! Enjoying the podcast? Consider donating to help support our show! https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

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. Check out our detailed show-notes here! Enjoying the podcast? Consider donating to help support our show! https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

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. Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-30-how-to-turn-an-internship-into-an-offer Enjoying the podcast? Consider donating to help support our show! https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

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. Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-29-what-inspires-us Special thanks to our first sponsor, AnimBot! Use code “animationhappyhour” for 15% off of a new Eco or Pro edition license through 2024. https://animbot.ca/home/ Check out Garrett's Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/garrett_animates Enjoying the podcast? Consider donating to help support our show! https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour/e/d6c590fb/29-staying-inspired Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

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. Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-28-the-animation-guild Enjoying the podcast? Consider donating to help support our show! https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour/e/79751b64/27-animation-q-a-with-michael-woodside- Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

Michael Woodside 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. Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-27-day-in-the-life-cg-animator-part-two Enjoying the podcast? Consider donating to help support our show! https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour/e/79751b64/27-animation-q-a-with-michael-woodside- Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

In this episode we finally tackle our own jobs! Listen to find out what a typical day is like for a CG character animator for feature film. We ran out of time for listener Q&A so make sure to subscribe and keep an eye out for part 2 coming soon! Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/day-in-the-life-of-an-animator-part-1 Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

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! Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-25-top-accesories-we-cant-live-without Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

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. Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-24-burnout Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

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! Episode Outline: 10:04 State of the Industry 18:38 Artificial Intelligence 29:11 New Animation That’s Inspiring Us Scavengers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWQH8cMpWTU TMNT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHvzw4Ibuho Marcel the Shell with Shoes On https://a24films.com/films/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on South of Midnight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2Z-8Y8r5ss Arcane https://www.netflix.com/title/81435684 Prehistoric Planet https://tv.apple.com/us/show/prehistoric-planet/umc.cmc.4lh4bmztauvkooqz400akxav?mttn3pid=Google%20AdWords&mttnagencyid=a5e&mttncc=US&mttnsiteid=143238&mttnsubad=OUS2019950_1-658971681729-c&mttnsubkw=144248666108__J1lRfctc_&mttnsubplmnt=adext 44:08 Acquisition Rumors 48:44 Possible Future Podcast Episodes 55:24 Tip jar - X Keys https://xkeys.com/ Tip Jar Online: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

This month's episode is all about things that surprised us working for a big studio. We hope you enjoy! Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-22-studio-surprises Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

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! Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-20-day-in-the-life-layout-artist-5xbxd Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

We are honored to have had the opportunity to sit down with two incredible Disney artists, Dorian Bustamante @layoutsketches and Corey "Rocco" Florimonte, 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! Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-20-day-in-the-life-layout-artist Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

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. Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-19-feedback Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

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! Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-18-top-5-bad-habits-and-how-to-avoid-them Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

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! Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-17-day-in-the-life-stop-motion-animator Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

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 and Isabelle Gedigk 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! Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-16-day-in-the-life-storyboard-artist Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

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! Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-15- Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

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! Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-14-top-10-tips-for-your-first-job Support Animation Happy Hour by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour