Dagan Moriarty

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What is your name and your current occupation? 
My name is Dagan Moriarty, and I am currently an Asst. Art Director at ‘Sesame Workshop’ in NYC.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I worked a few different jobs back in the day, before I graduated from HS and shipped off to Art School. My favorite was working in a skateshop, but that’s a gimme. There were definitely a few interesting and offbeat gigs peppered in there as well… I worked in a Bagel Store for 2 weeks for a really mean and cranky boss.  I accidentally burned an entire batch of bagels one morning, and I thought she was going to take my life right in front of the cream cheese case. She was so mad! That’s probably when I decided that a life in bagels wasn’t for me…Though I still find them delicious.  Back in High School, I had a friend who’s father was a Real Estate Agent. He sold a lot of foreclosed properties.  Often times he would need to completely gut the homes and clean them up before he could put them on the market… So he would pay us 100 dollars a piece to go into a house with a baseball bat or a table leg and just demolish the whole interior… It was amazing!  Cabinets, furniture, literally everything except for load-bearing walls. I still remember the roaches scattering as we wreaked havoc on everything in our path. Best summer job in history!  It was a great way to work out our teen angst while making some loot!

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? 
The two things that jump right to the top of my head are ‘The Mr. Men Show’ for my friends at Renegade Animation and the ‘Skunk-Fu’ animated series that we worked on for the mighty Cartoon Saloon over in Ireland. (Worked with the team over at Fat-Kat
Animation Studios on that one.) Both of those shows were a cut above in terms of quality and craftsmanship, and they were a lot of fun to be a part of. We’re also working on some really cool stuff right now over at Sesame that I am excited about… but I’ll keep those cards close to my chest for now.  🙂

How did you become interested in animation? 
First, through my grandfather. He was a wonderful artist who really loved to draw, and he imparted that passion to me very early on. I have a vivid memory of sitting with him when Continue reading

Betsy Baytos

 

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Betsy Baytos…..Illustrator/Animation Choreographer/Filmmaker & Eccentric Dance Historian.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Performed & created the ‘Betsy Bird’ & puppeteered on the Muppet Show…..trained over 250 clowns in a ‘character movement’ workshop for Ringling Bros. ‘Clown College Alumni’…..toured the country in a vaudeville/burlesque show ‘Baggy Pants & Co’ as the featured eccentric dance act.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Working as a Disney animator since 1976, then coming full circle as ‘animation choreographer’ for Disney’s ‘Princess and the Frog’…..Consulting for Cirque Du Soleil…..performing eccentric dance as the ‘Betsy Bird’ on the Muppet Show and performing physical comedy in the Broadway run of ‘Stardust’ in a featured eccentric dance act as ‘Maurice’, but most importantly, bringing this film, which I have researched & worked on for the past 20 years, ‘FUNNY FEET: The Art of Eccentric Dance’, to fruition for the next generation.
How did you become interested in animation?
I have always drawn and danced since I can remember. I discovered eccentric dance while working as an animator at Disney, then discovered Continue reading

Ruben Chavez

 

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Ruben Chavez – Key Background Painter – Starz/Film Roman Freelance Background Painter – Disney TV
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Bellman/Room Service waiter for Hilton Hotels – Lots of crazy stories I could tell, but I won’t !  Repair and deliver electric motors for industrial businesses such as Farmer John’s .
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Hands down, Iron Giant and Cat’s Don’t Dance, other’s are The Simpsons Movie, Juniper Lee, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Lilo & Stitch 2, and most recently, Dan Vs.
How did you become interested in animation?
Comics and animation were my favorite interests since I was a child, I was constant;y drawing characters and scenes every chance I had, it was Continue reading

Keith Osborn


What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Keith Osborn. And I’m a freelance character animator.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was once an intern for a super-secret government agency – though I can neither confirm nor deny that. I also drove an ice-cream truck. Until it went up in flames. Interestingly enough, after the firemen came to the rescue, the ice cream was still cold in the charred, warped freezer. I offered them some but they kindly refused. Good thing too as it had a hint of smoky flavor after that.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Though this was probably the toughest job I had, I’m incredibly proud to have been a part of the Reel FX crew on the new Looney Tunes theatrical shorts. Animating those classic, beloved characters was an absolute honor. In a couple of them, we actually got to animate to Mel Blanc’s voice! I’m also proud to have been a small part of the 2012 Oscar winning animated short film, “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” for Moonbot Studios. It’s amazing to me that a crew, largely comprised of recent graduates, was able to put together such a remarkable film.

 

How did you become interested in animation?
I was bored. I had seen every movie that was playing at the movie theater I worked at. Well, all but one. Continue reading

JOHN HARDMAN

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What is your name and your current occupation?
JOHN HARDMAN, Director of Development and Production, Saban Brands LLC.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was a maintenance man for a function hall.  I spent every afternoon cleaning cigarette butts out of urinals and mopping up wedding guests’ vomit.  I worked in a car wash for one summer and had numerous close calls whenever I had to park a car with a stick shift.  I also have the typical Hollywood story of working for a producer who threw the telephone across the room at me when she got mad.  Worst of all, she got mad a lot.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
So many…. Rugrats, Rocket Power, Jackie Chan Adventures, Xiaolin Showdown, Mr. Men, Power Rangers.
How did you become interested in animation? 

I’ve been a huge fan of animation since I was a kid (no surprise!).  What I found most exciting was Continue reading

Jordana González

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Jordana González, and I am a concept artist at Clockwork Fox Studio.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Before I got into animation, I got some common student jobs to help pay my education years. I am really, really happy to have made it and not needing to work in a restaurant any more.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I was born in La Coruña, Spain.  My mother sometimes reminds me that when I was a baby, I caught a glimpse of a Mickey Mouse short, and Continue reading