Director & Story Artist in Animation & Games • Available for Work • Clients: Bungie, Blur, Marvel, Netflix • Cursed & Bound to the LA Wasteland • Socialist • 🍉
No joke, storyboarding on this film was the highlight of my career thus far. I cannot wait for y'all to see this edgy guy on screen.
Speaking of career, I'm available for any story roles in animation, games OR live-action! Hedgehogs not required (but a definite bonus)
✨DM Me✨
David Zaslav never actually watched ‘COYOTE VS ACME’ and is still intent on now deleting the movie.
Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy only saw a directors cut.
(Source: )
Get fucked. I'd likely not benefit from this relief by the time it was implemented, but I'd be MORE than happy for all of those who it did. Just because I had to struggle doesn't mean others should have to going forward. That level of pettiness is sickening & shameful. Be better.
Absolutely Unionize LAIKA. Too many horror stories from folks who have worked there, been chewed up and spit out.
Reminds me of how SO MANY people assume Pixar is unionized bc it's in California but it's NOT.
This is Miyamoto. I have been working on the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda for many years now with Avi Arad-san, who has produced many mega hit films. [1]
I had to get a little more pokemon fanart out of my system, so here's bulbasaur if it lived in some desert themed region
#pokemon
#fanart
#3dart
#zbrush
Please stop posting animation roughs / tests and calling them storyboards, for the love of god.
You’re raising expectations & confusing both newbies and executives regarding the actual process. It does hurt people.
Anime is good.
Your teachers aren't.
Anime is referenced in every artistic industry.
Your teacher likely hasn't been relevant in -any- industry in years.
Studios don’t bring back ‘classic’ shows bc you love them, they bring them back bc they’re established brands and the quick & easy path to $$$.
They could have greenlit new shows from women, POC & LGBQT+ ppl without all the baggage R&S has, and made just as much...but nope 😑
Cannot stress enough that y'all need to buckle up for some terrible media coming your way. And when that time comes, you need to remember that it wasn't the WGA's fault; it was bc the execs, the AMPTP and stock holders demanded actual working people be fed absolute fucking scraps
If you supported the writers, actors, warehouse workers, delivery drivers, or any labor union this last year; PLEASE support animation workers as we negotiate. Nearly our entire industry has been out of work for a year+ bc of unchecked greed from the top. We can barely survive.
I firmly believe kids are aspirational & far more intelligent than our industries seem hellbent on assuming. So if you're in the position of making media aimed at kids, challenge them. Trust they'll 'get it'. Because who like's being talked down to? No one. Especially kids.
Since Netflix seems keen on letting the amazing second season of My Dad the Bounty Hunter come and go with nary a frigg'n ounce of support, here ya go! It comes out this Thursday Aug 17 and it's 10x more wild than S1!
#MDTBH
#MyDadtheBountyHunter
Runaway Brain was probably one of Disney's best oldschool 2D efforts.
Designs were meaty, animation had weight, expressions and timing were constantly pushed.
Fight me.
'Dream Jobs' don't exist.
But Dream Crews do.
A project is nothing without its staff, and no amount of prestigious IP can fill that void.
So pay your crew better, treat them like people with lives outside of work & you'll end up with a very real, very good show.
Hot Take: If you can't take your work getting chopped up / edited / cut / altered during a production, in any department; you shouldn't be working in animation.
Nothing is precious. Aim to lift each other up, respectfully.
Don't plant your feet & refuse change.
Take. The. Note.
4 more projects are not moving forward at HBO Max:
- MERRY LITTLE BATMAN
- THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE
- BYE BYE BUNNY: A LOONEY TUNES MUSICAL
- DID I DO THAT TO THE HOLIDAYS: A STEVE URKEL STORY
They will all be shopped to other networks/streaming services
It fucking astonishes me how many artists are anti union in practice, and display blatant hostility toward their peers under the guise of 'efficiency', 'it's better for production' & 'the show is what matters in the end'.
No.
People, their time, their wages, & health matter.
Let it be known this is only getting out as a strategic way to demoralize both writers who are actively striking AND SAG as they approach tomorrow's deadline. It's a threat. This is calculated. The AMPTP is trying to scare folks into folding because THEY'RE scared of unions
Disney spent the weekend gloating about their upcoming projects, acting like CEOs & Execs made them. But those projects were built on the backs of incredibly talented, under paid, under valued workers. Our labor makes Corps billions, but we can barely pay rent
#StandWithAnimation
I swear we have this discussion every time 'boards' comes out from one of these shows every few months.
So for the eleventeenth time, those aren't boards. That's straight up animation. And it's not normal. And should never be.
With so much animated content being made thanks to the streaming wars & covid, now is the time to demand better pay. Better conditions. Better benefits. Demand what you're worth.
Got the all-clear to share some side-by-sides of my boards vs final cinematics from Destiny 2: The Final Shape! I can't tell you how much it meant to me being allowed to play a small part of arc's incredible finale.
--SPOILER Warning for the last two images--
Just to be clear: I'm not denying the incredible skill & passion I see in over animated 'boards', in fact I'm blown away just like everyone else. I'm just seriously concerned for the message it sends newcomers, viewers and (most importantly) our employers.
You're probably seeing a lot of threads about burnout from studio mandated over-work, and surprise! I've been constantly grinding away for 7yrs & I have permanent burnout, malaise & exhaustion, and that's coming from somebody w/ a strict healthy work / life balance. 🧵
Love when you & your crew pour your hearts & souls into a show, it gets picked up for a S2, and you all get ghosted for months bc they hired a completely different story crew from a different prod to replace you.
Angry doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling rn.
Somebody needs to do a study on why people that consume media like it's air end up being violently opposed to the well-being of the baseline workers that make said media
The only animation hot take I need to see more of is that we all need to advocate for higher pay, and union minimum is a MINIMUM, not what you should be expecting as a fair offer out the gate from studios.
Demand more, because you're worth more.
I always have hard time self promoting, but I'm wrapping directing on Netflix's 'My Dad the Bounty Hunter' in October, so if your union project is looking for a Director or Story artist in Feature or TV, please DM me for samples! I've also worked on Wish Dragon, DCSHG & more
My post animation career will be me opening up a computer cafe, but it's just rows of cintiqs where ppl can hookup their laptops & work in a simulated office. Tip me well for the latte & I'll act like your supervisor and give you shitty notes at random intervals.
Not Cool: Posing as a 'recruiter' for a made up 'studio' & requesting access to people's private portfolios. A simple search shows you're just a creepy fan trying to get access to confidential materials :/
None of us in the US are mentally or emotionally prepared for this week. Please be kind, and if you’re in another country looking in, please hold back the barbs. We know this is fucked. We don’t need to be reminded. We live it every single day.
idk but when execs constantly gaslight creatives by shifting what they're looking for every time you ask, and cancel shows, and fire entire crews, and chase unrealistic / unsourceable metrics, and only want established IP's, but also want "new", but also "old", but also-
Executives were expecting a deluge of pitches after the writers strike, but that didn’t arrive: "If come January and February, it’s still crickets, then we have a problem"
Sony’s animated Spider-Man looks like one of the most ambitious animated films in...forever. I am beyond hyped. Proves that super hero films aren’t the issue: it’s how you approach them visually, tonally & narratively.
So I’m a couple weeks late to the announcement party, but I can finally say I’ll be directing on
#MyDadTheBountyHunter
!! Thank you
@Mr_Scribbles
for letting me join such an amazing crew!
If you think animation pipelines are 'stuck in the 1970's' then, with all due respect, you don't know a fucking thing about how animation is made. Please see the fucking door.
If your excuse as a storyteller, in defending your material, is 'such and such characters had a discussion OFF SCREEN' that directly affects their decision making process...then...write better?
Show, don't tell.
It's like people are forgetting it's a visual fucking medium.
Also if you're a studio, I HIGHLY recommend not gaslighting your employees by saying that all their stress & anxiety during a pandemic / global warming / genocides / rising fascism is actually just bc they don't stretch enough or meditate. Yeah that happened.
Too tired to go over all the bs about Netflix but my heart goes out to everyone who's been affected by the cancellations and gross mismanagement. A studio blessed with both incredible crews & shows with amazing potential brought low by incompetence at the highest levels.
Why are shows asking storyboard artists to design characters when that’s...a character designer’s job?
The more hats story wears, the more work we do w/o compensation, & (most concerning) the more we make our character designer peer’s livelihoods appear redundant to studios.
Professors, stop asking students to do interviews w/ professionals. Our schedules are packed, time scarce & energy frayed from a multi-year pandemic. It's not fair to your students, and it isn't a stand-in for 'networking'. Tying their grade to 3rd party validation is bullshit.
Fun Fact: Revisionist positions were actually used as a training position for storyboards but you’ll be hard pressed to find folks who hire with that intent, or crews that plan for that role to change these days 🙃
TRAIN PEOPLE. Allow them to grow and allow them to MOVE UP.
We should normalize on job training for new artists, especially entry level positions, sometimes people just need a little hands on help to be industry ready. There’s a lot of positions that require 1+ years of experience, we should help provide that for newer artists.
I reached my limit 4 years ago with folks saying "Wow I wish this film had been 2D instead of 3D! Would have been so much better." Way to discredit the mind numbingly hard work folks pour into EVERY form of animation. Ppl that say this shit almost never actually animate. Period.
It's wild how we all seem to torture ourselves w/ self imposed expectations of what our careers should be, how they should feel, how they should appear...as if there are universally agreed upon milestones that one NEEDS to reach to suddenly 'matter' as an artist or professional.
Putting a 'pause' on political donations isn't taking a stand. It's hoping the storm rolls over so you can resume later. Make clear, concise statements on where you stand and show actionable roadmaps on HOW you will make changes to your organization going forward.
Animation isn't just media for kids. It's media for everyone.
The second you lump it into the kiddie corner is the second I disown your opinion on the matter. You obviously dug your hole and want to live in it.
Layout is one of those unsung hero departments of animation. Absolutely essential, and critical, but never discussed outside of immediate production. Respect your layout artists, for the love of god.
For an 'animation boom' and with supposedly 'more shows in development than ever' you'd be hard pressed to convince me that was actually the case w/ how many folks are looking for work...and how many shows are getting quietly canned :/
If you're weirdly ambivalent to AI (take a stand, jeez), the SPEED at which corporations are adopting this tech with zero regard for the legalities, climate impact, societal impact, etc. should scare the shit out of you. That's, historically, bad news for workers (you).
Maybe an unpopular opinion but maybe if execs & leadership can't create a sustainable & equitable media studio, they're the ones that should get their asses fired and not the folks who actually make shit.
Graduated, languished for awhile in Starbucks and grocery jobs. Constantly got denials from studios. Got my first non-union gig callback when I was inside the freezer at a Trader Joe's. Starting in animation isn't cookie cutter, and there's no right or wrong age to get your break
Madam Humm & the Buzbyboyz Gang, tenders & defenders of the Sweet Spot Saloon. Red, the crackshot, is actually a female bee, and true heiress to the establishment, as the Madam is actually a parasitic wasp / hornet.
I don't want to be rich. I don't want to be a "name". I just want to live my quiet little life and make stories people resonate with. I think most creatives are like this. It just sucks that studios want to gut our livelihoods on unproven bets & disproportionate greed.
With ~9 years of experience as a TAG Storyboard Artist I make ~$72.50 per hour at 40 hrs a week ($2900 per week before tax)
I pay $2550 a month for rent for a 2 Bed / 1 Bath. I pay for everything & I support my disabled wife that the gov won't help.
And that's when I HAVE work
Can't express how NOT ok it is that a studio would fail to credit the folks who worked on a project, only to tuck their names away in a throwaway tweet WEEKS after its debut, all in an attempt to save face. Do NOT normalize this behavior.
So my show is currently wrapping & ppl are slowly dipping out...& it made me think to post this reminder for all newbie animation folk: PLEASE start looking for your next gig MONTHS before your end date. Don't wait. Get that shit figured at LEAST 3 months ahead of time.
Any "creative" advocating for AI in the production of entertainment is being actively hostile towards their peers, their livelihoods, and the beauty of their honed skills & personal stories. A traitor, if you will.
There's nothing to be gained from AI, and yet so much to lose.
Folks complain about media w/ ‘stiff’ animation and long holds but...damn...shit that moves NON STOP can be even more hard to watch. Shit needs rhythm. Folks need time to digest.
Random tip for students aiming to be story artists: I highly recommend sketching almost exclusively in brush pen. Get used to permanence and not being able to fix shit. It'll make you more decisive with your strokes, and that will eventually lead to confidence & speed.
I don’t have the energy to explain this shit to every person individually but a good rule of thumb is:
Does the ‘storyboard’ have legit inbetweens & breakdowns for 90% of the scene?
Congrats.
It’s animation.
It’s not a storyboard.
Please stop posting animation roughs / tests and calling them storyboards, for the love of god.
You’re raising expectations & confusing both newbies and executives regarding the actual process. It does hurt people.
Animation artists aren't thriving...we're bleeding out. All while helming one of THE most lucrative forms of media in the world. We kept Hollywood afloat during the pandemic & what do we get for it? Overwork, shit pay, unsafe schedules, no future. We need a
#NewDeal4Animation
*opens twitter*
*sees good ppl getting shit on by worthless folk for Thundercats: Roar*
Either step up & make the content you scream at people for, or shut the fuck up. It’s as simple as that.
How'd Quibi work out for you, dipshit?
Nobody liked or respected this guy when he was in animation, so why are we pretending his words are worth listening to now?
Dreamworks co-founder Jeff Katzenberg says AI will cut cost of animation movies by 90% within the next three years:
“In the good old days, you might need 500 artists and years to make a world-class animated movie. I don’t think it will take 10% of that three years from now.”
Hi.
I appreciate that everyone is so hyped for Spider-verse. I am too! I’d also appreciate it if EVERYONE & THEIR MOTHER STOPPED POSTING SCENES EVERY THREE SECONDS SO I CAN ENJOY THIS MASTERPIECE IN THEATERS AS ONE COHERENT STORY & NOT AS 1000 CONTEXTLESS GIFS.
Thanks.
Fuck 'suffer because I've suffered' mentality. This bullshit is blood feud logic. It's the type of mentality that leads to multi-generational conflicts.
If your job title is 'storyboard artist' and not 'animator'...stop animating your damn boards unless it's worked into the schedule w/ OT or deadline extensions. Talk to your team. Don't normalize bad conditions bc you have some kind of death wish.