Animator's Breakfast

Will Finn has definitely animated a movie from your childhood. Joining the industry in 1979, despite being told that Animation was dead. He sweated his way up the ranks, being taught by the last remnants of the Nine Old Men. Nobody knew where the industry was going but having put in the work through the difficult period, he was ready to sink his teeth into great characters during the renaissance, like Cogsworth or Iago. Getting to talk to Will is such an amazing treat for me, he’s such a deep treasure trove of insider information across many studios and he’s kind enough to share all that throughout this podcast. Styling himself similar to Grandpa Simpson, recounting his tales. True to form, Will surprised me when he wanted to talk about not just one, but two Disney features of the 60’s: Sword in the Stone and The Jungle Book. These are a few of the things we talked about: The difficulty animation faced in the 1970s Why Sword in the Stone was everyone’s favourite film to work on How The Jungle Book worked where The Sword in the Stone didn’t & so much more! I’m really excited to hear your thoughts after listening to us ramble on!

When I think of the words play and animation, two words come to mind: Robot Chicken. A show from the insanely talented folks at Stoopid Buddy Studios. Animator and Studio Founder, Eric Towner, shares his story of moving to LA, finding a stop motion animation job on Craigslist which ultimately led him to working on the second season of Robot Chicken, and from there, becoming one of the lead creatives at the studio. Sitting down with Eric was an incredible treat for me, I’ve always wanted to know more about their studio and the playful approach they have to creation. Then Eric shared with me his chosen point of inspiration: his mother. A creative soul who encouraged her children to engage with the world in a thoughtful and curious way, which has shown through Eric’s own work. These are a few of the things we talked about: - The limitations of filming stop motion back in the day - behind the scenes on early seasons Robot Chicken - The importance of early mentors in shaping your creative path & so much more! I’m really excited to hear your thoughts after listening to us ramble on! If you want to know more about the nounsfest we discuss in the conversation, check it out here! NOUNS FEST — www.nounsfest.tv

Oscar nominated director Andrew Chesworth has such an interesting career. He worked at Disney animating on Frozen, Feast, Big Hero Six, Zootopia, Moana, Get a Horse! to name a few, before working with SPA Studios on Klaus and Ember, as well as directing two of my all time favourite animated shorts: One Small Step and The Brave Locomotive. Sitting down with Andrew was a great privilege, especially when he told me he wanted to talk about Disney’s 1940 Pinocchio. Often overlooked in the oeuvre of early Disney animated features, Pinocchio is a true tour de force in pushing the medium forward. More expensive than the highly successful Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, you can see no corners were cut with Pinocchio. Approaching with the mentality of no limitations, Walt Disney and his team were firing on all cylinders, finding a strong moral story, complex characters with distinct personalities mixed with incredible technical innovations as well as standout artistry in animation. These are a few of the things we talked about: The making of One Small Step and The Brave Locomotive The stylistic approach of each animator, including the criminally overlooked Art Babbitt and Bill Tytla. Irony at the base level of Pinocchio and the dangerous world that lurks in every corner & so much more! I’m really excited to hear your thoughts after listening to us ramble on!

Colin Jack is currently a co-director at Dreamworks Animation, and has storyboarded on everything from Ed, Edd n Eddy, Captain Underpants, Puss in Boots, The Croods, Boss Baby as well as more recently been Head of Story on Trolls Band Together. As we siphoned through a list of potential candidate works to talk about, he quickly decided on Fantastic Mr. Fox, the 2009 debut animation from visionary director Wes Anderson. I was so excited ot get to share a discussion about his work with Colin. These are a few of the things we talked about: - Moving from Live Action to Storyboarding - The themes of Fatherhood in the movie, reflected in Colin’s Life - The design choice of Fantastic Mr. Fox as it doesn’t resemble the visual style of Quentin Blake. & so much more! I’m really excited to hear your thoughts after listening to us ramble on!

Tom Bancroft needs no introduction, but I’ll try to briefly summarise his career. Graduating from CalArts he was catapulted in Disney Animation at the beginning of its Renaissance. Working on nearly every film of that time. Animating Iago, Young Simba, Pocahontas and Mushu to name a few. Currently directing Light of the World with John Schaffer as well as bring CEO of Pencilish Studios and a creator of MerMay. He previously created the documentary Pencils vs. Pixels about the rise of 3D as it stole the light of hand drawn animation’s rebirth. Speaking to Tom on this podcast was amazing. I’d recently gotten to help them with their famous Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast while they were here in Dublin. I was even more delighted when Tom chose to talk about Animation Legend, Glen Keane. I can’t think of another artist today who’s soul speaks from their pencil. His legacy is vast, so Tom chose to talk about the rise of Glen Keane in Disney during the 80s and 90s. These are a few of the things we talked about: The making of Mulan in Florida Glen Keane’s work on the Bear in The Fox and the Hound and Ratigan Why Glen is a fine artist disguised as an animator & so much more! I’m really excited to hear your thoughts after listening to us ramble on!

Oscar winning director Chris Williams has been storyboarding for most of his career. Joining Disney in the 90s and working on classics like Mulan, Lilo and Stitch and The Emperor’s New Groove he was then oven the chance to cut his teeth in the hot seat. Directing Bolt, Big Hero 6 and co-directing Moana, he then left Disney and directed The Sea Beast, an incredible action adventure that is one of the few animated movies that verges on Epic. Speaking to Chris on this podcast is a huge privilege for me and I’m so thankful he took the time to be open, honest and transparent about the nature of sitting with stories and developing them into animated features. Even if the conversation can get a little opaque, I love the message of this conversation. These are a few of the things we talked about: Understanding what makes a story Developing a story takes time The three ingredients that add up to some of the best artists in the industry & so much more! I’m really excited to hear your thoughts after listening to us ramble on! Link to document: https://any-mation.ck.page

Three time Oscar nominated director, Tomm Moore has been drawing for decades, but he has never stopped growing. Recently, after the release of Wolfwalkers, he took a sabbatical to study Life Drawing in Paris and Amsterdam, seeing his growth is inspiring. Having Tomm on the podcast again was a huge privilege for me. Last February, I ventured down to Kilkenny to pick his brain about the nature of drawing. Originally this was intended to be a short discussion that I could pull moments from, but I loved the whole conversation so much I had to share it with you all. Every time I speak with him, I’m reminded of the depth of his thoughts and care in his expression. His understanding of art and how he communicates that is so honest. I know in another year I’ll still come to new understandings of his musings. These are a few of the things we talked about: Actionable tips for improving drawing practice How style is defined by your limitations (Incredible thought) Animation is collaborative but Drawing is individual & so much more! I’m excited to hear your thoughts after listening to this!

Character design and Illustration titan, Peter de Sève is nervous about A.I. Not for its capabilities but because studios are so driven by the bottom line, they’ll lean on the tool more rather than human imagination. There’s an epidemic of generic character design in the industry at the moment and de Sève wants to fight it. Speaking to Peter on the podcast today was a huge honour of mine. He breaks down his incredible career, Illustrating for the New Yorker to moving across to animation starting with The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and his seminal work with Blue Sky Studios on Ice Age. I’m delighted to have shared this discussion with her about: How studios will seek to use A.I. as part of their design pipelines Imposter Syndrome Advice on how to become a great illustrator & so much more in this conversation! I’m excited to hear your opinions and thoughts! Find Peter’s work here: https://peterdeseve.com/

Rotoscoping is far from dead, and these two men prove it. Co-Directors of The Spine of Night, Morgan Galen King (Mongrel, Exordium) and Philip Gelatt (Europa Report, Love, Death and Robots) join me to discuss the cult film that hasn’t left them since childhood, Heavy Metal. Getting to share in conversation with them about Heavy Metal was a dream come true. The passion, thoughtfulness and humour they approach the film through was a joy to witness, especially as their suggestion of the film finally gave me creedence to watch it. I’m delighted to have shared this discussion with them about: Approaching storytelling in an Anthology series How Heavy Metal came into their lives on VHS How they referenced Heavy Metal in the Spine of Night The Importance of music in stitching disparate elements together & so much more in this conversation! I’m excited to hear your opinions and thoughts! __________ Find more of Morgan’s work here: https://www.youtube.com/@GorgonautAnimation

Unique storytelling and eccentric animation are two ways to describe the work of Janina Putzker. She is a powerhouse of professional animation while ensuring her work maintains the highest standard that i looks effortless. It truly appears that she fears no style . Speaking to Jani on the podcast today was a great pleasure of mine. Even more so when she told me she wanted to dive into the worlds of the visionary master that is Masaaki Yuasa and his debut feature, Mind Game I’m delighted to have shared this discussion with her about: Finding your path even if there is nothing around you to help How the only obstacle in this world is yourself Why Mind Game encourages her rather than inspires & so much more in this conversation! I’m excited to hear your opinions and thoughts! Find Jani’s work here: https://vimeo.com/janinaputzker Insta: https://www.instagram.com/jani.pu/

Visual development and concept artist who has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world. Kamille Rogriguez is a thoughtful, passionate and incredibly hard working artist. It didn’t come easy to her but she knew if she didn’t pursue her art, she would always regret it. It’s my true pleasure to speak to Kamille on the podcast today. Her choice caught me off guard, but I was delighted to revisit Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest. I’m grateful to have shared this discussion with her about: - Always knowing the direction of your path in life - Talent is only a small part of success, Hard work is crucial - The impact Fern Gully had on our development (me too) - Drawing from Imagination vs needing real references & so much more in this conversation! I’m excited to hear your opinions and thoughts! Find Kamille’s incredible work here: https://kamillustrator.com https://www.instagram.com/kamillustrator?igshid=ZGNjOWZkYTE3MQ==

Illustrator, character designer and self professed happy man, Jeremy Hoffman. To see Jeremy’s work, is to see joy. A playful sense of observation and imagination expressing itself through a heavily practiced hand. It’s my great privilege to welcome Jeremy onto the podcast today. His passion is infectious. What shocked me when I first spoke to Jeremy is that he only started drawing again when he was 40, he’s 47 now. I’m grateful to have shared this discussion with him about - rediscovering passion - Losing touch with our childhood passions - Is fear a worthwhile reason to hold yourself back from your dreams? - How you can achieve your dreams at any age & so much more in this conversation! I’m excited to hear your opinions and thoughts!

This was recorded in the Summer before the recent bloodshed in Gaza. When I first saw Jana Kattan’s graduate film, Checkpoint I was struck by the authenticity in which she weaved a simple story filled with heartbreak. There is a reality integral to Checkpoint I couldn’t articulate but it made me pay attention to her strong, honest and empathetic voice. As she describes, she only became aware she was Palestinian later in her life and the search for an identity that came with that has lent her an unparalleled empathy matched with an iron resolve to tell the story of her people. Along that line, she chose to discuss The Tower by Norwegian film maker Mats Grorud. This is a film about a young girl called Wardi who is asking similar questions, why did they leave their home to move to Lebanon and why can’t they just go back. Grorud weaves a masterful tale of events as seen through young Wardi’s eyes, moving up the tower they live in, layer by layer, uncovering history and trauma but also joy in loving their lives. The Tower is currently a difficult film to locate on streaming but if you dig deep enough, your efforts will be rewarded. _________________ The Tower Trailer: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec8ahECKpQE&ab_channel=Unifrance] Watch Checkpoint here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBBY6EQe4gk&t=] Find more about Jana here: https://janakattan10.myportfolio.com/home ------------------------------ Animator’s Breakfast is part of Any-mation and hosted and edited by Cole Delaney.

Space Patrol Luluco is a quintessential artistic declaration from Japanese animation Studio Trigger. Though lesser known, and not as critically acclaimed as other work by the team and Studio, it remains a fresh and fun mini series that never falls shy of its promise. Made on a small scale with a smaller budget, it's endlessly inspiring to younger studios who also want to put their mark on the world. Enter Sean Cunningham, aka Paperbag Animator and Creative Director of one of my favourite studios in Ireland, Studio Meala. The work he and his team produce is world class, allowing a new wave of voices in Irish animation to flourish as they produce their vision fostered by Sean and the whole team. Sean is an incredible animator, writer, saxophonist and director in his own right, blasting onto the scene with his graduation film Define Intervention. You can check out Sean's work here: https://www.youtube.com/@paperbaganimator/featured Studio Meala: https://studiomeala.com/ Animator’s Breakfast is part of Any-mation and hosted and edited by Cole Delaney. Support this podcast and other work on Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/anymation

Welcome back to Animator's Breakfast. This month we're talking about one of my favourite Animated features of all time, the sleeping titan that is The Prince of Egypt. Dreamwork's defiant call to the western world of animation that Disney isn't the only studio in town. Originally pitched as The Ten Commandments but animated, it took a dedicated team from the relatively new division in Dreamworks Animation to craft this masterpiece, and I'm not the only one who thinks it's a masterpiece, so does Kirsten Shiel. Kirsten is a mega talented artist who's work I have been drooling over for years. She is an Art Director and Freelance Designer that has worked on shows for Sesame Street, Netflix, Disney, Nickelodeon, NBC Universal, and Apple TV as well as being an Award winning Illustrator. It was such a joy to sit down and discuss one of my favourite and her all time favourite animated work. To see more of Kirsten's work, check out her website here: http://www.kirstenmshiel.com/ Animator’s Breakfast is part of Any-mation and hosted and edited by Cole Delaney. Support this podcast and other work on Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/anymation

Welcome back to Animator's Breakfast. This month we're diving deep into the world of French animator, Sylvain Chomet and his foray into feature film making. A tour de force, while looking a the tour de France, it's impossible to narrow The Triplets of Belleville down to a succinct description, rather it's a story that needs to be witnessed. I was lucky that Cliona chose it as her inspiring touchstone.   I've been a big fan of Cliona Noonan ever since I saw her short film, Wet and Soppy. It's a graphic tour de force of controlled storytelling. When I saw her college short, Tuna, I knew she was someone who has a unique and continuously developing voice in the world of animation. It's even better that she comes from Ireland and is emerging as one of the strongest voices in the next generation of storytellers. So, it was a privilege to get to sit down and talk with her.  To see more of Cliona's work, check out her website here:  https://clionanoonan.com/  ----------------------------------------------  Animator’s Breakfast is part of Any-mation and hosted and edited by Cole Delaney.

You don’t get much better than this! A former Disney Animator gushing about an even more former Disney animator! What an Honour it was to sit down with Tony Bancroft to talk about Fred “Freddie” Moore.   Fred Moore was one of the earliest animator’s at Walt Disney’s Animation studios in the 1930’s. He’s most famous for redesigning Mickey Mouse into the character model we know today. Moore worked through the studio as it rose to prominence, animating on works such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella. His design of female characters influenced characters such as Ariel in the Little Mermaid which has informed what we think of as the Disney aesthetic now. Moore was a giant influence in the development of Disney animation’s design style after Ub Iwerks left, and before the Nine Old Men rose to prominence. Unfortunately, Moore’s propensity for alcohol held him back, leading him to be fired in 1946 and he’s been generally left out of conversations in the sanitisation of Disney’s history. He returned to Disney is 1948 but was killed in a car crash 4 years later.   For anyone who’s unfamiliar with Tony, he is one half of the Bancroft Bros. Animation podcast, as well as one half of the Bancroft twins. They both began their careers animating in Disney at the very beginning of the Disney Renaissance. Tony is notable for working on characters such as Cogsworth, Iago, Pumba, Kronk as well directing Mulan in 1998 with Barry Cook. He Has had an incredible, far ranging career animating, directing, podcasting as well as teaching and it’s a pleasure to get to talk to him!   Find Tony's work and social link here:  https://twitter.com/pumbaaguy1  https://www.instagram.com/pumbaaguy/  https://tonybancroft.com/  ----------------------------------------------   Animator’s Breakfast is part of Any-mation and hosted and edited by Cole Delaney.   Support this podcast and other work on Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/anymation

Welcome to season two of Animator's Breakfast and I'm very excited for it's coming year. To kick things off, I couldn't be happier or more humbled to be joined with Howard Wimshurst.  He is a freelance animator, content creator and generous teacher. Howard's passion and fundamental knowledge of the processes, both technically and philosophically, of animation are unparalleled in my opinion. It's always a joy to get to speak with him and I learn so much every time. As with many people you may meet in life, his openness, honesty with himself and love of the craft are refreshing and addictive to be a part of. His own podcast, The Animator's Guild Podcast, I would recommend for everyone to check out if they haven't already. I was lucky enough to be a guest and that is effectively the first part of our conversation.  Round Two is all about Aleksandr Petrov. If you don't know who he is, I urge you to stop right now and seek out his work. His shorts, such as The Old Man and the Sea, My Love, The Cow, Mermaid and many more, are baffling in technique, scope and observation, when you think about how he approached them. His animation process runs a perfect line of destruction and creation. Painting each frame with oil on glass, he then shifts around the paint with his finger to create the next frame, totally destroying the previous image. Overtime new life emerges as his vision starts to move. Petrov is a true master of his technique and of his craft.  Check out Howard's website here: https://www.howardwimshurst.com/  His incredible Youtube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/howardwimshurst ---------------------------------------------- Animator’s Breakfast is part of Any-mation and hosted and edited by Cole Delaney.   Support this podcast and other work on Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/anymation

Welcome to the final episode of Animator's Breakfast, for now! What an episode it is. I'm hugely humbled to be joined with one of the greatest living animators, James Baxter.  You might know him as a horse on a ball making people happy, but James has been working in the industry for over 30 years, starting on Who Framed Roger Rabbit? He's responsible for some of the most beautifully animated moments in animation history, including Belle and the Beast dancing in the ball room, or Quasimodo carrying Esmeralda up to the top of Notre Dame. The list of his phenomenal work goes on.  Today we're talking about Bambi, well as much Bambi as we can apart from me picking his brain about his process. Bambi was the 5th feature film released by Walt Disney Animation, and it's legacy speaks for itself. Really, with Bambi, the Disney studio's leapt so far ahead from other animation competitors, and cemented itself as a powerhouse when it comes to Animation. The film's tough and rigorous development process laid down a foundation that has forever changed the animation landscape.  Check out Jame's legendary work here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt2iDOfRW1WWu5SxgJJpP1g ---------------------------------------------- Animator’s Breakfast is part of Any-mation and hosted and edited by Cole Delaney. Support this podcast and other work on Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/anymation