Noam Sussman

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What is your name and your current occupation? 
My name’s Noam Sussman and I’m currently working as a freelance character designer, illustrator and animator. I make animated films in my free time!
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I used to massage old ladies’ feet for money. But not actually… I havent had any super crazy weird jobs, I haven’t had to sell my body yet luckily. But I worked at an animation day camp teaching Flash animation to kids, and I worked at a theme park doing caricatures.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I animated a birthday card for JibJab that was a lot of fun, as well as this Christmas card for Guru studio. Oh and a pilot for Tinman Creative which was also really fun to do. I’ve also been doing illustrations for Stride gum packages.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business? 

I live in Thornhill, a suburb of Toronto. And I went to Sheridan College to study animation, and I met a lot of animation people at this end-of-the-year industry day event the school put together in 4th year, so Continue reading

Jason Lethcoe

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 What is your name?

My name is Jason Lethcoe.

What would you say has been your primary job in animation?

Mostly as a Story Artist, but I got my start as an Inbetweener, worked up to Animator and even Directed for a bit.  But at the end of the day, I fell in love with Story.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?

Selling funeral plots.  Seriously. I actually went with my dad to a seminar on how to do it and after trying it for one day, the whole thing creeped me out so badly that I had to find a better way.  Other jobs included Assistant Manager at Morrow’s Nut House.  I also used to build elaborate props for parties, 12 foot tall telephones and stuff.  It was crazy.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?

I was lucky to get an early start to my career by working on The LittleMermaid. Getting to work on the project that Continue reading

Mike Scott

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Mike Scott, director / animator.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?Waiter, DJ, promos, runner for a film crew.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of6 Goldfish animated music videos, working with David O’Reilly on some [adultswim] idents, my ‘MooseBox’ Nickelodeon project, music videos for my brother’s band ‘The Kiffness’.

How did you become interested in animation?
I’ve always been interested in animation, I’ve drawn since an early age and had tried various animation tests growing up. One of my mother’s friends gave me a book on animation as a birthday present, I guess that all helped.
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, went to junior school there, high school in Natal, Fine Art in Grahamstown, business degree in Johannesburg, then moved to Plettenberg Bay and I currently commute between Plett and Cape Town. One of my friends from University was working for a comedian and she said Continue reading

John Mathot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bl12a7F8HI
What is your name?
John Mathot

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I’ve never had as much fun creating & producing my own pilots.  “Fred Again” for WB Online, and “Bagboy!” for Cartoon Network were both a total gas.  I’d do more episodes in a heartbeat. It was an honor to work on “The Simpsons” for nearly 18 years.  Again, tons of fun to work on, and the crew was a blast to work with.

How did you become interested in animation?
Ever since I was little, I’ve always loved it.  I made many stop-motion films in grade school.  Once I saw the “Dragon’s Lair” arcade game in 1983, I realized that animation didn’t have to be just for kids.  That was the moment — it was gung-ho ever since.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m from a suburb of Boston, and went to Rhode Island School of Design in the film/video/animation program.  I came to California (first time ever on an airplane), and searched for an entry-level job for a few months.  After blanketing the town with resumes and Continue reading

Nick Swift

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What is your name and your current occupation? 

My name is Nick Swift, and I’m a recent graduate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  I’m sort of in the middle of looking to continue my education and searching for a studio position.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? 
I haven’t really ever been in any sort of crazy job before.  I’ve worked as an assistant coach for a summer-league swim team, as a host and cashier at a Japanese Steakhouse, and a sales associate in a retail store.  I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a lot of interesting and inspiring people though.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I’d have to say that at this point, my favorite projects are the student films I made while I was in school.  They were my first forays into actual animation, and were wonderful learning experiences.  They’ll always have a special place in my heart.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business? 
Born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina.  I’m not quite Continue reading

Wacom revamps its hybrid Windows tablet for 2015

wacom

Engadget is reporting that Wacom has finally updated it’s original hybrid.

If you remember last year Wacom came out with an expensive but sweet little device called the Wacom Companion which was a standalone portable tablet that let you draw on the go, but also connect to your PC or Mac when you were home for a bit of added extra power. It was a clever concept but also in true traditional Wacom flair, expensive as Hell. Well, today Wacom released a new updated model with better specs as well as a reduced cost by $200. Not bad Wacom, not bad!

From Engadget’s site:

 For 2015, though, Wacom has added more configurations, and knocked $200 off the price. Just like its predecessor, the new Cintiq Companion 2 doubles as a handy pen display when you’re working at home, pairing with either a Windows PC or Mac via the Wacom Connect app.

You can read the whole article here.

A bit more about the Wacom Companion 2 from Wacom’s site:

Arriving early 2015. Available in 5 models.

Enjoy total creative freedom and a superior, natural pen-on-screen drawing experience with a Cintiq Companion 2nd generation. Engineered to run your professional creative software, the Cintiq Companion 2 is ready to inspire the most demanding artists and designers. Create under open skies or plug into your Mac or PC to bring each remarkable detail of your expression to life with exquisite accuracy

Cintiq Companion 2 Features

 

Mac and PC compatible
Powerful Windows 8 creative tablet that you can also use as a Cintiq when attached to a Mac or PC

A professional grade creative pen and a highly responsive glass screen that’s finished to provide the friction of a natural pen-on-paper feel while reducing glare.

13″ widescreen HD display

ExpressKeysâ„¢, Rocker Ring and multi-touch gestures

Pro Pen – ultra-fine precision, 2048 pressure levels and tilt recognition

Ergonomically designed for professional artists and designers (left-handed or right-handed, doesn’t matter!). Work comfortably with the Pro Pen in hand, using conveniently placed ExpressKeys™, a soft-grip tablet back and 4-position adjustable stand to easily work wherever, whenever.

Intel® Core™ Processing Power

Cintiq Companion 2 Specifications

Modes
Fully portable or plug into your Mac or PC

Display Size & Resolution
13.3 inch
2560 x 1440 WQHD display

Overall Dimensions
374 x 248 x 15 mm (14.7 x 9.9 x 0.6 in)

Weight
1.7 kg (3.75 lbs)

Advanced Controls
Wacom Pro Pen and multi-touch

Productivity Boosters
ExpressKeysâ„¢ and on-screen controls

Compatibility (when plugged in)
Windows® 7 and later
Mac OS X 10.8 and later

Operating System
Windows 8.1 or Windows 8.1 Pro

Processor
Intel® Core™ processors

Memory
Available with 4 to 16 GB DDR memory

Storage
Available with 64 to 512 GB solid state drive (SSD) storage