Tag Archives: Adobe After Effects

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Jane Davies

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Jane Davies – Animator, Director.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Cleaning public toilets in the height of summer, it was truly grim.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Animation Director on the ‘A Productions’ animated episodes of Frankenstein’s Cat (CBBC series).  Most recently I directed the song section of ‘A Liar’s Autobiography’ a film about Graham Chapman. Different animation companies made sections of that film and I was involved in the ‘A for Animation’ section. That was quite an honor. I put a lot into it and I am very proud of it. There were only 5 of us that did the majority of the work (some additional help from some animators on bits of it) and it was in Stereoscope too. I’m so pleased with the end result.  I also was very proud to be trusted with the characters of Jamie Smart on a micro short we did for fun of Looshkin. I’m doing another one but it’s taking much longer as it’s a little more complicated and I do them in my spare time (1 or 2hrs a day).

 

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
Stevenage which is north of London. I did some animation in Foundation Art which was a defining moment for me, I had previous done a 2 yr preparatory art course exploring all areas of art trying to find what I wanted to do. When I did my first scene after reading about how to do it in the library, then showed my tutor I knew then and their that animation was what I wanted to do so I took the leap and studied animation at Glamorgan Centre of Art & Design University in Wales; which was the Continue reading

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Ana Maria Mendez Salgado

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Ana Maria Mendez Salgado and I’m a Visual Storyteller (Illustrator, Concept Artist, 2D Animator).

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
There are so many!  I worked as a sales person in a brick-a-brack shop (where I actually sold my first handmade cards and portraits), as a kitchen hand in a vegetarian restaurant (where my boss told me that “making a salad shouldn’t take as long as making one of my illustrations”!), and as a waitress during the night for a weddings venue (where I learned to value my sleeping hours!).  I also worked as a multicultural officer with children from non-English speaking backgrounds (which I loved), as a designer of props for storytelling time at a library (which was fun), and as a theatre attendant for music and performing arts events (which was always inspiring).
What are some of your favourite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Woods of Charol (2006), Passages (2012) Miniambra (2013), Andrés Barrientos & Carlos Andrés Reyes’ En Agosto (2008) and Carlos Manrique’s Journeys (2008).

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I was born in Bogota, Colombia and wanted to be an animator ever since I saw the making of Disney’s Little Mermaid. I became obsessed with drawing and imagining characters and storyworlds.  My first attempt to Continue reading

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Maxwell. A. Oginni

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Maxwell. A. Oginni. I’m an animation director, animator & illustrator, working mainly in commercial advertising.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Way back in my student days, when I was broke & hungry, I once took on a Summer job as a street fundraiser… That was pretty crazy. I met some very “interesting” people… I also (mistakenly) once asked a woman when she was “due”… she wasn’t pregnant.

 

 What are some of your favourite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Last year my good friend Gosia, who teaches at a primary school invited me to give an animation workshop/ pep talk to her graduating class of 11-12yr olds… Before my visit, I had the kids design their very own cartoon characters, as an exercise to explore their ‘personal’ creativity… The day finally came; the kids were so charming & adorable! Originally I was to choose only one winner from the bunch who’s character I would re-design & animate; but on seeing each design, I was so impressed by the effort & skill they had all put in, that I decided I’d get my industry pals involved… I made a quick announcement on my Facebook page inviting animator/ illustrator friends to help me in re-designing ALL the characters. Within two days I had over 20 artists on board! The project, which I hosted via my Facebook page, ran on for about a month or so. The re-designs were fantastic, & the response from everyone on my friends-list (artists/ non-artists) was great; people really got involved & it pretty much became it’s own thing… Anyways, I had all the re-designs sent over to the kids via their teacher as high-res images they could print & frame up as posters. According to Gosia, the kids nearly hit the roof once they saw their designs being “brought to life” by industry professionals… It was honestly one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had.

 

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I live in London, but was born in Benin- Nigeria. My story into animation I’m sure is pretty much the same as most other animators, really… As an introduction, back when I was a kid in Nigeria (about 5-6yrs old, late 80’s), I remember Continue reading

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Randall Kaplan

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Randall Kaplan. I’m a filmmaker, animator, freelance artist and designer.  I’m making an animated horror film called ‘Boxhead’.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? 
I bar backed for a heavy metal bar (cleaning up vomit) and worked at Starbuck’s (cleaning up vomit). I also edited wedding videos for many years (not exactly true to my sensibility.)

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Well, I’m very proud of my 5 original short films that were distributed in the anthology, ‘Beneath the Flesh’.  Aside from that, I worked as an editor on Beavis and Butt-head and also did some voices for the show. I’m very happy about that. I’m also very proud to have designed the creatures in an upcoming horror movie called ‘Crabs!’ Yes…that’s the title.  There was also this one wedding video I edited that was just gorgeous.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business? 
I’m from Brooklyn back when nobody wanted to go there. I grew up around animation. My mother is in the business and for many years I did my best to avoid it.  One day Continue reading

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Dan Forgione

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Dan Forgione, and I am an Animation Director at Titmouse,Inc, working on Season 1 of Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
My first job ever was as a caddy at a local country club, and in HS I worked in the food service dept at a local hospital where I was part of an assembly line putting together patient meals. I later went on to wait tables, bar tend, and even manage a restaurant during my first few years of college. Also I originally went to college to become a Phys Ed teacher, but transferred after a year an a half to art school.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I’m proud of all the work I have done both past and present, but there are a few that stand out in particular. Most recently would definitely be the work I’m doing at Titmouse, as well as the work I’ve done at Six Point Harness, where I was able to work on a number of projects with great crews of artists, some of whom have become my closest friends since moving to LA two years ago. I also got to work on a very unique project back in NY with Flickerlab, where I got to traditionally animate an entire 2- min piece for BNY Melon on paper napkins which was then shot as stop motion.  Before that, there were numerous projects that I did with Dancing Diablo, including several spots for the Bronx Zoo .  And of course, the pencil test I did as my proposal to my beautiful wife, Amanda.
How did you become interested in animation?
I always tell people I consider animation my “astronaut dream.” You know when kids are asked what they want to be when they grow up, and they respond with “firefighter,” or “superhero,” or “astronaut,” mine was “Disney animator.” As a child I loved to draw and by the time I was old enough to Continue reading

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Alan Lau

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Alan Lau. I am co-owner of Ghostbot Inc., an animation studio based in the San Francisco area.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Ha! There is a little “crazy” in all the jobs I’ve done. I was a “moon cake” packer for a day. Yes I understand that sounds like a weird euphemism.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I’m very proud of my work on:  Esurance: I did direction, design and animation on a series of animated commercials for Esurance. It was great to be ground zero at such a successful campaign and I had such great fun telling these exciting little stories in the span of a 30 second commercial.  Buddhist Monkey: I always enjoy working with Mondomedia. One of my very best friends is Kenn Navarro: co-creator of Happy Tree Friends. When we got the chance to do an “action” version of Happy Tree Friends we couldn’t say no! I directed and boarded 3 episodes of the show.  Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time: I directed the cutscenes and 2D animation for Sly Cooper : Thieves In Time. It was fantastic to work with the amazing game developer Sanzaru games and fine folks at Sony. They really trusted us to bring ideas to the table and left us to be creative and do our thing. That is the type of dream collaboration that you really have to enjoy when it comes along.  Anniversary: This was a real special project as I feel like this is the direction my company Ghostbot wants to go into. We want to create our own films and own stories so this feels in someways the beginning of that journey.

 

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I was born and raised in San Francisco, California. My parents were immigrants from Hong Kong so I think I inherited their crazy Continue reading