What is your name and your current occupation? My name is Keika Yamaguchi. I am a Children’s Book Illustrator and Freelance illustrator.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I wish I had a fun story to tell, but none of the jobs that I had before getting into animation were crazy.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
While I was an art intern at Walt Disney Imagineering, I worked closely with the producers illustrating the very first concepts for the kids room for the New Disney Cruise Ship, and Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Trading Card Game at Walt Disney World. I was blown away when I found out that the project is now real and the public can interact with them. I treasure the time I was working there to this day. I am also grateful to have been able to illustrate childrens’ books such as Sick of Being Sick, the big golden book for Wreck it Ralph, and The Tale of the Gingerbread Man. To see kids engaged in books that I worked on is a magical moment to me!
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m from a small town near Glendale, California. My first work I have done for Continue reading
What is your name and your current occupation? I am a freelance CG artist. I am also on the crew for the upcoming animated shorts “Hullabaloo”.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? One time I was a security guard in a middle school. There had been great tension between two large groups in the school that culminated in a pretty large standoff. Imagine two crowds of about 250 people each about ten feet from each other ready to go to war. It looked like a scene out of Braveheart or something. Â The only thing between them for about thirty seconds was me. Luckily they didn’t charge. I have also been a dish washer ,gardener, and a lot of other things.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Certainly the project I have been most proud to be a part of is Hullabaloo. I have been lucky enough to know the creator, James Lopez, for several years now and have watch  it grow from sketches on the wall to a full on successful indigogo campaign. I have loved the Disney style of animation since I was a child so to be invited to be part of that team is a privilege and an honor. It’s not everyday you get to work with animation greats.
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
Well I was born in Buenos Aires Argentina but moved to Los Angeles when I was seven years old. Â I guess you could say I’m just starting out in the animation business with Hullabaloo as it is going to be the first animation project I will be a part of. Â Up to this point I have only worked on tv shows, games, and toys. How I got to this point is what I’m guessing aspiring artist would want to know. Most people would say hard work,determination, and luck. Although that last statement is true it doesn’t say much so I will tell my story. I took a job as a souvenir photo booth attendant at a special even at the Walt Disney Studio. Â The only reason I took the job was to get through the gates, which to me always felt like the hardest step in the process. In the soundstage we were set up across from where some Disney animators were giving drawing lessons to attendees. I was determined to speak to one of the animators and show them my work. Once I mustered up the courage I walked up and introduced myself to to to man behind the desk. The crowd had cleared but he was still doodling on the page (this is where the luck part comes in). The man behind the desk was James Lopez. Well to make a long story short he became my mentor and over a period of a couple of years he helped me improve my drawing skills dramatically. Around this time I also decided I would go back to school to learn the CG workflow for animated films. I enrolled at Gnomon School of Visual Effects. As one of my projects I decided to model the car from Jame’s personal animated project (Hullabaloo). It was, I think, at that point when he decided to let me help him with his project. Fast forward about a year and a half and here we are. So needles to say it does take time, hard work, determination, and luck.
What’s a typical day like for you with regards to your job?
Well my day usually consist of exercise in the morning. Then I get right to work. As I do freelance as a cg artist the jobs can always range from modeling, sculpting, texturing, and sometime design. I might be working at home in which case I crank up the tunes and work all day till my wife gets home. Or I might be working in an office. A work day can range from 1 hour to 18 hours long. If I have time I like to work on personal projects in the evening and on the weekends. Also I’m constantly looking for new techniques on how to create cool stuff. During my free time recently I have been working mostly on Hullabaloo. Continue reading
What is your name and your current occupation? My name is Kyle McQueen and I am the studio Art Director at East Side Games in Vancouver, B.C.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? I went through a placement agency once and ended up getting a job taping boxes shut it a powder painting factory. The parts would be passed through the assembly line and then placed into a box. Once the box was full, I taped it shut and put it on a skid. It took roughly 2-3 minutes to fill a box. Nobody spoke for 8 whole hours. The factory was located across from a mental institution, which is an unsettling thing to have to walk past when your shift ends at 2 am. I quit after one shift.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? I think my favorite project would have to be the “Block Party for Blockheads” animated PSA I did for Nexon America. I had a really great Creative Director who trusted me and gave me complete creative freedom and support and just let me get on with it. Such a rare opportunity in this industry, but the most rewarding as well.
How did you become interested in animation? I’ve always known that it’s what I wanted to do. I grew up on The Muppet Show, Transformers, Spiderman comics and was always drawing. When I was small I thought of animation as this Continue reading
What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Brent Gordon . I am currently a Texture Artist and freelance character designer at Nickelodeon.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I supported myself through college by driving a city transit bus in Orange County California. Â It was relatively good paying job with flexible hoursto work around my class schedule at Cal State Long Beach. The hours were brutal! I had to get up at 4 am, start driving my route at 4:45 till mid morningthen attend classes in the afternoon, then come back and drive the evening route. I would then study until midnight and get up and do it all over again the next day.On top of that, I played and toured with a band during my college years.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
There have been many shows that I am very glad to have been a part of. I have designed characters for several Warner Bros. projects including Scooby Doo as well as many Walt Disney shows such as Kim Possible, American Dragon and Tinkerbell. One of the best looking shows that I have had the privilege of working on , is Continue reading
What is your name and your current occupation? Eduardo a.k.a. Eddie Brito, I am a Writer / Director / Producer at arlequÃn STUDIOS.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? I used to own an exporting business from Miami, Florida to South America. I used to freight forward appliances and cargo for a living.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? As a General Producer of the Television Show “Buscando Amor†(“Looking for Loveâ€, the Latin version of the “Blind Date†reality show), I added the first Computer Generated Images (with Maya, autodesk) in a Latin American Television Show. We created 3 different characters, a Mouse, a Teacher, and a Scientist that would make humorist comments during the show. We did this during sweeps in 2003, and kept the format until 2004, on Estrella 62 Television, in Burbank, California.
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business? I was born Venezuela, but raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I spend many years going back and forth between the two cities before I Continue reading
What is your name and your current occupation? Colin Stimpson. Visual development artist on Despicable Me 2.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? While I was at school I would get up at 6.00am to clean the local supermarket. I did it with a group of school mates so it was actually fun! The others would steal Cadbury’s Creme Eggs to eat for breakfast, but I have to say I never did!
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? I have recently had a children’s book published by Templar called “Jack and the Baked Beanstalk”. It’s the first story that I have written as well as illustrated. It’s due to released in the US in July.  As for my favorite movies, I thoroughly enjoyed working on “The Emperor’s New Groove” during my time at Disney. The highlight was an amazing research trip to Peru. Recently I worked as a visual development artist on “The Lorax”. I am big Dr Seuss fan so it was a great opportunity to spend time studying his shapes and caricature.
How did you become interested in animation?
I have always loved the classic Disney films. As a small boy I went to see 101 Dalmations and have been hooked ever since. I remember Continue reading
