Brynn Metheney

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What is your name and your current occupation? 
My name is Brynn Metheney and I am a freelance illustrator and Concept Artist.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? 
I got my first job when I was 17 and I worked all kinds of jobs through college. I’d say my two craziest jobs were working at a make-up counter in a department store and being a waitress at a country club. I didn’t like them very much, haha!
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? 
I have a few that I’m very proud of! Last year, my work was included in The Sappi Standard 5. It’s a educational printing manual for designers and firms and it was designed by Studio Hinrichs. I also collaborated with artist and writer, Ethan Nicolle on the cover for Axe Cop – President of the World 2. Recently I’ve been involved with Paizo and Wizards of the Coast on some really fun and exciting projects I’m looking forward to sharing more about. Of course, I’ve always wanted to work in film and the two projects I’ve worked on are very exciting for me! Can’t say much now but I’m looking forward to sharing more about it in the future!
How did you become interested in animation? 
I grew up on a pretty steady diet of Disney cartoons and movies as well as Looney Tunes and Jim Henson. All of these really pushed me to appreciate animation and film at a young age. I remember being amazed that Continue reading

RJ Palmer

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What is your name and current occupation?
My name is RJ Palmer and I am a freelance illustrator and concept artist.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Before getting into these work I never really had any other real jobs.  The only thing I did was occasionally split and sell fire wood at home for some extra cash when I was in high school.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
My favorite projects that I’ve worked on are ones I cannot talk about yet.  Though outside of those I have been working on a video game pitch with some friends and am very proud of that work so far.
How did you become interested in animation?
I’ve always drawn for as long as I can remember, it’s just who I am.  So there was never a moment really when I decided I wanted to draw for a living, it was always just assumed.  Though,

Lincoln Adams

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Freelance Story Artist and Visiting Professor at the Cleveland Institute of Art

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I’ve never had any really crazy jobs because they’ve all been centered around art in one way or another. But I’ve had art jobs that seemed crazy because I was desperate and needed to feed my family. Spending hours on end doing photo retouch for a down and out wedding photographer only to barely make minimum wage comes to mind…

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Every show I get to work on is one I take pride in being part of. Getting paid to draw pictures and tell stories all day while taking care of my family is a privilege and a blessing! But one of the projects that I feel was the most rewarding wasn’t a client job. It was helping to create a multi-media limited animation for my church a few years ago—A stage size picture book where scrims doubled as snow covered rolling hills and movie screens that had the animatic projected onto them. The story process was much like the Pixar process. We had nothing more than a premise that we formed through improv until it rapidly congealed into a script. And when we coupled that with an original score and live music in between each Act it became a very powerful message. We came together as a group with such wide ranging abilities and developed a meaningful original story that spoke to over 5000 people in one weekend. I was very fortunate to be used by God and to blend so quickly with a handful of creatives in such a short time. Humbling, to be honest…

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m from the Northeast Ohio area and I spent the first 12 years of my career working as a freelance illustrator for magazines and because that market was so Continue reading

Josué Noguera

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Josué Noguera, a Spanish illustrator. I work as freelance, but I’m currently looking for a job in some animation or games studio.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I recently finished my student period (six months ago), so I haven’t work in another thing yet. Before I studied my two and a half years vocational course in Illustration, I tried with Architecture, but it really doesn’t works to me.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
One of the projects I’m proud was my participation in Lince Studios’ COSMOTRIP. It’s an online 3D animation series about an alien who is trying to conquer an absurd galaxy. I designed a secondary character, an egg-shaped robot. It was my first professional work and the very first time I see one of my characters on movement. Another project I really loved was the visual development I did for a game of my own creation, “Legends of Gong Gong”. It wasn’t a comercial project, I did it as part of my graduation work. But it was the first time I spent several months developping my own universe, and despite it wasn’t really a proffesional work I enjoyed it too much.

 

How did you become interested in animation?
I’ve been watching TV series and reading comics my entire life, and I really dreamed about working in that field. But when I grew up and I had to choose my career, Continue reading

Leo Antolini

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Leo Antolini, and I´m currently an illustrator and character designer.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I´ve been very lucky that I went straight to working in animation after I graduated (although it took a while) I actually got one of my first illustration gigs while applying for a telemarketer job: the company found out I was an artist and they asked me to do some character design proposals for their new website.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I´ve done a lot of projects for Leapfrog, and since I love what they do (educational children´s books and toys), I´ve been proud of pretty much everything I´ve done for them, but I´d single out Sing Along Read-Along (a really fun, cool project) and the “If I Were…” book, which was the first time I got to do an entire book by myself. As far as animation goes, I was super proud of all the work I did (character designs, storyboarding and directing!) on the “Brock O´Lee” shorts for PepperMelon studios: it was a big learning experience to wear all those hats, and the final product turned out awesome, I thought.

 

How did you become interested in animation?
I´ve been obsessed with cartoons since I can remember. I watched everything (and I mean everything) I could all throughout my childhood, from toy-centric 80´s tv shows and Disney movies to weird, artsy European animation. I loved to draw and create my own characters. When I got to the age where people usually stop caring about cartoons and move on to other interests, I pretty much just kept going. I was really into Continue reading

Mary J. Sheridan

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Mary J. Sheridan and I am a 2D Effects Animator, I have been in the business for 25 years.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Cleaning an office space for a truck hauling company .

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
My first feature was “All Dogs go to Heaven” at Sullivan Bluth Studios in Dublin, Ireland. It was my first job in animation and I was a trainee inker. My mentor was trained by Disney inkers and I got to see original cels from Sleeping Beauty which was all hand inked and learn the techniques of the old inking masters. My first job as an effects animator was with Steven Spielbergs animation studio Amblimation on the production “Balto”. It was a great experience and one which opened the door to working with DreamWorks SKG in Los Angeles.

How did you become interested in animation?
My uncle was a great fan of all cartoons, from Wile E Coyote & Roadrunner to Tom and Jerry to the great classics. He loved watching them all. Myself and my cousins would gather around him and laugh together. I remember Saturday morning cartoons with a bowl of cereal, doesn’t get much better than that! Its a tradition I kept with my own son.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I am from Dublin, Ireland. When I graduated from art college I couldn’t find work so I left for London. Unknown to me, my mum submitted my college portfolio to Sullivan Bluth Studios and before I knew it I was offered my first job in animation!

What’s a typical day like for you with regards to your job?
Well I work freelance at the moment so it has to be very structured, I work from home. I like to work an eight hour day or more depending on production needs and deadlines. 1. cup of coffee 2. sharpen pencil 3. draw.

What part of your job do you like best? Why?
I get to draw and get paid for doing what I love. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with very talented artists and visionaries who to this day still keep the art of classical animation alive.

What part of your job do you like least? Why?
The last day of a production is the toughest. I meet great people and its always sad to have to say goodbye, being part of a team and creating magic is a bonding experience. Meeting those same people again and sharing memories is always what keeps you going.

What kind of technology do you work with on a daily basis?
Well I am a traditional artist, my studio consists of an animation desk, a line tester, a 27inch imac with the latest software and from which I upload my work to remote servers, for approvals etc.

What is the most difficult part for you about being in the business?
I would say its the down time, being a freelance 2D artist in a 3D world is very challenging. You have to have the drive and faith in your talent to keep going and keep your passion alive. I have been blessed to be able to continue to make a living as an effects animator and to share that experience with other great artists.

In your travels, have you had any brushes with animation greatness?
Everyone I work with is an animation great! I have been very fortunate to work with some of the greatest names in animation to this day.

 

Describe a tough situation you had in life.
I have realised in life that tough situations are learning experiences which guide us to new opportunities and remind us to always stay positive and believe in yourself.

 

Any side projects you’re working on that you’d like to share details of?
I am an oil painter and a photographer, I have a website where you can check out my latest work and my animation
portfolio www.maryjsheridan.com.

Any unusual talents or hobbies like tying a cherry stem with your tongue or metallurgy?
I love browsing through thrift stores and collecting old things, I have been known to collect toys shhhhh

 

Is there any advice you can give for an aspiring animation student or artist trying to break into the business?
If you are planning on working in the animation biz , most commonly now the 3D world always have traditional work in your portfolio, draw and paint learn how light and textures work through painting and life-drawing. Take traditional classes in sculpting etc, look for intern opportunities.  Go to conventions and meet with people in the business, make connections and keep up with changing trends. Stay ahead of the game and always respect who you work with and what you work on, its a small business and your reputation is what will make the difference if it comes down to hiring choices. Have fun and keep passionate!