The Ink and Paint Folk Podcast

Eva Sowinski is the founder of the Ground Zero Animation Expo that takes place in February near downtown Anaheim, CA.  Being an artist herself, Eva uses her passion and entrepreneurial spirit to create platforms that inspire and motivate artists to get themselves out in front of audiences and share their talent!  Today, she shares her journey from pursuing dance to falling into art to opening a brick and mortar store known as fan*alley to founding the Ground Zero Animation Expo with all the insight she has gained along the way. 

Ever hear of "Over the Garden Wall", "Harvey Beaks", "Star vs the Forces of Evil", or the Cartoon Network short "Back to Backspace"? Yeah! She's a writing bad a** and she's here on the Ink and Paint Girls podcast! Amalia Levari joins us to discuss her path from the rainy weather in Michigan to studying experimental animation at CalArts in California, the progress of female voices in entertainment, and her thoughts on creating things you want to be remembered for. 

 

SHOW NOTES-

Cal Arts Experimental Animation program

Animation Production

 

Ira Glass - Good Taste Video + Quote

 

Back to Backspace

Reversion Rights

 

Bust out the holiday specials and annual favorites, Christmas is coming!  Screenwriter, Analise McNeill joins us on the Ink and Paint Girls podcast to discuss writing the Christmas special for Nick Jr's 'Fresh Beat Band of Spies'.  Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!

Our conversation with Production Manager, Kim Wood and Social Media Director, Rae de Mesa continues!  

Production Manager, Kim Wood and Social Media Director, Rae de Mesa join me in the studio to talk about how they met while working at Dreamworks Animation- going from breakfast girl to girlfriends, how they navigated the industry together when same sex marriage wasn't yet legal as well as through hiatuses and jobs with no health insurance. 

Now for part 2 with Melissa Suber- Storyboard Artist, Director, and Fine Artist currently storyboarding on The Lion Guard over at Disney Jr.  Her fine art paintings can also be seen in Shanghai's Disney Resort.  With a resume that spans the last 20 years, she has worked at various studios in various roles like Layout, Storyboard Revisionist, Storyboard Artist, Story Editor, Production Manager, Writer, and Director but still makes time for freelance and her own personal projects.  We discuss a lot about the business of animation and how to navigate it without losing your creative spirit that makes you unique.

Show Notes (Pt2)--------

IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1204347/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Personal page: https://mjsuber.carbonmade.com

Contracts- in perpetuity clause

ALWAYS READ YOUR CONTRACTS

-understand the rules of posting your content online and social media some of those sites have rights to repost your content or even own your content

Orphan Project- anything thats been online/posted becomes free domain after 7 years

http://www.copyright.gov/orphan/

Today we're speaking with Melissa Suber- Storyboard Artist, Director, and Fine Artist currently storyboarding on The Lion Guard over at Disney Jr.  Her fine art paintings can also be seen in Shanghai's Disney Resort.  With a resume that spans the last 20 years, she has worked at various studios in various roles like Layout, Storyboard Revisionist, Storyboard Artist, Story Editor, Production Manager, Writer, and Director but still makes time for freelance and her own personal projects.  We discuss a lot about the business of animation and how to navigate it without losing your creative spirit that makes you unique.

Show Notes (Pt1)--------

IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1204347/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Personal page: https://mjsuber.carbonmade.com

Hearst Family (Animation):

 http://www.hearstent.com/animation.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Randolph_Hearst

5 Ways to Draw Perspective: http://www.wikihow.com/Draw-Perspective

Layout Animation: http://stevelowtwait.com/blog/what-is-animation-background-layout

How much are your talents/skills worth?

3 things you can control in any negotiation

-The quality of what you make

-The money you get paid

-The time it takes

You should be in control of at least one if not two.  High quality gets more money or more time.  If you pay less, you get less quality and you do it in less time.  Or if they will pay less, I ask for more time.  

Stephen Silver "Stop working for free!" http://www.cartoonbrew.com/ideas-commentary/stephen-silver-stop-working-for-free-77417.html

Melissa's adendum to Stephen's advice:

Make sure free exposure makes the work worth it.  Always do some research.  Not always worth it- maybe sometimes.  

"Ask for higher rate.  They can always say no.  If they say no, it's not in the budget, I respect the budget.  Bigger studios have a slight wiggle room whether they say that or not.  Smaller studios are working on tight budgets and probably don't." MJ on negotiating pay.

On continuing to get work in Animation:

"It is greatly about who you know.  Be loyal and work hard for your crew and they will remember you."

Mike Young Productions/ Splash: http://www.splashentertainment.com/production

On networking and getting more work in Animation:

"It doesn't have to be the best work, it needs to be reliable.  Be that indispensable person.  You don't have to be the star.  The star costs more and rolls off the show first."

If you added up the amount of experience today's two guests have total working in Animation, it would be over 90 years!  Joanna Romersa and Bronwen Barry are back on the Ink and Paint Girls podcast to discuss their personal histories within the bigger history of the Animation industry.  They recall their days being in the Ink and Paint department at Hanna Barbera and Disney, their path to getting into other creative roles as well as their experience going through the union strikes.

It has been a full year since starting this podcast and beginning this journey.  Happy 1 Year Anniversary!  

Today's interview had to be super special.  Sue Nichols, story and visual development artist, best known for her work at Disney Feature Animation, stops by the show.  Remember Tiana's dream sequence in Princess and the Frog?  Flowered from her concepts.  She also worked on Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Hercules, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, Muppet Babies, and more.  We discuss her early beginnings in a dying industry, the Disney renaissance, and why your health should be a priority over deadlines.

SHOW NOTES----

Sue Nichols-

http://www.mothernichols.com

Cal Arts-https://www.calarts.edu

Things to remember- although it used to be a must, there are many great colleges now that are doing impressive work.  It's not about where you go to school, its about what you're doing.  What you're working on.  What you're creating.

Jean Gillmore- one of her mentors at Muppet Babies: http://jeangillmore.wixsite.com/gallery

Disney Renaissance-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_Renaissance

Howard Ashman-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Ashman

To learn more about the Disney Renaissance, check out 

Waking Sleeping Beauty

Edith Head, Hollywood Fashion Designer

http://www.oscars.org/collection-highlights/edith-head

Today we're speaking with Kaukab Basheer and though she is currently a storyboard revisionist at Disney TV Animation on 'The Lion Guard', she has an amazing career of Character Design, Character Layout, Storyboards, and even Creative Directing on a popular children series in India.  Kaukab is the first guest we've had who has started her animation career in another country!  We discuss self-reflection to better your art and career, finding inspiration from outside of your craft, and being a female in a male-dominated industry.

SHOW NOTES----

Kaukab Basheer's portfolio: www.kaukabbasheer.com

Green Gold Animation- http://www.greengold.tv

Cartoon Network India "Krishna"- http://www.greengold.tv/krishna.php#

"Chhota Bheem"- http://www.greengold.tv/chhota-bheem.php

Why do we feel the way we do?

School of Visual Arts NYC - http://www.sva.edu

"Dechen" thesis film- https://vimeo.com/42842952

Dan Haskett- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0368153/

"You need to get inspired but also let go and trust yourself that whatever comes out of your head or your heart is going to be you.  It's you!  You can't deny that." - Kaukab Basheer

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The Ink and Paint Girls Podcast is produced in Burbank, CA.  Produced by Cassie Soliday and Associate Producer, Val Petrone. Theme song courtesy of TV's Kyle.  The views expressed on this podcast are our own and do not represent those of the our respective employers.