Web comic genius Alex Norris describes himself as, "human blob who makes Dorris McComics and Webcomic Name." He's the genius behind so many relatable, viral comics gracing the web. Today on the show, we discuss how he manages to nail the "relatability factor" nearly every time. Find Alex's work: Tumblr: http://dorrismccomics.com/ Twitter: @dorrismccomics Instagram: @dorrismccomics Music courtesy of bensound.com
Writer Kent Osborne (Adventure Time, Spongebob Squarepants, Steven Universe, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, etc) shares his story! Find Kent: Twitter: @kentisawesome Tumblr: http://realcatagent.tumblr.com/ Music courtesy of bensound.com
Becca Clason is a stop motion lettering artist. She layers various mediums to create stunning pieces and has managed to turn her passion into her profession. She's done pieces for clients like Starbucks. American Express, Tumblr, Chatbooks and so many more. I caught up with her to learn her story and find out what makes her tick. Find Becca here: Instagram: @beccaclason Web: beccaclason.com Music courtesy of BenSound.com
Megan Tindle is a paper sculptor who's created masterpieces for Walt Disney Imaginering, TV, Film, Advertising, and various galleries. She shares her story and how she stumbled on the medium she was meant for. Find Megan here: Instagram: @mb_papersculpt Website: meganbrain.com Music courtesy of bensound.com
Claire Keane is a children's author, visual development ninja and has influenced some of the most beloved movies in recent years (Tangled, Frozen, Wreck it Ralf, etc). She spent 10 years at Disney and is currently developing her own projects. Claire shares her life story and was also generous enough to walk me through her sketch process step by step. Her thoughtful approach moved me deeply and I'm certain you'll get so much out of the conversation regardless of your creative discipline. Find Cla...
The hilarious, brilliant Katie Kimmel joins us this week. She talks about her journey into art so far, how her puppy vases came to be and what drives her to create. Her honest approach to art and life is a breath of fresh air. Find Katie: katiekimmel.com Instagram: @katiekimmel Music by: bensound.com
Pernille describes herself as a visual developer, character designer, illustrator, smodcast-listener and the lead character designer for DC Superhero Girls. Pernille is a self-made Danish artist who learned the power of creating her own style. Her incredible style have earned her hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers as well as jobs with animation studios around the world. She's incredibly down-to-earth and honest about what it takes to make it as an artist in today's world. You can find ...
Chris Battle is an artist who has worked on so many incredible shows, that your head will probably start spinning when you visit his IMDB page. Teen Titans Go, Dan Vs, El Tigre, Powerpuff Girls, Dexters Lab, etc. He's such a ninja, that he found his way into the industry without attending art school! Hear hist story and gain some practical wisdom for becoming a better artist. Find Chris: http://chrisbattleart.tumblr.com/ Instagram: @chrisbattleart Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisBattleAr...
Elizabeth Ito (Supervising Director of Adventure Time) is not only a creative genius, she' incredibly warm, modest and laid back to boot. This week I spoke to her about her journey in animation so far, what it's like to be a minority in elementary school, high school and beyond and also how her creative approach has evolved since having kids. IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2423397/ elizabethito.com Twitter: @kikutowne Basic Brainheart: Twitter @basicbrainheart, Instagram @hannah_camacho Music ...
Storytelling through music is Shawn Patterson’s passion. Shawn’s music is known across the globe in television and film as both a score composer and songwriter. He has received nominations for the Academy Award, Grammy, Emmy and Critic’s Choice Award. You can find Shawn at: http://www.shawnpatterson.com/ Twitter: @shawnmpatterson Music courtesy of Hamhock Studios
JARED BUSH (Screenwriter) is responsible for helping to develop and shape character personalities and overall story for “Moana.” Bush is also co-creator, executive producer and writer for Disney XD's animated comedy adventure series "Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero." He also helped develop the Oscar®-winning features "Big Hero 6" and "Frozen," and served as a screenwriter and co-director for this years hit feature “Zootopia.” Bush, who began his career as a script reader for Academy Award®-winning dir...
"Living your dream is a marathon and not a sprint." Actor Carmen Nikae (carmennikae.com) holds a graduate degree in theater studies and is pursuing the acting life in NYC. We took a deep dive into what it looks like to go after your dream full time - the ups and downs, audition triumphs and fails and so much more. Music courtesy of bensound.com Basic Brainheart: Twitter @basicbrainheart Instagram @hannah_camacho Facebook (search Basic Brainheart)
His IMDB bio packs a punch: "Daniel Powell is a producer and production manager, known for Inside Amy Schumer (2013), The Daily Show (1996) and The Colbert Report (2005)." Dan has had an impressive run with Comedy Central for years and has used the power of hard work (and a little luck) to secure an impressive list of production credits. Not only is he a badass in the entertainment space, he's an all-around nice guy. I think you'll enjoy hearing his story and what he's learned so far on his crea...
Animator and artist Leah Artwick (How to Train Your Dragon the series, Trollhunters, Word Girl, etc) has garnered quite the following on social media. Her pinup girls celebrate body positivity. I caught up with her about what to do when burnout happens, social media and all things creativity. You can find Leah: http://leahartwick.com/ @itsleahelaine Music courtesy of bensound.com
Jessica Daniels is an emmy-winning casting director. She's warm, genuine and confident in her craft. We enjoyed a lovely conversation spanning her life and career and she generously shared tips for actors who are pounding the pavement and working toward their big break. Some of her notable placements have been: MIchael Sheen, Paul Giamatti, Bryan Cranston and Titus Burgess in 30 Rock. A Young Eddie Huang in Fresh off the Boat- Hudson Yang. She recently cast Chante Adams in her first film role ri...
Felix Davin is a sound designer specializing in animation. See below for a complete list of Felix's work. His work has spanned a number of series (Song of the Sea, Santa's Apprentice 2, Sonic Boom, Calimero, Iron Man, The Little Prince, and many more) and he's managed to launch a successful freelance career. In today's episode we dive into the world of post production from an audio perspective, freelancing, noise pollution and birthdays! Find Felix at: felixdavin.com Twitter: @basicbrainheart In...
Alison Wright is one of the brave few who has taken the time to explore what she truly enjoys as not only a passion but a career. This week we explore what it's like to face the "scary" beginning part of the a creative career. Something most people feel an impossibility. Music courtesy of bensound.com Alison is also a writer - see below for an except of her work: Lonely is the wolf who cries at the moon Left to idly wallow in his pallid halo An empty light seared in the sky Forever untouchable A...
Subscribe in iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Today we share highlights from the last 15 guests! Enjoy some of my favorite moments from our discussions with Phillip Tyler, Chris King, Gloria Kimbwala, Esther Pearl, Kathryn Burns, Lorien McKenna, Donna Lynn Champlin, Tomm Moore, John Brooks, Mark Osborne, Jorge Gutierrez, Will Becher, Shannon Tindle, Brenda Chapman and Nora Twomey. Their tips and life stories will help you take your creative journey to the next level regardless of the di...
She’s one of Variety’s top ten animators to watch. Nora Twomey helped to found Cartoon Saloon and has been a pivotal talent on the team creating such iconic Irish films as The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. These days she is busy directing the film "The Breadwinner." Hear her talk about her journey and what she's learned along the way on today's episode. The Breadwinner: cartoonsaloon.ie Nora’s Twitter: @nora877 Music courtesy of BenSound.com Additional areas of interest relevant to this e...
Brenda grew up as the youngest of 5 children. Her mother helped foster her genuine interest in art and eventually Brenda attended CalArts where she eventually met her husband, fellow filmmaker, Kevin Lima. Once she graduated, Brenda landed a position with Disney where she was a story trainee on the Disney animated film The Little Mermaid. She was one of several key story artists on Disney's Beauty and the Beast, where she worked closely with future Disney director Roger Allers to define many of ...
Shannon Tindle, writer of Kubo and the Two Strings, believes in making stories specific and personal. This week he shares his own story and the lessons he’s learned so far in his career. Believe me, you don’t want to miss it. Some of Shannon’s other work includes Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, The Croods, Coraline and a number of other impressive projects and achievements. He and his wife Meg are incredibly creative and collaborative and I can’t wait to see what they’re up to next. Some li...
“William is a bit of a dreamer.” That’s what Will’s teachers often wrote on his reports. He knew from a young age that he wanted to be an animator. He describes his own story so well, that I’ll let him speak for himself here: “After a degree in animation at Edinburgh College of Art, Will joined Aardman Animations as a trainee assistant animator on Wallace & Gromit's Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Since then he has worked on features, commercials and TV shows including The Pirates, Creature Comfor...
Director, writer and multitalented artist extraordinaire (Book of Life, El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera) Jorge r Gutierrez has pioneered his own path since graduating from art school. He stayed true to his roots and his passion, but was deemed "unhireable" by many American studios because his style is so unique. Jorge has had to create his own work ever since. Thankfully, he and his incredibly talented wife, Sandra Equihua, have been, and continue to be, successful. Find Jorge on Twitte...
What do Kung Fu Panda, The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, The Little Prince and More have in common? They were all directed by creative genius Mark Osborne. Mark Osborne was born on September 17, 1970 in Trenton, New Jersey, USA. He is a director and producer, known for Kung Fu Panda (2008), The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) and The Little Prince (2015). His brother Kent is also an incredible creative human. Mark has thoroughly explored the worlds of stop motion animation as well as 2D and 3D...
John Brooks knows his way around a camera. He has the awards to prove it. His career in Communication, Film and Television spans 42 years. He has worked with Jim Cameron and Vince Pace on a broad range of 3-D projects since 2001 in various capacities including, DP, Director, Stereo Supervisor, and the was the Vice President for Creative Services for The Cameron Pace Group. For the past 3 years has served as the Executive Vice President for The Cameron Pace Group – China. As for awards, he's won ...
Tomm Moore and his colleagues at Cartoon Saloon have been hard at work for years creating breathtaking stories like the Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, Puffin Rock and more. In this episode we get to hear all about how the small town kids from Kilkenny Ireland go to art club together...then stumble into the film business and end up making films that the Academy nominates for Best Animated Feature. The humble beginnings of what's sure to be a continually unfolding story of one of the most belov...
Donna Lynne Champlin knew she wanted to perform at the age of 3 1/2. Since that time, she's pursued excellence in musical and dramatic performance and her career is skyrocketing these days as she has made the transition from stage to television. In today's show we cover a plethora of topics such as how she met Rachel Bloom, what it's like to be a "rookie" on the set, learning the politics of playing a supporting role and the importance of "unplugging" in order to be the best performer you can be...
This time we play with format a bit! My sister Bethanie joins me and we chat about everything form "Valley Girl Philosophy" to how chaotic school mornings are for us and our kids.
Lorien McKenna is a screenwriter and story consultant. She specializes in Story and Script Development for both studios and writers, helping them find the best version of their story. Her studio experience includes 10 years at Pixar Animation Studios in Story Development (RATATOUILLE, UP, BRAVE, INSIDE OUT, THE GOOD DINOSAUR), Paramount as a Development Producer, REELFX Animation Studios as a Story Consultant, as well as international studios for both live-action and animation. Her private writi...
With her refreshing and innovative style, unique training, and unparalleled creativity, newly minted 2016 Emmy Award winning choreographer Kathryn Burns has become Hollywood’s toast of the town. As the groundbreaking choreographer behind the hilarious watercooler moments on CW’s critically acclaimed hit television series "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," Kathryn stood apart in her Emmy category, and her peers took notice. Her three Emmy winning dance performances include “I'm So Good at Yoga,” “Settle for ...
