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Rob Boutilier

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What is your name and your current occupation? 
My name is Rob Boutilier, and in a previous life I was creator and co-director of ‘Kid vs Kat’ on Disny XD… I currently spend my time watching episodes of ‘The View’ while doing freelance storyboard work.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I washed dishes in a lobster restaurant back in Nova Scotia. A co-worker used to drink copious amounts of wine from the walk-in cooler, and nobody knew how drunk he was until he pulled a scalding hot casserole from the oven with his bare hands.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I’m proudest of ‘Kid vs Kat’, as it was an incredible experience to direct something of my own creation, even if I wish I could go back and do some things differently. I probably had the most fun storyboarding on ‘Pucca’, directing on ‘Aaagh! It’s the Mr. Hell Show’, and I learned a lot by continually screwing up on ‘Ed, Edd n Eddy’.
How did you become interested in animation?
When I was young, all I wanted to be was the next Charles Schulz. I wanted to have a daily comic published in newspapers around the world and never even Continue reading

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Mike Geiger

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Mike Geiger and just finished up a pilot for a pre-school show called “Napkin Man” with a company called “Little Tugboat”.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Not that it was really a “job”, but I was an amateur skateboarder for the majority of my teens.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Wow, there are lots. I spent some wonderful time in Vancouver animating under Bob Jaques on the Ren and Stimpy show which definitely helped me develop as an animator and artist early on. We had a blast making episodes of a series called “Yamroll” up in Sudbury Ontario, and more recently, Ive had the pleasure of working with Chuck Gammage on a project that we are developing together. I feel Ive been really lucky to have worked with some unbelievable mentors.
How did you become interested in animation?
I would actually attribute the majority of that to being involved with skateboarding. The skateboard culture is heavily rooted in art and graphics, so it seemed like Continue reading

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Karl Maddix

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Karl Maddix – 3d Artist/Animator


What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Not very crazy but I once got sacked from a greengrocers for being too scruffy to bag potatoes!?

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I’m proud of all my work, but in particular my animated short The Roboteers which despite being produced under extremely tight deadlines, budget and resources, managed to win a film festival award for best animation. Also my animatic concept for EA’s Dante’s Inferno which won first prize and was subsequently shown on the big screen at London’s Apollo as part of London Sci-Fi Festival a few years ago.

How did you become interested in animation?
I’ve always drawn and been obsessed by Continue reading
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Spotlight- “The Lift”

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Today begins with a new feature here on Animation Insider where we showcase films of our interviewees. Todays film The Lift comes from New Yorker Robert Kohr. You can also catch his interview here!

About The Film: The Lift explores the consequences of one very common behavior of not holding the elevator door open for someone rushing to get on or worse, lifting your finger and actively pushing the close button. In this film, an elevator interaction between the two lead characters goes wrong, prompting a young woman to learn about being insensitive and to be more considerate in the future. 
A true labor of love, it took Robert and his team over 4 years to complete this 5 minute plus film that has been screened in over 55 festivals around the world, winning awards in 15 of them. Robert explored working with artists found online, all of whom he had never met and have developed continued working relationships with some of them. In this day and age it’s important to leverage social networking into your business model and The Lift is an example of this trend. 
Robert lives in New York with his fiancé and his computer. 

 

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Patrick Reyntens

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What is your name and your current occupation?
I’m Patrick Reyntens, an animator/designer from Antwerp, Belgium.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I checked tiny parts for helicopters. I had to push a button if the part was faulty, but I never pushed the button. The company went bankrupt 3 months after I left. I once had to crush slightly deformed potato chips for pigs. For half a year or so I gave drawing classes to prisoners. I once made a caricature of a prisoner. Him in a ballerina outfit. Afterwards I found out he was a pedophile…I guess that’s why that was the last time I saw him. The last lesson, one of the prisoners wanted to give me a goodbye party and dropped a bag of marijuana on the table and started to distribute joints to his buddies. That was weird, but what could I do, they were already in prison…

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I worked on a show called ‘Staines down drains’ in New Zealand. The show was really funny. I worked on numerous projects after that as an animator and designer. Please check out check out my blog to see what I’ve been up to.

How did you become interested in animation?
I have been drawing like mad when I was a kid. I drew my own comics. They were mainly about people getting killed in different ways.I remember making drawings on top of each other. After a couple of minutes Continue reading
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Raul Aguirre Jr.

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What is your name?
Raul Aguirre Jr.

What would you say has been your primary job in animation?
Animator, Storyboard Artist and Director.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I worked as a bouncer at a few night clubs around L.A.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
My favorite project is my animated short Hero Heights that I made at Nickelodeon and Frederator a couple of years ago for The Random Cartoons Show.

How did you become interested in animation?
When I was six years old I fell in love with drawing and decided I was going to be an artist. Then one Sunday night in 1981 when I was nine, I watched Continue reading