Jono Howard

https://youtu.be/3Y2CvUR1zug

What is your name and your current occupation?
Jono Howard, writer, story editor, and co-creator.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Ummm… working in a mall record store?

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I am most proud of working on “Ed, Edd n’ Eddy” with Danny Antonucci and “The Very Good Adventures Of Yam Roll In Happy Kingdom” with Jon Izen.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I live and work in Vancouver. I got into the animation business through a friend, Jimmy Hayward, who had just co-founded an animation company called Digital Alchemy. I did free work for them. Eventually, Jimmy got hired by Mainframe Entertainment to animate on “Reboot!”. He smuggled me a copy of the show bible and I wrote a spec script. Then, he took the script to one of the Producers who promptly threw it in his office trash can without reading it. Later, Jimmy snuck into the Producer’s office, took the script out of the trash, and gave it to the Story Editor, Lane Raichert. Lane liked it and I got hired for my first job. Thanks, Lane and thanks, Jimmy. Jimmy co-directed “Horton Hears A Who” awhile back…

What’s a typical day like for you with regards to your job?
Wake up. Drive to downtown office. Write. Drive home in the afternoon. I don’t write much at night anymore. Sometimes.

What part of your job do you like best? Why?
There are two things I like in this business: writing for quality shows and writing my own stuff. Getting a job on a quality show is the best thing ever. A good show has funny designs, characters of depth, and is based on a novel concept. It’s helmed and staffed by knowledgeable people who are dedicated to originality, creativity, love of the medium, and envelope-pushing. This is what I look for in a cartoon show! Aside from working on a quality cartoon show, I like working on my own stuff because I believe it embodies the traits of a good show. At least, that is always my aim.

What part of your job do you like least? Why?
Truthfully, much of what I do as a freelance writer is write on shows that I think are mediocre… they’re not good, they’re not bad, they just exist. Sad, but true. On such shows, I end up writing strictly for the paycheck. This is what I like the least. I always do the best I can with whatever I am given, but it is often a losing battle. If the key creatives involved don’t have a thorough understanding of what it takes to make a good cartoon and the will and dedication to do it, it’s not going to happen. Much of the time, the animation channels are filled with such mediocre offerings. Truly visionary shows are hard to come by. It can be frustrating from an artistic perspective.

What kind of technology do you work with on a daily basis, how has technology changed in the last few years in your field and how has that impacted you in your job?
Mostly, a keyboard. Sometimes a pen and paper. My chosen writing software is Final Draft, although I have used Screenwriter too. As a writer, it’s less about the technology and more about personal inspiration.

What is the most difficult part for you about being in the business?
The most difficult part for me is creative differences and the arguments that can happen dealing with how to make a proper cartoon. Recently, I have come head to head, on many different projects in the last year or two, with one of the biggest problems facing cartoons today: script length and its result on pacing. Everyone these days is using 11 minute episodes as standard length. But, what’s the best script length for an 11 minute ep? IMO… 13 to 15 pages. Even that can be too long. Why? Because animation is NOT a writers medium. It is an artist’s medium. Cartoon magic happens in the storyboard. Storyboard artists need to have wiggle room to add in character bits and gags, which is the stuff people love. When an 11 minute script clocks in at 20 pages what gets cut? Character and gags, that’s what. All that’s left is story. To make matters worse, it’s often a 30 minute story getting shoe-horned into 11 minutes. So the show has to be paced at breakneck speed from beginning to end with no pauses or rests. The entire storyboarding process is ruined. I have raised this issue in meetings and often heard the same excuse: “Oh kids these days are used to the fast paced editing because of video games. Kids can follow it. Kids love it! We love a fast paced show!” I disagree. It’s like negligence towards children. There are several cartoon shows that my children are not allowed to watch because of the seizure-inducing pacing. Go watch a classic cartoon movie or TV show from the past and see how they’re paced. Now watch a modern movie or TV show. Then tell yourself that modern pacing is “better”.

If you could change the way the business works and is run how would you do it?
I would dissolve the atmosphere of power and control that exists in the boardrooms of industry. It engenders only fear. People don’t dare to give a true opinion and creativity is lost. But, most of all, I would eliminate industry gossip and backtalk. It doesn’t do either party any good. I will eliminate it in myself. Will you do the same?

In your travels, have you had any brushes with animation greatness?
I’m not interested in fawning over people. There’s lots of undiscovered animation greatness and talent out there. Look for it.

Describe a tough situation you had in life.
I decided to have children. (parent joke)

Any side projects you’re working on that you’d like to share details of?
I collect vinyl records and I’m working on a kids book and eBook app with Global Mechanic called “A Sweet Story”.

Any unusual talents or hobbies like tying a cherry stem with your tongue or metallurgy?
I have been studying the Immortal Path with a Taoist Master for almost 20 years. One of the things we do is work on our personal virtue. Whenever we see an opportunity to improve ourself – we do it.

Is there any advice you can give for an aspiring animation student or artist trying to break into the business?
Work hard at crafting your own particular voice and vision. The rest is all perseverance and determination.

 

 

Dan Long

What is your name and your current occupation?
Dan Long and I am a freelance animator currently working on the adventure game Cognition from Phoenix Online Studios and also on the web series Eight Bit Strange.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I have been a bouncer at a bar, a commercial fisherman, a race horse groom where I lived on the racetrack in a tack room, a telemarketer, a roof truss designer and builder, and tons of other jobs. So many that it’s really hard to recall them all.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I am really proud of Eight Bit Strange. I was brought on at the very end of the last episode so I only go to animate a few seconds in it, but the next “season” is in production right now and I got to animate, co-write and co-direct one of them and I hope that people think that it’s as funny as I think it is. Eight Bit is not about money, it’s about the love of animation and having fun animating.

How did you become interested in animation?
I got into it way late in life. I’m 42 now and just graduated Animation Mentor last year. I wanted to Continue reading

Deborah Zak

What is your name and your current occupation? 
Deborah Zak-Associate Producer G7Animation

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
 Selling Cable TV.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
We designed, boarded in it’s entirety the film called “Life and Adventures of Santa Claus.”  Beautiful beyond compare and TOTALLY designed by G7 Animation’s crew.  This can be viewed by  going to our website G7animation.com.  We are also uploading three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) a really funny site called LilFartz which can be found on Lilfartz.com orG7animation you tube.  We’re always working on new projects. We’re also working on R rated animation and currently are slated for ten Feature Flms and ten TV Shows.  So to say the least, we’re really busy.

 

How did you become interested in animation?
Actually, I wasn’t that interested but Continue reading

David Fain

What is your name and your current occupation? David Fain, I’m currently work for Hasbro Studios as an animatic editor on “Transformers Prime”. I also do freelance stop-motion, Flash animation, and writing and directing for animation when the opportunity arises.   What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? After high school I worked a couple of summers in a fish packing plant in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Also worked the counter in a bowling alley in Rhode Island after undergraduate school. That sucked big time. http://www.animationinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/FainShowreel_1109small.mov What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? My hands down favorite was “Action League Now!” which was a segment of the old Nickelodeon anthology series “Kablam!”. I started as a stop-motion animator on the series and eventually got to write some episodes and direct the final 13. I also was a staff writer on “SpongeBob” way back in the day before it was very well known. I created a couple of original web shorts while at Warner Bros. Online divison called “Slim Chance: Intergalactic Zoologist”. Working on “G.I. Joe Renegades” and “Transformers Prime” has been a ball because they are my first action/adventure shows and let me reference my love of live action continuity cutting a bit more than comedies.   How did you become interested in animation? Like most baby boomers, I grew up watching a lot of TV. In the New England region there was a woman named Yvonne Andersen who ran an animation workshop where she helped kids make animated films. Sometimes Continue reading

JEFFREY MUELLER

What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is JEFFREY MUELLER; I am a 2D/3D animator providing many animation and film production services to animation and film production studios globally. I am owner and operator of Magpie Entertainment Company Ltd & Magpie Film Studio Ltd and we are creating a reputation for creative and technical excellence, and the consistent completion of projects on time and within budget. Space Balls the Animated Series & Zigby the Zebra animated series brought Jeffrey Mueller on board as a Lead Storyboard, Concept & Environment Artist and as of late in 2011-2012 Jeffrey has gone onto shows such as television animated series Pound Puppies & Martha Speaks and after those contracts were up Jeffrey was hired to providing CGI special effects and Grip services to the live action television series Warehouse 13 currently airing on Show Case.  Jeffrey also has a Rigger credit on the movie “2012”. This is one of a number of Live Action Feature Films & TV Series that he worked on as a Grip, Dolly Grip, Key Grip, Lighting Op, Production Designer & other positions, as well as an Audio, Video & Lighting Technician for Ontario & Vancouver rock shows and theatre productions.  At the 2010 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES Jeffrey worked as Video Board Engineer and was responsible for all broadcasting system operations, building of the control room and operating the systems for the Figure Skating and Short Track Speed skate competitions to live broadcast.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
My most favorite projects were Spaceballs the animated series created and produced by Mel Brooks was my most favorite job due to the comedy nature and the creative parodies to each and every episode making it hard to not laugh every time I read the scripts and draw the stroyboards creating the visual was an added bonus making every day enjoyable. The others were films such as
War creating special lighting for the production, Cats & Dogs, and many others. I was interested in animation started at an early age when I created a comic strip that was based on a frog that was born with a disability. This comic was published in newspapers globally and being 14 years of age at the time I wanted to take my comics to the next level so I started developing an idea for an animated television show. I was a big fan of Bugs Bunny & Road Runner and wanted to bring these characters to life. Not realizing I would become an animator I went through the ranks and education to get the understanding of television broadcast and animation so that I could bring my very idea to life and put smiles on people’s faces.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
Growing up in a small town with a population at the time of 2000 there was not much to offer children and wanted to bring something to my town that would make my parents and residences of my town proud. It was always important to make people smile because laughter is the best medicine. A native of Ontario, Jeffrey Mueller worked his way Continue reading

Chris Ross

What is your name and your current occupation?
Chris Ross, Overseas Supervisor.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I’ve had some odd jobs splattered between animation gigs. The oddest might be during college, in the summer, working for a company that made heat exchangers for nuclear power plants. We had to go to the power plant to clean the inside of them them with high pressure water (We didn’t actually crawl inside, they had a a more humane way of completing the task). We were able to go on a tour of the plant. Each section of the plant is designated a safety level according to its proximity to actual radiation. We went to the giant pool where the spent fuel rods are stored, and as we left that area, a #3 Zone, back to a #2 Zone, we stepped onto the devices that check for contamination, so none is passed to the other zones. Apparently, my right foot sparked off an alarm, and our guide calmly washed the radioactive dust off the sole of my boot with some Windex and a paper towel hehe.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Ren and Stimpy for sure. The original and the new ones, but the original ones definitely.

How did you become interested in animation?
As a kid, watching Continue reading