My name is Luis MarÃa BenÃtez and currently I work as a background artist and as a freelance illustrator.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I had the misfortune of working at a call center. I had moved to another city and I didn’t know how to get started. A real nightmare.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?Â
I’m relatively new in the business so I wouldn’t be able to say that yet.
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?Â
I was born in Lobos, Argentina. I got into the animation business after I moved to Buenos Aires, the capital where after a while I recovered my dream of studying animation so I Continue reading
What is your name and your current occupation? Pablo Leon; I am a freelance illustrator, visual development artist and I also do motion graphics animation for educational digital media.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?Â
I have had a few. Stock supervisor for Levi’s, Sign Artist for Trader Joe’s, but one that stands out the most was the early morning shift I had as a loader for UPS. Almost everyone in my vicinity was rude, cranky, and sleep-deprived. Loading a truck for a very racist driver wasn’t my cup of tea either, so it didn’t last very long.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?Â
I worked on an animated info-graphic for the “Story of M-Pesaâ€. M-Pesa is kind of like the Western Union of Africa, but their business was conducted through the use of cell phones. It made it’s way through the World Bank, who liked it a lot, and that project has gotten me a lot more work as a result. Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business? I am originally from Guatemala and currently live in Washington DC. My last year of college I was hired by a start-up company to be a graphic designer (I had no real GD knowledge). However, Continue reading
What is your name and your current occupation?
I’m Art Grootfontein, and I’m a freelance animation artist, designer and illustrator.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I would love to say that I was a submarine cook for the British army, or a pet taxi driver in Singapore, but I’m afraid I didn’t work on anything weird before I start my art carreer…
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I think I’m usually happy only with the very latest things I did… recently, I directed a TV spot for Yoplait which I’m really proud of. This spot had been aired during the 2013 Emmy Awards night.  I had the chance to be in charge of the major part of the work (storyboard, design, animation) so it was pretty fun. And these days I’m working on something completely different : an fun eCard for JibJab, and I’m really enjoying working on it too.
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?Â
I’m from Paris, France. I studied at the National School of Art & Design in Paris. There I learned graphic design and illustration.
I discovered later that animation was my true passion. I think I had a brain wave when I saw “Gruesomestein’s Monsters” from Mark Ackland and Riccardo Durante.  I understood then I’d have to work on animation !  So I trained myself watching hours of TV animated shorts and series, frame by frame, in order to understand how all this magic was done !  Then I started doing stuff just for me, and when I thought I was ready, I started entering some contests. I had the chance to win a couple of ones, like this bumper for a company named myToons, who disappear a few years later (its aim was to be the “youTube” for animation… fail !)I also did an animated greeting card every year, sending it to everyone in the animation world to get my foot in the door! Gradually, people saw my work, and so I started working on “real” stuff !
What’s a typical day like for you with regards to your job?Â
First I eat some chocolate. Â I sit on my chair and check my mails, hoping I wouldn’t get too much retakes on the animation I sent the day before. Â Then I eat some chocolate, and I work on all the retakes I received by email. Â When I realize it’s the end of the day, I try to wash myself as fast as I can and I eat some chocolate. Â That’s it ! (Kids : don’t try this at home, it does’nt work so well)
What part of your job do you like best? Why?Â
I love the beginning of a project, when everything is still possible. It’s the part where I feel I’m completely free to do what I want (even if i’m obviously not !) I don’t feel any stress at this time and I’m the more creative.
What part of your job do you like least? Why?
When Adobe Flash crashes !
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?
I work with Photoshop, Illustrator… and Adobe Flash. Â As I started recently to work on animation, I can’t say that things really changed for me regarding technology. I never learned animation “the old way” with hole punch paper and peg bar…
What is the most difficult part for you about being in the business?
Finding paid gigs and new clients is probably the hardest part of the job in my opinion.
In your travels, have you had any brushes with animation greatness?
I’m afraid I don’t quite understand the question. But I love brushes and travelling !
Describe a tough situation you had in life.Â
One day, there was no chocolate at the store.
Any side projects you’re working on that you’d like to share details of?
I would love to have time to work on something I really care about, a series concept about a skate team, but I don’t have much to say since I did not do much right now…
Any unusual talents or hobbies like tying a cherry stem with your tongue or metallurgy?
Animation used to be my hobby ! And in a way, it still is.
But, I have to admit, I have a kind of everyday habit, but I’m not comfortable talking about it. The only thing I could say is that it has something to do with cocoa.
Is there any advice you can give for an aspiring animation student or artist trying to break into the business?Â
“Hey guys ! I AM an artist trying to break into the business ! So please wait a few years more so I can find my place. Cheers !”
What is your name and your current occupation?
Peter Donnelly. I am a freelance illustrator and animation professional. I develop visual concepts/storyboards for advertising agencies, animation studios and illustrate childrens books.  I also teach film pre-production to 3rd level students and direct animation.
 What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Most of my previous jobs were art related although I did work cleaning shopping malls as a Summer job after school…operating one of those big floor buffers dreaming of escaping..
 What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a partof? Â
The Land before Time, Titan AE, The Thief and the Cobbler, Prince of Egypt to name a few and some short form films and TV projects that have picked up some nice awards along the way.  In total I’ve been credited on around 15 feature films to date. How did you become interested in animation?Â
I was always a fan of the ‘Art’ of animation, the design and mood that could be achieved with shape, line and colour. Although I never had a desire to be an animator , I loved to draw and wanted to be an illustrator and in time realized Continue reading
What is your name and your current occupation? This is Robert Rucker I am a Background Artist in Animation.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? I did art direction work for an ad agency a decade ago. I wore many hats to save the company money. Including Art Direction I performed as an Illustrator and a Graphic Designer.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? I was proud to work on “The Proud Family”, “Loonatics Unleashed” and “High School USA”. They were major gigs in animation and some one thought I was good enough to join those teams.
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m from Michigan and I got in by testing for “Duck Soup” where I was Continue reading
What would you say has been your primary job in animation? Background painter and color stylist. I’m currently remote freelancing for Warner Bros. on Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. and Looney Tunes Show. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and used to work at Wild Brain before they relocated to LA.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was a bill collector for the credit card division of a big, unpopular bank in the early 90s. It was all done on an automatic dialer, the account would pop up on your screen and you’d have to quickly process what their situation was and try to get them to pay their bills. Sometimes it was depressing, sometimes it was fascinating and entertaining. People will tell you anything when they owe money. Mostly I just left a lot of messages and sketched in my book.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated is at the top of my list right now. It’s the coolest show I’ve gotten to work on, I’m a genuine fan.
How did you become interested in animation?
I’ve always been a fan of cartoons, of course, I wanted to do comic books, but never Continue reading
