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Mike Blum

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Mike Blum and I am a director, producer, writer and owner of two boutique production companies, Pipsqueak Films and Blumayan Films. Pipsqueak Films works on animated content of all sorts and Blumayan Films produces live action features.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I waited tables while being a ski bum after college. I couldn’t ski more than 5 feet without falling at the start of the season but was cruising black diamonds by the end. Never did learn to wait tables all that well…And when I was in junior high and high school I worked at this crazy nut, candy, coffee store called The Head Nut. Come to think of it, slinging nuts and candy is a lot like turning the crank in production — head down and scoop away!

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
My favorite projects are the ones I’ve had the biggest hand in seeing through creatively. So, even though I worked on nearly a dozen features with world class artists and technical people while at Disney Feature Animation, none gave me the same satisfaction as working on my first shorts, Oil & Vinegar and The Zit.  And while a lot of my colleagues gave me funny looks when I told them I was leaving Disney to direct a series about a pair of talking testicles, The Adventures of Baxter & McGuire (for Comedy Central), got me nominated for an Emmy and took me to great festivals like Sundance and Annecy. And I worked with the amazing showrunners Michael Weithorn and Nick Bakay.  But my favorite project so far is the one I just completed, Samurai! Daycare. It’s a 10 part, Flash animated web series I did for the new YouTube channel, Shut Up! Cartoons. It’s the first property I sold that made it all the way to series and it was great fun to showrun my own creation.

 

How did you become interested in animation?
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’ll answer these 2 questions together…. I was a huge fan of Bugs Bunny growing up. I know, I know I have such unusual tastes. But I really never had any classic artistic skills and grew up so far removed from “the industry” in the Philadelphia ‘burbs, it never occurred to me in at least a conscious way that it could be a career. I did, however, Continue reading

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Dan Fraga

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Dan Fraga. I’m the director of The Ricky Gervais Show.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
There have been a few. Comicbook artist, Storyboard artist, Set Designer, Visual Effects Supervisor, Second unit director. Burger King.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
One of my favorites was being part of the launch of Image comics in 1992. Designing the sets for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2008 was a hoot as you might imagine. I’m really proud of the work my crew and I did for The Ricky Gervais Show Season 3.

 

How did you become interested in animation?
When I was a kid, my parents took us to this discount store. In it I found this Fisher Price Movie Viewer  and it came with a cartridge for Disney’s Lonesome Ghosts.  I’d seen the cartoon before, but I never had the ability to step through it one frame at a time like you can now with a dvd player of quicktime clip. This was the late 70’s early 80’s, so for me to see that animation was 24 drawings making up a second of movement was like learning the secret to the greatest magic trick. Of course afterwards I made flipbooks and what-not. I eventually discovered comics and took detour from animation. After working as a storyboard artist in feature films, I started noticing the changes and compromises being made from board to final shot and it was kind of a bummer. When I started working on The Hard Times of RJ Berger for MTV, it was the first time that I got to see what I boarded translated near perfectly to final shot. It’s intoxicating. I felt that magical feeling that I once got as a kid with that toy. I love all things animation and made it my mission to learn all that I could about the different kinds that are out there and the histories behind the masterpieces we all love.

 

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m from North East Bay Area by San Francisco. I got into the animation business through working on The Hard Times of RJ Berger. I was storyboarding the show and providing on camera artwork for the main character who was an aspiring comicbook artist. The creators of the show asked if I could Continue reading

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Paul Griffin

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Hi, I’m Paul Griffin and I’m currently an animation director. When I was seven, I was planning on being a firefighting astronaut who flew jets on the weekends, but animation director is pretty close. There is an element of firefighting some days, I get to fly spaceships and puppeteer aliens to pilot them, but weekends I mostly just kick back around the house.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I used to work for this couple, one summer in Toronto, who ran a ceramics business out of their basement. They had a tortoise who would eat the leaves of the large marijuana plant growing in the back yard, then he would crash into the fence over and over as he stumbled around. That was entertaining. I guess the turtle was happy for the most part.  I also painted structural I-beams for a summer and had one job where we were working next to the Welland Canal and could look down the smoke stacks of ships as they were passing several hundred feet below us on the water. That’s how I developed my Kung Fu Grip©. Man, the crazy, dangerous stuff you’ll do for $9/hour…
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
That’s a tough one. My favorite project is usually the one I’m currently working on, but have to say some of the memorable ones have been, The Fly, Magnolia, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, King Kong, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, four Superbowl commercials and the cinematics for Star Wars: Bounty Hunter (VG). Working with the gang at Dr D Studios in Sydney on Happy Feet Two last year was really a lot of fun.

How did you become interested in animation?
Growing up in Ontario Canada, before the advent of cable TV, the town we lived in had one single broadcast TV channel from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Every Saturday at 5 p.m. my family would gather around the TV and we’d watch the Bugs Bunny Road Runner Hour and it was Continue reading

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Eric Dapkewicz

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV9Aos_Ezgc
What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Eric Dapkewicz, and I am an Animation Film Editor. I just recently wrapped on the movie, “Puss In Boots” for DreamWorks Animation.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I worked in a parking garage at a Post Facility. That kind of sucked. But I got to know Mel Brooks this way.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I’ve been proud of a lot of different things I’ve worked on. In terms of animated movies, I’m most proud of “Lilo & Stitch” and “Puss In Boots”. I’ve made some independent movies and music I’m proud of as well.

 

How did you become interested in animation?
I’ve always loved animation since I was a kid. Watched all the Warner Brother Cartoon Classics and Disney Film Classics. I don’t think I’ve ever really Continue reading

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JEFFREY MUELLER

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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

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Donovan Cook

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Director of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Walt Disney TV Animation

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was Shamu at Sea World, (the guy in the costume)

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
2 Stupid Dogs, Nightmare Ned,Mickey Donald Goofy The Three Musketeers.

How did you become interested in animation?
Always drew cartoons and comics as a young kid. In high school my mother ordered the
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