Shows
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast128 Straight Ahead w/ Ricardo Scioville: Star Chaser, Destiny Writer!Ricardo Scioville is a Latino character designer, story artist, and creator of Cazadores De Estrellas/Star Chasers. He shares his experience creating a pilot in collaboration with Cartoon Network Latin America, and the project's spontaneous creation. Ricardo chats about his time on Rey Mysterio vs. La Oscuridad, shares some emotional motivations about his inner-child, and we get to try out a new icebreaker game...
IG: @richiscioville
Cazadores de estrellas
Edited by Raymundo Mendoza-Landa
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and...2024-06-1858 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast121 Straight Ahead SEASON 4 KICKOFF! WE ARE STILL ALIVE!!We are still alive! We are back with a brand new season and a brand new look! Tune in as we touch base about our animation journey and our personal lives. We also give our thoughts about the current state of animation and the use of AI.
Ray's IG @radiosilence
Yuli's IG @chuudles
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we...2024-04-3048 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast118 Straight Ahead w/ Nicolette Ray: Have a Conversation About Mental HealthNicolette Ray is Native American, Acoma Pueblo, a storyboard artist and currently a game dev artist. She tells us about her strong start in animation, working for Wild Canary on Puppy Dog Pals for 5 years! We talk about work culture at Wild Canary, and the difference between working under Disney vs. Lucasfilm. We chat about her personal Native American Renaissance, as she dove into the history of her own people, and how connecting to those roots helped feed into her experience on Spirit Rangers. Also, Nicolette guides us through her journey struggling with mental health, and how the conversation...2023-11-1558 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast109 Straight Ahead w/ Cynthia Furey: Extra! Extra! Food Journalist becomes writer on Tiny Chef!Cynthia Furey is a hapa-vietnamese-italian-irish writer and currently a staff writer for Nickelodeon! Follow her journey of building connections through Sesame Workshop, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, and the CBS writer's program. We chat about her experiences on The Ghost and Molly McGee, Hello Jack!, and Tiny Chef. But before her career in screenwriting, she worked as a food writer for the Orange County register for 8 years! Learn all about her career shift, and the differences between writing for journalism and screenwriting... but also the unexpected strengths that came with that experience. (If you need more incentive, please...2023-09-0554 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast100 Straight Ahead 100th Episode Celebration!WE ARE CELEBRATING 100 EPISODES! Thank you to everyone who has been following our podcast and giving us a platform to spotlight BIPOC voices. We are so honored to have hit this huge milestone! To celebrate our 100th episode we brought back previous guest that we have had on the podcast. Join us as we catch up with Trilina Mai, Li Cree, Joon Chung, and Rebecca Chan!
Also don't forget to support us on ko-fi, every little bit helps!
Host
Ray Mendoza Landa @raydiosilence
Yuki Okamura-Wong @chuudles
Guest
Trilina Mai @trilinamai
Li Cree @li_cree
Joon Chung @thejooniverse
Rebecca Chan...2023-07-041h 51
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast94 Straight Ahead w/ Elliot Salgado: Discovering the World of Animatic EditingJoining us this week is Elliot Salgado a Mexican Assistant Animatic Editor currently working on Big Nate at Nickelodeon! Elliot entered the world of animation as an Intern at Nickelodeon not fully knowing what specfically in animation he wanted to do. His journey then took him to becoming a Production Assistant at DreamWorks where he got the chance to be a part of every part of the pipeline. It was there when he discovered his calling... Animatic Editing! He recounts that is was listening to the conversations between the Animatic Editors and the Directors that really sparked his interest...2023-04-2557 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast93 Straight Ahead w/ Amie Sanchez: Hit the Ground RunningAmie Sanchez is a Latina Storyboard Artist working at Nickelodeon. Straight out of school, Amie's first job was actually a full-time storyboard artist. We talk about her lucky break in 2D boarding, and the changes that came with the shift to boarding for a 3D show, Rugrats (2021). We have a candid conversation about having gaps in your education, and ways to fill them when your school doesn't have all the resources you need. Amie also talks about how she connects with her art outside of professional work through fan art and her friend-formed art group: Studio Rana.
2023-04-1840 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast92 Straight Ahead w/ Michelle Lam: Step by StepThis week's guest is Michelle Lam, story artist and now, graphic novelist! She shares her experiences on so many different productions, and reflects especially fondly upon her time as an Assistant Episodic Director for Tonko House's Oni: a Thunder God's Tale. We also chat at length about her experiences at Cal Arts, how she found her voice, and how that also lead to her many different internships. Michelle also shares her new experience diving into the world of publishing, and working with Penguin House Knopf on Meesh the Bad Demon. Finally, we get the chance to talk a lot...2023-04-1156 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast91 Straight Ahead w/ Najja Porter: Falling ApplesNajja Porter is a half-black, half-white artist working as a supervising director on Craig of the Creek. We talk about her time on a long-running project like Craig (4 years!) and the highs and lows that come with such a unique production. Najja also tells us the whirlwind tale of how she began moving from Tampa, Florida all the way to Los Angeles, California without even a job secured! She tells us all about her experience in the Nickelodeon Artist Program, and how that trained her to be an industry-ready professional. Aside from that, we get to chat about Phoenix...2023-04-0456 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast90 Straight Ahead w/ Eddie Clark: All You Need is One Good ShotMeet Eddie Clark, an African American Storyboard Revisionist currently working on The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder! After graduating from SJSU Eddie felt burnt out from school and decided to take a step back from animation. Outside of animation Eddie was heavily involved in theatre and started acting more. His love for acting really strengthened his skills as an animator and story artist. Eventually Eddie came into contact with Bruce W. Smith and the rest is history.
Instagram: @tim3lesz_eddie
Twitter: @eclackanimation
Portfolio: https://www.eclarkanimation.com/
If you enjoy our podcast...2023-02-2853 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast89 Straight Ahead w/ Harron Atkins: From the Street to the Creek!Meet Harron Atkins, a black writer currently working freelance. Harron is also an alumni of the Sesame Street Writers Workshop and raves how much that experience helped him in his animation career. One of Harron's most recent gigs was being a Staff Writer for Craig of the Creek! That experience helped him gain a greater appreciation for artist and has helped take the artist into consideration when he writes his scripts. He also hopes to create his own production company to help POC voices tell their own stories. Learn this and a lot more by giving this episode a...2023-02-2147 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast88 Straight Ahead w/ Corinth Boone: Learning the Industry StandardMeet Corinth Boone, a black artist from New Jersey who works as a Prop Designer for Cartoon Network! Although she lives in Los Angeles now, Corinth originally had to turn down CN's first offer since she wasn't ready to relocate. That opportunity would have been lost if Corinth didn't follow the #1 rule of job hunting: Always Follow-Up! During her time at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Corinth took a semester off to hone her portfolio and inadvertently did a little growing-up. As a prop designer, she not only draws hand-held props, but also furniture and even effects...2023-02-1649 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast87 Straight Ahead w/ Jaylen Tate-Lucas: Suit-up, Robin!Our guest this week is Jaylen Tate-Lucas a black storyboard artist currently working at Warner Bros. Animation. We talk about what it is like storyboarding on a show like Teen Titans Go! Jaylen also talks about his love for the Horror Genre and how it is inspiring him for his own personal project. We hope you enjoy this episode and find it insightful.
Instagram: @j_t_lucas
Twitter: @jtealucas
Portfolio: https://jtatelucas.com/
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand...2023-02-0753 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast86 Straight Ahead Season 3 Kickoff!!!Ray and Yuki are back with Season 3 of the Straight Ahead Animation Podcast! We reflect back on Season 2 by talking about the most played episodes. We also talk about our past 3 years working in the Animation Industry. We finally wrap up by talking about what you should expect in Season 3 of the podcast!
Thank you so much for your continued support and if you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
Ray's Socials-
IG: @raydiosilence
...2023-02-0145 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast85 Straight Ahead w/ Da-Hee Im: Choosing The Game Industry Over Feature AnimationOur guest this week is Da-Hee Im, a Korean-American Cinematic Animator currently working at Bungie. Learn what gravitated Da-Hee towards working in the games industry over the animation industry. Learn about the ins and outs between Cinematic Animation for games and Gameplay animation. We also discuss how you should consider every opportunity that comes you way because you never know where it may lead you.
Portfolio: https://www.daheeim.com/
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPO...2022-11-2954 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast84 Straight Ahead w/ Ren Bernal: Starting Over With A Fresh StartThis week we have Ren Bernal a Colombian artist currently working as a Character Designer! His journey has taken him back and forth between Character Design and Storyboards! His most notable projects has been storyboarding the Music Video Electric by Katy Perry for Pokémon's 25th Anniversary. Ren is also currently leading a team in creating an independently produced animated series titled Bit Wars. This project has garnered attention from both smaller and larger studios. Ren also talks about being a DACA recipient and wanting to show that anyone no matter their background can leave a long lasting impact b...2022-11-2259 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast83 Straight Ahead w/ Nessa Tweneboah: Put fan art in your portfolio!Nessa Tweneboah is a Black artist working for 6-point harness painting backgrounds! Nessa explains the different roles of the background pipeline including design, paint, and the collaboration that can happen therein. They also talk about their mentorship with Valerie Schwarz, and how that lead to their first break into the industry. We continue on with their work from home experience based in Ohio, and their mistake in juggling school with two different freelance jobs. At the Rhode Island School of Design, they also sought out leadership positions to train their skills with the goal of being an art director...2022-11-0849 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast82 Straight Ahead w/ Cesilia Gutierrez: From Nursing Student to Professional ArtistCecilia Gutierrez is a Mexican-Guatemalan artist, color designer, and former nursing student. Come with us as we explore Cesilia's career so far, and how everything went wrong during her interview. Because of her family's financial situation, she couldn't afford art school or university, but didn't let that hold her back. Learn why she abandoned her track to the medical industry, and all the regrets and triumphs along the way. And of course, we have some riveting inbetween questions about Dogs and Dads. Instagram: @sketchyceshira If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify...2022-11-0153 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast81 Straight Ahead w/ The Awesombrosos : One Soul Divided Between Two BodiesDiego & Sebastián Ramírez Jacinto, AKA the Awesombrosos, are Mexican twins and freelance Vis Dev artists! They share their experience dropping out of college, and changing their mindset from being a student to being unemployed to professional. Find out what motivated them to start creating, how their workflow evolved into a mini pipeline, and how they negotiate being a package deal. Despite their poetic outlook on life, they also have their share of down-to-earth realizations about the industry. Also throughout, feel how these incredible brothers find joy in their own culture, and don't overthink it!
Instagram: @aw...2022-10-181h 00
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast80 Straight Ahead w/ Daniela Rodriguez de la Peña: Learning the Ropes and Sailing the Seas!Hispanic Heritage Month continues with Daniela Rodriguez de la Peña, a Hispanic Artist currently working as a Storyboard Artist at Nickelodeon! She didn't realize she wanted to do story until her final year of college. From there she honed her craft until she got her first break at Nickelodeon as a Revisionist and has been there ever since! Not too long after being a Revisionist, Daniela was promoted to Storyboard Artist, and recommends that if you have an interest in moving up in your position you need to make sure you express it!
Instagram: @danirodarts
Tw...2022-09-2754 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast79 Straight Ahead w/ Juan Montoya: Working Straight Out of Colombia!Joining us today straight out of Colombia is Juan Montoya! Juan applied and applied to several job postings until he finally got his start at Awesome Incorporated. We also dive deep on the inner workings of the H-1B Visa and how residency could be achieved. Juan also shares what he enjoys about being a background artist and the little easter eggs he leaves when given the chance. Hope you enjoy as we continue celebrating Hispanic Heritage month!
Instagram: @1montoya
Portfolio: https://www.1montoya.com/
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and...2022-09-2252 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast78 Straight Ahead w/ Angélica Agélviz: Be the Batman of your own story!Happy Hispanic Heritage month! We're starting out with the powerful Angélica Agélviz: a story artist from Puerto Rico. Her passion shines through everything she does, as she takes us through what it's like working on bumpers and boards. Angé has had such a full career in a short time: from animating for Adult Swim, to storyboarding for Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, to directing the short film "Nuevo Rico". "Nuevo Rico" and her own project, Netflix Spark Grant recipient "Children of the Antilles", are both in the future indigenism genre, and we talk about the lack of both Lat...2022-09-1554 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast77 Straight Ahead w/ Ruby Wang: visual development for VR, AR, XR, MR... all the R's!The optimistic Ruby Wang is a Visual Development artist at Skydance Animation. Ruby shares her experience growing-up in Taiwan, absorbing both Japanese and American animation and storytelling. At Flight School Studio she was designing for VR, AR, XR, and MR; and what those different media were like to work on. Ray and Ruby reminisce on their time at Tonko House, and how Dice Tsusumi and Robert Kondo's mentorship changed their art fundamentally. Ruby really gets into the different visas you can have in the USA, the pitfalls therein, and how the shift in our industry as a gig-based economy...2022-09-0654 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast76 Straight Ahead w/ Karissa Valencia: Go, go, Spirit Rangers!Rounding out our Special Speaker Series is Karissa Valencia: Executive Producer and Showrunner on Netflix Animation’s “Spirit Rangers”. Karissa shares what it's like being a show-runner for a children's series, how she gathered her all-indigenous writer's room, and the inspiration behind "Spirit Rangers". We also talk about how Karissa's past experience as a production intern led to her being a more mindful writer and well-rounded director. Karissa also takes us through her cultural experience as a multi-cultural Chumash-Mexican, how she connected with fellow native peoples in animation, and how they all brought their unique perspectives to broaden the idea o...2022-08-3047 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast75 Straight Ahead w/ Servan Castillo: Animation to Storyboard, Making the ShiftServan Castillo got his big break in 2013 as an intern for Titmouse Animation. Dive back with us into Servan's career as an animator, from working on Superjail and the Midnight Gospel, and how he saw the role of the animator evolve in the past decade. We talk about his shifted from animator to storyboard artist, and how even though he has such a rich history in this industry, how he feels green in this new role. We talk about his lucky break working on Vox Machina and Castlevania, and how he overcame that shift. Servan's positive attitude has given...2022-08-1651 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast74 Straight Ahead w/ Grace Han: VFX riggingContinuing on our Special Speaker Series, Grace Han is a Korean-American working in Montreal, Canada as a rigging artist for the VFX industry. While the VFX and Animation industries are very closely related, and if you rig for 3D animation you can jump between both, we also talk about what's more often expected in VFX vs. Animation for a rigger. From Spiderman to octopi, we talk about what can be more interesting for a rigging artist to tackle, and how artistic flare can be brought into such a technical process. Grace originally went to the Savannah College of Art...2022-08-0948 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast73 Straight Ahead w/ Jalysa Leva: Prioritizing your PeopleStarting out strong on our August Speaker series with Jalysa Leva: creator of the PBS kids show Jelly, Ben, and Pogo! We ask Jalysa how JBP first developed, and her journey leading-up to the opportunity for her to pitch a show. Jalysa values community and kindness, backed with her experience as an animation director, hear how she applied these to the production and what seemed to work to benefit the show. We talk about struggling with perfectionism, finding your own cultural connection, and strengthening your voice through art. Outside of animation, Jalysa also shares a bit about her brand...2022-08-0251 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast72 Straight Ahead w/ Jennifer Zavala Perez: Leading with RespectFrom Muppet babies to Murder hobos on Harley Quinn, Jennifer shares her experience working in production at Warner Bros. Animation. We chat about how Jennifer brings her experience earning her BFA in Animation to production. Then how after graduation, she persevered for 2 years against the catch 22 of our industry: needing experience on the job to get the job before you have the job. Ray and Jennifer also share their experiences on a show suddenly being cancelled mid-production, and how that perspective differs from artist to production positions. Despite all this, we also talk about the great fortune Jennifer's had...2022-07-2755 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast71 Straight Ahead w/ Michael Rodriguez: Bringing In Your Personal StoryThis week we have Michael Rodriguez a Dominican-American writer currently working in animation! Michael has worked for a verity of different studios such as Nickelodeon, Disney and Warner Bros. He is also currently in development with Disney for an original animated series! Learn more about how you bring authenticity to your work and the stories you want to tell! Also learn more about to Tag POC Writers Committee!
Portfolio: https://www.michael-rodriguez.net/
Twitter: @mrodrig94
TAG POC Writer's committee: @TAG_POCWriters
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to...2022-07-1955 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast70 Straight Ahead w/ Kimmie King: Playing Off the Cards You're DealtKick back and listen in to this knock-out episode with Kimmie King! First we dive into her latest job as a retake animator for Rick & Morty, and all the duties and expectations that come with it. Learn about the indie animation scene through Kimmie's experience working on Battu and Helluva Boss. Then jump into the world of Spongebob 360 through the eyes of an animator. Hear her story on how she became the director for the opening of Ziwe's late night show on Black Entertainment Television (BET). Kimmie jumps back just a few years to her graduation during the pandemic...2022-07-0555 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast69 Straight Ahead w/ Shannon Parayil: Unlimited GrowthMeet Shannon Parayil, an Indian-American Visual Development artist. Currently working at Sony Animation, Shannon has also worked for a variety of studios including Nickelodeon, Disney, Warner Bros, and Netflix. We discuss what it's like being on such short contracts with studios, and where she was recruited for those projects in such a short time. We dive a lot into Shannon's experience as a student, and how putting aside her own art goals to fill production roles paused her growth as an artist. However, the same mindset lead to her love of color-design, and she talks about how she pulled...2022-06-2254 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast68 Straight Ahead w/ FIAPF and WIA: Stories x WomenThis week is a bit of a special episode, as we were reached-out to by Women in Animaton to feature their new initiative: Stories x Women ("Stories by Women"). We talk with Marge Dean, President of WIA; Heather Kenyon, a mentor for the program; and Benoit Ginisty, Chief representative of FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations). We dive back into our animation roots with how WIA was first established, first-hand from Marge and Heather. We learn about how programs like Stories x Women come about in collaboration with organizations like FIAPF, and how this initiative is meant to em...2022-06-1457 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast67 Straight Ahead w/ Aishwarya Chandramohan: From Comics to Characters, a Chaotic Path to StoryAishwarya Chandramohan is a story revisionist lead at Wild Brain studios. We discuss her role directing and mentoring her revisionist team, and her experience working with Canadian and Australian studios. Originally from Dubai, Aishwarya talks about going to school in America, completing her master's degree in character design for games, and all the twists that came with being an international student before landing on story. We touch on starting rates, our experience in interviews, joining the WIA story circle, and how she diversified the boards in her portfolio. Worldly and hilarious, there's never a dull moment in this week's...2022-06-0745 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast66 Straight Ahead w/ Ferrari Duanghathai Sotthisaowaphak & Tanta Vorawatanakul: Lifting Each Other UpFerrari Duanghathai Sotthisaowaphak & Tanta Vorawatanakul who are Thai Concept Artist who recently got married to one another! They talk about how they met and why they decided to pursue a masters degree at Academy of Art. We dive into what it is like to be in a relationship with a fellow artist and how they support one another. They also talk about some of the pitfalls of being a relationship with an artist and they overcome it. Ferrari & Tanta are amazing artist and individuals and it was so wonderful having them on. We hope you enjoy this episode!
Ferrari's Profile...2022-05-3156 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast65 Straight Ahead w/ Curie Lu: You Don't Always Need a DegreeCurie Lu is a Chinese-American, who is a Freelance Animator. She has not only worked as an animator for Powerhouse Animation's Castlevania but has also animated for Toei Animation's One Piece! In her off time, Curie is working on her own personal film Yaoguai where she talks a lot of inspiration from her own cultural background. Curie also talks about dropping out of CalArts and how she came to that decision. There is never a direct path to landing a job in this industry and we all ave to take our own journey to get there.
Instagram...2022-05-2447 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast64 Straight Ahead w/ Jeremy Vicentina: A Sure BetJeremy Vicentina is an Asian-American 3D generalist working for Grover Gaming: an expansive studio that makes games for casinos. Jeremy talks about his many duties as a Generalist, the test and interview getting there, and why he chose to accept the position. There are many benefits in going into a less-mainstream facet of animation, such as job security, relocation funding, and learning on the job instead of jumping straight into a AAA company. On top of this, we have a blast reminiscing about many things, but most importantly, what it was like being a kid faking migraines to obtain...2022-05-1745 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast63 Straight Ahead w/ Joon Chung: Write What You KnowMeet Joon Chung, script coordinator and absolute sweetheart. From the Sesame Workshop to his job at Nickelodeon, Joon is able to talk about his position as a Script Coordinator on the East coast of the US, and how that differs from the same position held in Los Angeles. Various other things have also helped Joon grow before breaking-in, like the Staten Island Art Grant, and the projects that can be funded by such organizations. We discuss importance of being seen in media whether that is a character who looks like you or a character who has made the same...2022-05-1258 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast62 Straight Ahead w/ Animasians: The First of Many Years to ComeWe're kicking off our AAPI heritage month celebration with Asians in Animation! Alisha Syed (External Relations Chair) and Katie Dizon (External Relations Director) talk about the organization, its goals and accomplishments, and about its founding with a small quote from Lexie Chu. Meant as a safe-space, Animasians provides resources and events for its members, but the true strength of AIA is its community. Learn how you can be a part of it, and take advantage of the opportunities this wonderful organization is supplying. On top of that, we touch a little on Alisha's and Katie's day jobs as post-production...2022-05-0348 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast61 Straight Ahead w/ Ulises Alvarado Llamas: Health first, portfolio secondFinally, our episode with Ulises Alvarado Llamas is here! Character designer, Vis Dev artist, and former roommate to Ray, we get down to tacks on what Uli does as a Character Designer for a 3D show at Nickelodeon. Uli talks about "Packeting", and the technical nuances between designing for a 3D show and a 2D show. Despite having such a stylized approach, Uli actually prefers designing for 3D! Wonder why that may be? Listen in to find out! But even before is job at Nickelodeon, Uli was invited to intern for Tonko House, and even had a summer internship...2022-04-2653 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast60 Straight Ahead w/ Aerik Bertulfo: The first rule of Kaiju fight-club...Aerik Bertulfo is a Filipino-American animator at Dream View. We talk about his experience as a student transitioning to professional during the full-swing of the pandemic, which comes with certain quirks like working on a Virtual Machine. Aerik was also the co-writer, and inspiration for his thesis film: First Born. We talk about the cultural pressures, and implications of being the first born son in an Asian family, and how it has influenced his work. Developing his soft-skills and coming out of his shell is something Aerik attributes to joining the improv club at San Jose State University. Alongside...2022-04-1953 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast59 Straight Ahead w/ Kayleen Acosta Rodriguez: Shedding Light on the Beauty in AnimationKayleen Acosta Rodriguez is a Dominican artist and our very first Lighting guest! Kayleen talks us through what her job entails, lighting and compositing as one of the final steps in the feature CG pipeline. But of course before that, we get to know how she got her start interning for three different studios: Bluesky, Hornet, and Disney! Kayleen talks about being a CG generalist, using Nuke and Toolkit. She also talks about the many things in lighting that gets her excited, and we get into the nuance of lighting for all skin types. She talks about her time...2022-04-1249 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast58 Straight Ahead w/ Zilai Feng: Finding Home in a Far Away LandZilai Feng is an Asian Story Artist at Pixar. Originally from China, Zilai only began to explore her Chinese identity after moving to the United States. We explore the inspiration for their Cal Arts short film, and Z's inspirations for her abstract style. We also touch on her many internships including Dreamworks, Tonko House, and Illumination (just to name a few), and her extended studying at the University of Southern California before Cal Arts. Let your worries be washed away by the compelling dream-like state of Z's journey.
Website: https://zilaifeng.com/
Instagram: @seafoodlailai
...2022-04-0654 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast57 Straight Ahead w/ Shakira Pressley: The Original Sparkle CadetMeet the real life Sparkle Cadet, a character from Craig of the Creek whose story is directly pulled from writer Shakira Pressley's life. Kira takes us through her incredible journey from what inspired her writing as a child, how she dropped out of college and taught herself to write professionally, and how an unlikely series of events led to her first freelance working for Man of Action. This episode is absolutely packed with information on writing in the animation pipeline from pitch, freelance, staff, and even her experience as a lead Story Editor. We go in-depth to her experience...2022-03-2958 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast56 Straight Ahead w/ Roxy Simons: Puppets can't "smile fondly"Roxy Simons is a black writer working for both live action and animated content! We go over the differences between a writer's room for live action and animation. Roxy even talks about her experience on a show with live-action puppets, and the challenges that come with that medium. Before her career really took off, she also attended the Sesame Street fellowship: a writer's program with the intent of diversifying children's content by giving those minorities the skills to enter the industry. Easygoing and bubbly, Roxy has no problem packing this episode with insights and tips that should help anyone...2022-03-2251 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast55 Straight Ahead w/ Marisa Torres: 2D Paint in a 3D WorldMarisa Torres is a Cuban-American artist working for Nickelodeon! We dive into her day-to-day working as a background painter for Santiago of the Seas. Marisa works in 2d to ideate, design, and paint how the assets will look before they reach that 3D stage. Before that, she was selected for the Nick Artist's program. She talks about how even with no self-confidence, she built herself up to continue forward through the application process. An auspicious meeting with Adrienne Norman, and a persistent attitude, led to Marisa's work on a children's book for Disney Publishing.
Website: https://www...2022-03-1553 min
Straight Ahead Animation PodcastSPECIAL STRAIGHT AHEAD 50TH EPISODE CELEBRATION!WE MADE IT TO EPISODE 50! Okay we know hit episode 50 a while ago so this is little late with this, but better late than never. Thank you to everyone who joined us live for our 50th Straight Ahead Episode Celebration Stream! We also want to thank our audience who have supported the podcast and has helped us create a platform to spotlight these rising BIPOC voices. In this episode we reflect back on how we started, what we have learned, and what the future holds. Learn some behind the scene inner-workings of how we run the podcast as well...2022-03-081h 24
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast54 Straight Ahead w/ Dashawn Mahone: A Valorous TaleFrom board artist to supervising director, Jersey to California, listen in as Dashawn illustrates how his career took off. Learn about his time at OddBot, and afterwards his transition from revisionist to board artist at Cartoon Network. We even get to touch on Valorous Tales, a comic he drew for fun on his own that ultimately helped land him his first story job! Speaking of comics, Dashawn reveals more about his current project, The Brother's Boom. He also shares what it's like being a supervising director for Jessica's Little Big World, and the experience of working on a spinoff...2022-02-2254 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast53 Straight Ahead w/ Angela Entzminger: 15 Year Journey To Overnight SuccessThis week we have the incredibly wonderful Angela Entzminger, a black artist who is currently working as a Story Artist and Writer. Everyone journey into animation is different and Angela is proof. Her animated journey took 15 years before landing her first job as a Pixar Development Intern. Since then Angela has worked on Nickelodeon's Santiago of the Seas as a Storyboard Artist and for Warner Bros. Animation's My Adventures with Superman as a Writer. She is just a wealth of amazing knowledge who is still so eager to keep learning and sharing what she has learned with others. She...2022-02-151h 02
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast52 Straight Ahead w/ Aaron Cobb: Evolve Your Style by Going With the FlowAaron Cobb is a cool and collected individual, and a background painter at Wild Canary. Already in his brief career, Aaron has worked for television, feature, and VR games in a variety of roles from Background Paint to freelance Character Design. Speaking of, we touch on the differences between Background Designers and Background Painters (small distinction we haven't really discussed before). Peer into Aaron's student days as we reminisce on his hands-on internship at Linden Labs, and how his positive thinking that made school work for him. Let Aaron's good energy start of your day, and carry that good...2022-02-0851 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast51 Straight Ahead w/ BNA: Strength in Visibility, Building a Community for Black ArtistsBlack 'N Animated is an organization that is focused on the empowerment of Black students and professionals in the animation industry. But before that, it was simply a podcast crated by Breana Williams and Waymond Singleton. On top of all the information revolving around BNA, we are also able to touch on Bre's own journey, and her aspirations to move from Production to Storyboarding. We talk about the auspicious meeting that made the podcast a reality, and how it was sparked by the anxiety that both Bre and Way felt as students not knowing about Black folks currently working...2022-02-0150 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast49 Straight Ahead w/ Yuki Okamura-Wong: Transitioning From A Blob To A Fully Realized Human BeingNo your eyes are not playing tricks on you, this week we have the wonderful other half of our whole host Yuki Okamura-Wong! If you don't know already, she is an Asian-American 2D Animator currently working at Global Mechanic. In this non-stop thrill ride of an episode, we dive into Yuki's career working as 2D animator for both adult and kids shows and how these experiences differed from one another. She also explains how she became a fully realized human being in her transition from community college to university. Yuki also shares how she never really knew what she...2022-01-1855 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast48 Straight Ahead w/ Ray Mendoza Landa: Scholar to Story Artist, Playing to your Strengths before MileageWe're kicking off season 2 with a name you may find familiar: Ray Mendoza Landa! A story artist at Warner Bros. Animation and one of the co-hosts of Straight Ahead! Although Ray has only just started his career, he has a plethora of experiences: story artist on a 3D show with a blender-integrated pipeline, interning at Pixar, acting as President for the Shrunken Headman Club, and heading the ambitious animated graphic novel, Sol Naciente. We may have touched on these topics in the past, but Ray is able to go in-depth in a way we normally don't get the chance...2022-01-1153 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast47 Straight Ahead w/ Steph Rizo: Taking a Leap of Faith into StoryboardingWe are ending season one of the podcast with a banger with the one and only Steph Rizo, a Mexican-American Character Designer and Story Artist currently working at Sony Animation Studio! Learn how Steph tried to break into the industry as a character designer but instead broke in as a Story Intern for Walt Disney Animation! Her journey into story didn't stop there, as she soon got a job as a storyboard artist on Spider Verse 2! We also talk about her educational journey and her decision to study at a community college due to finical circumstances. She also talks...2021-11-3049 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast46 Straight Ahead w/ Daniela Dwek: Character Technical Director Model/Rigger at PixarThis week we are joined by the incredible Daniela Dwek, a Middle-Eastern artist currently working at Pixar. We learn what happens on the technical side of animation as Daniela explains her role in the animation pipeline as a Character TD Model/Rigger. We also discuss her progression from Pixar Intern, to Resident, to Full-time employee. Daniela has had an amazing career in animation, but it started way before Pixar when she produced and directed the Student Academy Award-winning short film Hamsa. Daniela is so multi-talented and has a hunger for knowledge, find out more as you listen to this...2021-11-2347 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast45 Straight Ahead w/ Derrick Malik Johnson: Loyalty, Respect, These HandsTodays we are joined by Derrick Malik Johnson an African American Storyboard Revisionist currently working at Disney TVA. This episode gets a little heavy in certain subject matters than other episodes but it's still import to acknowledge and discuss these topics. Despite the difficult subject matters Derrick is an explosive wave of positivity and energy that you cant help but smile and laugh along with him. He talks about his amazing experience being the first black student from his alma mater to receive an animation internship. We also discuss the toxic school environment that certain professors created for him...2021-11-1658 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast44 Straight Ahead w/ Rae Huang: From Animation to StoryboardsIn this week episode we are joined by Taiwanese Storyboard Revisionist Rae Huang! Is she a person? Is she a goat? Who knows?! You have to listen to find out! As you listen you will learn how Rae got her start in animation as a 2D Animation Intern at Moving Colour! Did you know that BuzzFeed has an animation department? Well neither did we until Rae told us her experience working there as an animator/story artist. We also learn more about what it is like looking for work and attending school as an international student and so much...2021-11-0956 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast43 Straight Ahead w/ Samia Khalaf: Directing a short film in VRToday we have the wonderful Samia Khalaf a Palestinian/Lebanese Senior Concept Artist currently working at Funomena. Samia shares her experience attending school as an international student and the hurdles one has to go though when trying to get a work visa. We also talk about how Samia slowly started becoming more comfortable sharing her artistic voice and started creating art that she enjoyed and didn't worry so much about trying to cater her art to other people. Samia also talked about her amazing opportunity with Facebook/Oculus where she got to direct a short film titled Kteer Tayyeb...2021-11-0258 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast42 Straight Ahead w/ Andrew Arcilla: Geeking out about community, musicals in space, and LegosAndrew Arcilla is a Filipino-American working as a Production Coordinator. Unlike most of our guests, Andrew knew about many positions in the animation industry since high school, and made his his goal to join the community in a production role. We get wrapped up in Andrew's many passions, and one of us earns the title of Lego destroyer. We also talk at length about Andrew's love of musicals, the importance of feeding your soul, and his Space-Musical Podcast The Romulus 5. He also teaches as his Alma Mater, Woodbury University, and we talk about his experience there as well as...2021-10-2644 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast41 Straight Ahead w/ Grey Chen: Recovering from BurnoutGrey Chen is a Chinese-American Background Painter and Color Designer, currently working at Warner Bros. Animation! Hear how each of her past experiences prepared for the next, such as getting her start doing freelance color design work for PowerPuff Girls to becoming a full-time Color Designer on DreamWorks She-Ra! We also talk about Grey's tough decision of accepting a full-time PA job whilst still trying to complete her college degree at San Jose State University. The harsh reality of burnout also comes up and Grey talks to us on how she approached dealing with burnout. This episode is a...2021-10-1949 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast40 Straight Ahead w/ Kristal Babich: Confidence in a Soft Spoken VoiceKristal Babich is a Chilean-American story artist and WIA mentor who has worked on a variety of projects. Grab some tips on the differences between boarding for stop motion, CG feature films, and even how that all differs from a comics pipeline. Even before that, Kristal nearly finished her degree for Biology Education, and learn about her decision to pivot her career trajectory. If you're in a similar position, know that it's never too late to learn something new! Kristal's perspective as a Latinx person growing up in Florida is greatly different than a Latinx-American from California. Even though w...2021-10-1249 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast39 Straight Ahead w/ Christian Alvarez: Making the Pipeline Work for YouWe've talked a lot about working as an artist or production crew in a pipeline, but... ¿Por qué no los dos? Christian Alvarez is a Production Coordinator that freelances as a Character Designer on the side. We talk about how he fell in love with production, what it's been like working on Kamp Koral: Spongebob's Under Years, his goals for recruiting in the future. Aside from work we get into how he built his instagram brand, Ghostlyre, and his love of unique Pokémon cards.
Twitter @GhostLyre
Instagram @ghostlyre
Portfolio: chrisalvarezart.com
If you...2021-10-0549 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast38 Straight Ahead w/ Janet Rodriguez: Translating Life Experience to Artistic VoiceContinuing on our Latinx celebration, Janet Rodriguez is a Mexican-American freelancer for character design and illustration. Understanding where your aesthetic tastes come from can be a real boon, and being able to share those inspirations is a way Janet communicates with her team. We talk about her experiences at California State Fullerton, and how wanting to make genuine friendships has lead her to a full network (and a full freelancing schedule)! On the fence about pursuing art? So was Janet! We talk so much about her journey into the industry, the different styles of her digital and traditional art...2021-09-2848 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast37 Straight Ahead w/ Juan Luis Bravo: Transitioning from Live-Action to StoryboardingOur amazing guest this week is Juan Luis Bravo, a Mexican-American Storyboard Artist currently working at Pure Imagination Studios. Juan shares his amazing story of how he transitioned from working in Live-Action as a Digital Media Special at The Walt Disney Company to a Storyboard Revisionist at Wild Canary! We talk about how his film background was really beneficial in his transition as well as how it influences the way he works in animation now as a story artist. Not everyone’s journey into the Animation Industry is A to B, so it’s always interesting to see how people brea...2021-09-2153 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast36 Straight Ahead w/ LXiA: Empowering LatinX VoicesLatinx in Animation is an organization that empowers diversity in animation. We were incredibly honored to have co-founders Magdiela Duhamel and Bryan Dimas on to talk about LXiA. From founding to present, we explore the importance of inclusion and how LXiA is building a better future by supporting those currently in the industry and providing education to students as young as 4th grade! Madgiela and Bryan also share many anecdotes from their own experiences working in production. What better way to kick off Hispanic Heritage month than learning about an organization that celebrates their Latinidad all year round!
2021-09-1553 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast35 Straight Ahead w/ Kaila Knight Tryal: Creating OpportunitiesToday we are joined by the wonderful, the bubbly, and the kind Kaila Knight Tryal, she is an African American Prop Designer! Kaila infectious energy will brighten up your day in todays episode as you learn about all the hoops and ladders she had to go through to get her foot in the door at Awesome Inc. Not to mention all the opportunities Kaila created for herself while working at Awesome Inc. to transition from a PA to Prop Designer. We also talk about the letters Kaila makes to help empower and support women identifying individuals in the animation...2021-09-0754 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast34 Straight Ahead w/ Liz Luu: Building Databases, the Artist Hiring Tools of TodayWelcome to the final episode of our August Special Speaker Series! We're so excited to cap off this month with Liz Luu, a Talent Sourcer at Netflix Animation. At Netflix animation, the Sourcer is one of three parts to their recruiting team. Learn about the hiring process straight from Liz (and maybe learn a thing or two about portfolios!) Before recruiting, Liz worked for a long time at Cartoon Network as the Development Department Executive Assistant. We talk at length about stories and pitch bibles, some of the do's and don'ts and other various ins and outs. Getting warmed...2021-08-3152 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast33 Straight Ahead w/ Jeff Trammell: From Inner-City Detroit to Nickelodeon Writer's RoomWe're so psyched to introduce this week's guest, writer, wrestler, and fighting game extraordinaire: Jeff Trammell! If that wild list of titles isn't enough to entice you, then perhaps learning about Jeff's journey as a self-taught writer will. Learn about the Nick Writer's program, and how Jeff's skill coupled with this lucky break brought him from MI to CA. From life as a professional wrestler, to honing his wit through improvisational acting, this episode is filled with retrospections on how Jeff has filled his life with storytelling. Ray and Jeff get into important story techniques, some Dragonball Z, and...2021-08-241h 02
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast32 Straight Ahead w/ Montse Hernandez: Being a Voice of Color in AnimationRound 3 of our Special Speaker Series! This week is the wonderful Montse Hernandez, a latina actress working both live action and voice over roles. She stars in the upcoming horror film Student Body, voices Qiyana from League of Legends, as well as Gwen in the latest Ben 10 reboot. Montse may be young, but she has been working as an actress since she was 4 years old! She has such a wealth of experience being a voice of color, and how that changes the way she carries herself during an audition. Hear her take on the unique challenges both acting and...2021-08-1759 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast31 Straight Ahead w/ Crystal Cheng: Changing the Trajectory of your CareerWelcome to round 2 of our Special Speaker Series! Joining us this week is Crystal Cheng, she is a Chinese-American freelancer currently freelancing as a Graphics Artist for Watcher Entertainment. Crystal talks about how her career started in live-action behind the camera as a PA such as interning for Wong Fu Productions. She also talks about her aspirations in wanting to transition into front of the camera. However due to the pandemic her career has taken her to take opportunities she wouldn't have normally considered. With every experience she is learning and growing and has learned that we need to b...2021-08-1057 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast30 Straight Ahead w/ Daniel Rodier: Working as a Music ComposerOur special guest this week is the one and only Daniel Rodier, and if that name sounds familiar it should! We credit him at the end of every episode as he is the one who composed the intro and outro of our podcast! Daniel is a wonderful human being who has composed music for several animated short films such as Malinchista, First Born, and the Animated Graphic Novel Sol Naciente! His passion for music and working with fellow creative really shows is reflecting in the way he collaborates with others. He is certainly becoming a sought after composer and...2021-08-0351 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast29 Straight Ahead w/ Kameelah (MeeMee) Costa: Cross-Country to Cartoon NetworkToday's episode we interview Kameelah "MeeMee" Costa, an African-American Storyboard Revisionist at Cartoon Network and definitely not a pink bunny trying to disguise herself as a human! Sometimes students are faced with the difficult decision of jumping into an industry job or completing their degree. Find out what Mee Mee chose when faced with this exact dilemma! Stick around for her experience doing her first storyboard test, and what pitfalls to avoid. We also dive into Kameelah's personal project: The Apple Mage, which you can read now on Webtoons!
Instagram @bunhearts
Twitter @bunhearts
Portfolio https...2021-07-2748 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast28 Straight Ahead w/ Maneen Mehta: Pursing Animation instead of becoming a DoctorJoin us in today's thrilling episode with Indian-American 2D Animator Maneen Mehta! Listen in as Maneen talks about his first day jitters at Bento Box compared to how he feels day to day now. We also talk about the real life story of how he got bit by a monkey and how that inspired his short film MANKI. Finally we dive into how Maneen eventually wants to transition from animation into character design and what he envisions his future to be, spoiler alert it is not becoming a doctor! If you enjoyed this week's episode please consider sharing with...2021-07-2048 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast27 Straight Ahead w/ Abelle Hayford: Freelance Illustrator, Character Designer, and Color StylistIn today's wonderful episode we have the one of a kind Abelle Hayford! They are a Ghanaian American Freelance Illustrator, Character Designer, and Color Stylist. Abelle has worked for a multitude of companies and is constantly advocating for black stories and black artist. You might know them as the creator of the hashtag #DrawingWhileBlack, that was originally started as a way for them to connect to other black artist. The more you listen to this episode the more you will learn how alot of their success and choices in their animation journey is attributed to their sense of authenticity...2021-07-1353 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast26 Straight Ahead w/ Marie Lum: From Storyboard Revisionist to Assistant Director at Disney TVAJoin us in todays JAMED PACKED episode with the amazing Marie Lum! She is a Chinese-American Story Artist currently working as an Assistant Director at Disney TVA. We talk about hey journey from being a Storyboard Revisionist on Craig of the Creek to her current position now and what she has learned along the way. We also dive into her role as the Co-Leader of the Deaf, Disabled, and Neurodiverse (DDNV) group within The Animation Guild 839. Marie also is not afraid to share her opinions about her experience attending Otis College of Art and Design. Finally we also talk...2021-07-0658 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast25 Straight Ahead w/ Bryan Bae: Designing an Inclusive FutureBryan Bae is a Korean-American prop and character designer, and our first deaf/hard-of-hearing guest! ( Read the transcript of the episode here ) We dive into a bit of his experience on Aquaman: King of Atlantis, his experience job hunting for four years, and his personal project: Chromagik. We also, of course, chat about his background as a hoh artist, and how we can be vigilant and prepared to work with such amazing people. Short but sweet on this episode of Straight Ahead, so don't miss out, and be sure to follow Bryan!
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbae2/2021-06-2929 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast24 Straight Ahead w/ Emily Rodriguez: Life of an Animator in Adult AnimationWhat a wonderful day to be joined by Emily Rodriguez a Cuban-American 2D animator based in Atlanta, and Mandalorian enthusiast extraordinaire. She details her journey into the industry, how her homeschooling upbringing and can-do attitude helped her develop a good work ethic. We touch on her seemingly bottomless optimism, and how that is helped by her strong religious faith. This and much more on today's episode!! Check out bio for links on where you can listen.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyrod.art/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/emyy_faith
Portfolio: https://emilyrodriguezart.wixsite.com/mysite2021-06-2250 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast23 Straight Ahead w/ Revathi Kotni: Production Manager at Netflix AnimationRevathi Kotni is an Indian Production Manager currently working on Netflix Animation's Ghee Happy. In this episode we learn alot about the roles on the production side of the animation pipeline. Being in production was not even on Revathi's radar when she first started attending college studying animation but once she discovered this role excited she knew this was her calling in animation. Since getting her first start as a Production Intern at DreamWorks, she has steadily risen the ranks in animation production. There are other roles in animation besides the creative side, and we hope you discover that...2021-06-1548 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast22 Straight Ahead w/ Stella Longfish: Coloring Kid Cosmic, a Spectrum of CreativityStella Longfish is a Native American (Seneca/Tuscarora) artist with a passion for color. Learn about the role of a color designer in a television pipeline, and how Stella discovered the position of her dreams. On top of working on Kid Cosmic and The Power Puff Girls, Stella has written and illustrated her own children's book. We touch on representation of Indigenous peoples in the animation industry, and mental health (anxiety), but there's no shortage of laughs throughout this jam-packed episode!
Portfolio: https://stellalongfish.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stllalngfsh/
Twitter: https://twitter.com...2021-06-0843 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast21 Straight Ahead w/ Li Cree: Morphinominal Story Artist!Superstar Li Cree joins us today on Straight Ahead! Currently working as a Storyboard Revisionist for Titmouse on Vox Machina, Li has no shortage of stories her career has already given her. From her experience being in the Nickelodeon artist program, to even being Elmo for a day at the Sesame Street Workshop! We also talk about one of Li’s many passion projects: Power Rangers Go! Her experiences might inspire a change in you too, so get ready cause it’s Morphin’ Time!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/li_cree/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/38___sr
Po...2021-06-0154 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast20 Straight Ahead w/ Ivy Rain Jordan: The Nuance of Being HumanIt’s our pleasure to have on the bubbly Ivy Rain Jordan: character designer, aquascaper, and human-watching gremlin. Her journey is as fluid as the waves she rides, from pursuing a story major to being a production assistant, to ultimately landing in character design. We ask about her experience being multi-racial, and how her new age upbringing influences the way she views the world.
Portfolio: http://www.ivyrainart.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivyrainart/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ivyrainart
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/straight-ahead-podcast/message2021-05-2546 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast19 Straight Ahead w/ Denise Chan: Retake Animator at Titmouse Inc.Join us as we talk to Denise Chan, a Chinese/Taiwanese American artist currently working as a 2D Retake Animator and Compositor for Titmouse Inc. She talks about how she landed her current position at Titmouse Inc. and how her previous experiences has helped her on their animation journey. We also talk about her Award-Winning Short Film Kaeru, and where the inspiration for story came from. Denise also gets real and talks about her struggles with her art and her career, and how she tries to find the joy in what she does. Don't miss out, give it a...2021-05-1851 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast18 Straight Ahead w/ Katherine Nguyen: From Production to StoryKatherine Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American storyboard artist, currently working at DTVA on Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. She talks about the different gigs she’s had from feature to television boarding, and the benefits of not only starting in a story revisionist role, but the benefits of being flexible between a storyboard and revisionist position. Kat dives deep and gets pretty real about her struggles and even bad work habits during her school years. Despite the downs, she focuses on the bright side, and never gives up (and neither should you)! Don’t miss out on this week’s wonder...2021-05-1152 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast17 Straight Ahead w/ Grace Villaroman: 3D Character Animator at Sony Pictures ImageworksGrace Villaroman is a filipino american animator currently working at Sony Pictures Imageworks! On this week's episode we get into the challenges of a 3D animator at a big studio like Sony and Pixar, but also the perks like relocating from the USA to Canada. We also get to touch on her experience working with Signing Animation, and much, much more!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-villaroman-279162156/
Portfolio: https://gracefulrunning.wixsite.com/animation/portfolio
Signing Animation
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/signing_animation/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SignAnimation2021-05-0446 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast16 Straight Ahead w/ Maaike Scherff: Character Designer by Day, Revisionist by NightMaaike Scherff is a jack of all trades, though currently a Character Designer, she has previously done work in prop/FX design, storyboard revisions, background paint, and even episode titlecards! She interned at multiple studios both in TV animation, and even in video games at Sony Playstation. However, don't let this intimidate you, Maaike is one of the sweetest people we've had the pleasure of interviewing. Laugh along with us in this episode packed with life lessons, particularly: if someone on DeviantArt tells you to go to a university art program you've never heard of, you should definitely do...2021-04-2754 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast15 Straight Ahead w/ Kristine Lee: A Story Artist with an Electrical Engineering DegreeMellow out with Kristine Lee on today’s episode of Straight Ahead. An enlightening journey, Kristine had to get creative finding classes that would fit the budget of a freshly graduated Electrical Engineer. Learn about the spark that led to her switch to the field of Animation, and about her rocketing success at Warner Brothers Animation.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/picture_kris
Portfolio: https://www.leekristine.com/2021-04-2054 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast14 Straight Ahead w/ Brandon Jaisen Louie: 2D FX AnimatorPhoning in from Sydney, Australia, it’s Brandon Jaisen Louie! Learn about his job as a 2D FX artist at Flying Bark Productions, what inspired him to become an effects animator, and maybe even inspire you! The industry will always be nomadic, but Brandon’s wanderlust took that literally, and he’s moved half a world away. Lots of good topics just jam packed into our little episode.
Portfolio: https://brandonjaisen.wixsite.com/jaisen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaisendoodles/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaisendoodles2021-04-1342 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast13 Straight Ahead w/ Giselle Grimaldo: From Live Action to Animation ProductionAnimation isn’t always about art, there’s entire teams that keep the production moving! Giselle Grimaldo is a Department Manager at Tonko House. We chat about her experience working in live-action films, what inspired her to pursue animation production, and how her unique perspective as a Person of Color gives her the drive for diversity. P.S. Remember to thank your production team!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggrimaldo/2021-04-0648 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast12 Straight Ahead w/ Flora Rees-Arredondo: Junior Art Director at FS StudioToday’s episode features Flora Rees-Arredondo, a bi-racial Latinx artist working as a Junior Art Director! The position may entail being less hands-on the art, and more hands-on communication. We talk about the many rewards and excitement that comes with leadership, a role Flora is all too familiar with from directing her capstone short film Malinchista, to being president of the Shrunken Headman Club, to now junior directing at FS studios. Check it out today!
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/florareesa
Malinchista: https://www.instagram.com/malinchistafilm/
2021-03-3050 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast11 Straight Ahead w/ Maya Mendonça: Student Academy Award-winning Animation DirectorThis week we are joined by the incredible Maya Mendonça, a black artist and freelance 3D animator. Previously she was the animation director for the Student Academy Award-winning short, "Hamsa". We talk about very important things such as her internship on Infinity Train at Cartoon Network, her time at the School of Visual Arts in New York, and her horoscopic compatibility with Miles Morales.
Portfolio: https://mayamendonca.com/animation
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maya.animation/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_mayamendonca2021-03-2349 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast10 Straight Ahead w/ Justin Bruce Lee: From Padawan to Jedi at Lucasfilm AnimationThis week we sit down with Justin Bruce Lee , a chinese-american artist working as an Associate Story Artist at Lucasfilm Animation. We talk about his experience on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and the pre-vis style of boarding they used at Lucasfilm. This along with his passion for Kung Fu, his decision to come back to school instead of taking a job offer, and his love of all types of love. Give it a listen today!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justbleeve/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/justbleeve
Portfolio: https://justinbrucelee.wixsite.com/portfolio2021-03-1648 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast09 Straight Ahead w/ Maddie Julyk: Worker-Owner at Wild Blue StudiosOn this episode of Straight Ahead, we're joined by the wonderful Maddie Julyk, an illustrator, concept artist, and worker-owner at Wild Blue Studios. We talk about the unique structure of the Wild Blue co-op, and Maddie's journey to getting such an opportunity. Come for the tidbits of concept art advice, but stay for the mind-expanding ideas.
Wild Blue Studios portfolio review application: https://airtable.com/shrwV7BoM7jaB3Wxt
Twitter: https://twitter.com/milkybeverage
Wild Blue Studios streaming: https://www.twitch.tv/wildbluestudios
Portfolio: https://www.artstation.com/maddiejulyk2021-03-0951 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast08 Straight Ahead w/ Marvin Madrid: Living Fast and Furious as a Storyboard Revisionist at DreamWorksMarvin Madrid is our guest on Straight Ahead this week! He is a filipino artist that also attended San José State University. We talk about many things, including his experiences popping between action and comedy storyboards in DreamWorks TV’s unique environment. We hope you enjoy hanging out with Marvin as much as we did!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marvinnator/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/marvinnator_
Portfolio: https://marvinmadrid.myportfolio.com/2021-03-0250 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast07 Straight Ahead w/ Latonya White: 2D Artist at an indie game companyThis week we’re joined by Latonya White, a 2D artist at Serenity Forge in Boulder, Colorado. Learn about their job at a small indie game company, their stories about running away, and about their experience being a black-korean artist. It’s incredibly insightful. Give it a listen and let us know what you think! :)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lattedoodles/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LatteDraws
Tumblr: https://lattedraws.tumblr.com/
Portfolio: https://www.latonyawhiteart.com/2021-02-2345 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast06 Straight Ahead w/ Gloria Carolina Felix Orozco: Life as a Freelance Illustrator and Visual Development ArtistIn today’s episode we interview Gloria Carolina Felix Orozco, a Mexican artist from currently based in Guadalajara, Mexico. We talk about the differences between the industry in Mexico as opposed to Los Angeles, her experiences being featured in art galleries, and much more!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gloriafelixart/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GloriaFelixArt
Portfolio: https://gloriafelix.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloriafelixart/2021-02-1649 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast05 Straight Ahead w/ Alex Pimwong: From Barista at the Luxo Cafe to Story Resident at PixarIn this week’s episode we interview Alex Pimwong, he is a Korean/Thai artist working as a Story Artist Resident at Pixar. Don’t know what a Story Artist Resident is? Neither did we! Check out the episode to learn about Alex’s mysterious job title. Another exciting part about this interview is that Alex did not attend a traditional university/art school. We discuss these highlights and much more, so head on over to our bio to find links to our cast on Spotify, Anchor, Google Podcast, Apple podcast, or wherever you choose to listen!
Instag...2021-02-0948 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast04 Straight Ahead w/ Sofia Guerra: 2D Animation is alive in GeorgiaIt's the exciting first of our regularly scheduled weeks! Tune into our interview of Sofia Guerra, a Mexican artist from SCAD working as a 2D animator at Awesome Inc. RWBY weapons, 24 hour animation challenges, and tennis are just a few of the exciting subjects we get into (aside from her day job, of course).
Instagram: @squeeshee_art
Portfolio: http://sofianimation.com2021-02-0246 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast03 Straight Ahead w/ Rebecca Chan: From intern to full-time Visual Development Artist at Tonko HouseIn today's episode we interview Rebecca Chan, a mixed Chinese-White artist from SJSU working as a Visual Development Artist at Tonko House. We talk about her working experience at Tonko House both as an intern and full time, as well as being the visual development lead on the award winning short film Kaeru, and alot more!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rebchan/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_rebchan
Portfolio: https://www.rebeccawchan.com/2021-01-2648 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast02 Straight Ahead w/ Miguel Baltazar: Storyboard Revisionist at NetflixIn today's episode we interview Miguel Baltazar, a LatinX artist from CSUF working as a Storyboard Revisionist at Netflix Animation Studios. We talk about his role of a Storyboard Revisionist, his early internship experience at DreamWorks TV, and alot more!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miguelbaltazar_art/
Portfolio: https://www.miguelbaltazar.com/2021-01-2645 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast01 Straight Ahead w/ Trilina Mai: Freelance 3D Animator and Director of Award Winning Short FilmIn today's episode we interview Trilina Mai, a Vietnamese/Chinese artist from CSULB working as a Freelance Animator. We talk about her internship experience at Pixar, her award winning short film Push, and a lot more!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trilinamai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrilinaMai
Portfolio: https://trilina.wixsite.com/portfolio
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trilina/2021-01-2650 min
Straight Ahead Animation Podcast00 Straight Ahead w/ Ray & Yuki: What is Straight Ahead?Welcome to Straight Ahead Animation Podcast! This episode we explain what Straight Ahead is and the purpose/goal behind the podcast!2021-01-2206 min