Category Archives: Artists Interviews

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Chris Sherrod

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Chris Sherrod. I am a 3D Story Artist at Lucasfilm Animation on an as-yet-to-be-named feature film.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
My prior life after college was Advertising Art and Design Manager for the Interactive Channel in Dallas,TX.  Before that i was doing print work and mowing lawns and McDonalds for a summer so i could buy a car.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I was very proud of working at DNA Productions in Dallas on Jimmy Neutron. This was a dream come true being able to walk into an animation studio not knowing how to draw a stick figure but understanding the principles design and composition and applying them to a completely different field surrounded by tons of creative people.  This was my Film 101 on the Movie, the TV series and the followup, The Ant Bully. A very under-rated film in my opinion.  Ken Mitchroney and Johann Klingler get all my props.

How did you become interested in animation?
I’ve been interested in Animation since birth. Seriously, I re-created Continue reading

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Stephanie Pyren-Fortel

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Stephanie Pyren-Fortel, bg painter, character painter.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
When I was HS I was working as a  cashier for a dept store after that it was art jobs, I was hired at 19 to work as a fashion illustrator.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
So many to really say from Fat Albert, they were all fun in the old days now it is more client based whereas before artist ruled!

How did you become interested in animation?
I loved the satire and puns with all theBullwinkle shows ,rocky and his friends and Continue reading

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Ron Brewer

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Ron Brewer. Director.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? 
I was a drug runner. Or should I say a delivery boy and stock clerk in a class 1 drug vault for a completely legitimate pharmaceutical warehouse. We supplied all the pharmacies and hospitals in the San Diego area. I was involved in two armed robberies there. The first was a gang from LA that wore Halloween masks. They had shotguns and AR15s. We were made to lie on the floor and then locked in the vault. The second time was a gang from East LA. I was chased down the street by a guy with a handgun. There was no where to run to. We were tied up with duct tape. Curious that I would find the nerves needed to get through these trials to be a good tension test, to be a good prerequisite to my animation career. Cartoons is war!

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? 
I would have to say the Pink Panthers I was a part of. I directed 28 shorts for Pink Panther and Pals at Rubicon Studios LA. One of which won four 2011 KidScreen Awards including Best series, Best Series Viewers Choice, and viewers choice for Best Music –David Ricard and Best Directing –Me. Kerry Valentine produced, Ceci Aranovich did the design, Ryan Green and I did boards, Rob Sanders the sfx. Have a look!


The entire crew for the whole series was just awesome. The Pink Panthers are pure cartoons because of the absence of dialogue. Such a challenge to get the message across, stay true to the originals and hopefully be funny. You can find them on youtube or itunes.  Then I got to direct “A Very Pink Christmas” a Pink Panther special in the classic style. It’s the best thing I’ve done to date. Kerry Valentine producing, Ceci Aranovich design, David Ricard music, Rob Sanders sfx. A story that really came together thanks to so many talented people who I am very proud to have worked with. If you’re a Pink Panther fan or could just use a smile, go see it here.  I had the pleasure of traveling to the Philippines to meet the animation crew. Incredible the small army one of these things takes to complete. This show was also for Rubicon Studios LA., Manila and Amman. Unfortunately not many people saw it when it aired last year 2011. No publicity. You my insider friends know how that can go. But it really is a good little show and maybe it will pick up speed as the Christmas’s roll by. Look out Rudolph. 😉
How did you become interested in animation? 
I loved watching Saturday morning cartoons like the rest of you did. When I was a kid I had this idea to make Continue reading

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F. David Meyers

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What is your name and your current occupation?
F. David Meyers, 3D story artist on the Clone Wars animated series at Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? 
I was a Ink Retoucher for a photo lab (covered up spots on developed photos by hand), Checkout Supervisor at Kmart, trust me it was crazy.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? 
I love working on the Clone Wars a lot!! It’s a dream of mine to work on Star Wars.
I also really enjoyed working on Team Smithereen with the Dan Clark company.  That was one of the funnest jobs I ever had.

How did you become interested in animation? 
As a kid, films like Mary Poppins and Sleeping Beauty were magic to me.  I wanted to be a part of that.
I think it was a culmination of the love of drawing and the idea that animation is a legitimate form of storytelling and fine art together.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business? 
I am from Orange County in Southern California.  I got into the industry by Continue reading

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Olu Alemoru

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What is your name and your current occupation? 
Olu Alemoru — Snr Staff Writer Wave Publications and Director of Nutmeg Animations Ltd.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Well, I’m not working in animation per se, but I do have a couple of animation projects that I am developing.  One is called “Nutmeg,” an adventure story with contemporary and imaginary elements that follows the life and times of gender-breaking Afro-Latina soccer star Louise Sage.  The other is entitled “The Adventures of Ant Dog,”  a satirical concept about a lovable loser (a black Homer Simpson, if you will) who wins a million dollar ride on the first commercial space flight and gets zapped into another world where he will battle a great evil.  In terms of crazy jobs, the Ant Dog character is based on a crazy cat I met while working as a roller skating stock clerk in a warehouse.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? 
The above two.

How did you become interested in animation? 
I’ve been a long-time fan of cartoon characters like Bugs Bunny and the wonderful fourth-wall imagery of Tex Avery. Back in the day my favorite cartoons were Continue reading

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Cheyenne Curtis

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Cheyenne Curtis and im currently working for Disney Television Animation

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
In Montreal i once worked at this really shady linen store that had no bathrooms. Since i worked alone all day,  i used to have to call friends to come over and watch the store for me while i ran to the bathroom! The good part of that story is working alone all day meant some nice sketching time when the store was empty.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I’ve had so much fun doing character designs and layouts for the Disney TV pilot i’m working on, Daron Nefcy and Dave Wasson are so amazing to work with!

How did you become interested in animation?
Originally i had no idea that animation could be a career! I was in Studio Arts at Concordia University in Montreal and i remember feeling like i didn’t quite belong, even though everyone was interested in art.  Luckily one of my friends suggested Sheridan Institute in Oakville, and i applied and got in! I had never done Continue reading