Tag Archives: Sketchbook Pro

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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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Daniel Spencer

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Daniel Spencer ,  I am Producer in Giant Creative and Chair of Pegbar.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
During college I worked a lot of hours in a late night petrol station as well as Magner’s photolab. They were busy places to work, but were rich in inspration from the eclectic mix of customers. The petrol station employed loads of art students, 3 of which were animators, so we were constantly taking turns in sketching customers and creating backstories for them. We also transformed the garage into an open air disco & an adventure course, in the early hours of the morning. Fun times.  Previous to that, I worked in a scuba dive centre, as well as a lot of kitchens, prepping food & scrubbing pots.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I’ve had many animation and design projects that I have hit milestone’s in my career. However, starting up Pegbar with a few of my college mates, is one project I’m quite proud of. After college, we were finding it hard to communicate or get an ‘in’ with industry. There were 52 film events in Ireland at the time, but few had serious animated content. We were networking as much as possible but could not find the right people to critique our work in order to improve and get jobs. So we created our own animation networking event, and put our generation of animator’s portfolios on showcase, to which industry came to check out this well marketed, mysterious animation event. The event has been growing ever since, and has hosted many talks from a number of prestigious animators.
How did you become interested in animation?
I was always interested in animation, comics, anything related to visual storytelling. I used to draw all the time when I was a kid and for all of the usual reasons. The turning point was when Continue reading

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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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David Wachtenheim

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is David Wachtenheim, and I am an animator/director/producer at W/M Animation which I own with my partner Robert Marianetti.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Crazy?  I don’t know about crazy.  I worked as a P.A. on some furniture commercials which was mainly like working for a moving company.  I also worked as a P.A for matte painters Bob Scifo and Ken Allen at the now defunct Dream Quest Images.  The craziest thing there was working with James Cameron on some preliminary work for The Abyss and watching so many people fawn all over him and tripping over themselves to do his bidding.  I got fed up when I was told to hold the slate for the shots and getting yelled at for not getting the slate out fast enough.  I also worked in a pharmacy for a Summer for my brother which was a little insane.  He can be pretty intense.  You should never work for your brother.  Actually, I can’t say that, I don’t know your brother.  What I meant was, you should never work for MY brother.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I’m glad you asked what am I ashamed to have worked on.  Most of the stuff we have done at our studio has been adult oriented for Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central and Adult Swim and I am pretty ashamed of all of it.  Well, not so much ashamed but I can’t show my kids much of it.  The stuff we have done for Sesame Street and Cartoon Network I am pretty proud of.  To be honest,

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Christian Lignan

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What is your name and your current occupation?

Christian Lignan , storyboard artist

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Being an Air Commando  in the French Air Force for (mandatory) military service.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
“A vew to a kill” a James Bond live-action movie,  storyboarding  the car stunt sequences with the stunts coordinator.

 

How did you become interested in animation?
When I learned that animation cells where painted by girls (way before digital compositing…)
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I am from France, I got into animation business after Continue reading
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Maurice Morgan

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Maurice Morgan, Freelance Designer/illustrator
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Nothing really out of the norm.  Got robbed twice at gun point working at two different food joints as a kid,  but that’s L.A.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
The Angry Beavers  – Great looking show, fun designs, great crew, crazy hours & politics, lots of martini’s, lots of laughs and I drew my butt off.Invader Zim – Another great looking show, pencil heavy;  got cramps in my hands & forearms from all the noodling in the design work.Kid Notorious – A nightmare production that shaved off ten years of my life but I’m damn proud of the work we all put into it.  Thanks for the martini’s and the memories, Bob. Flavio – Not only did I love the flavio character but Continue reading