Animation & Manga
**Animation Happy Hour**

Animation Happy Hour is a monthly podcast hosted by three feature film animators – Garrett Lewis, Katie Low, and Ben Girmann. Our podcast mission is to provide practical advice for students, job-seekers, and animation enthusiasts on how to break into all aspects of the animation industry.

Latest Episodes:

#23 - Where Have We Been? Jan 01, 2024

Show notes

Good news! After a much needed hiatus, the Animation Happy Hour is back with a brand new episode in 2024. Listen in as we discuss what we’ve been up to, the current state of the animation industry, and future episodes coming your way. A huge thanks to all who expressed their support while we were on our break! The band is back together!

Episode Outline:

10:04 State of the Industry 18:38 Artificial Intelligence 29:11 New Animation That’s Inspiring Us

Scavengers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWQH8cMpWTU
TMNT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHvzw4Ibuho
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On https://a24films.com/films/marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on
South of Midnight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2Z-8Y8r5ss
Arcane https://www.netflix.com/title/81435684
Prehistoric Planet https://tv.apple.com/us/show/prehistoric-planet/umc.cmc.4lh4bmztauvkooqz400akxav?mttn3pid=Google%20AdWords&mttnagencyid=a5e&mttncc=US&mttnsiteid=143238&mttnsubad=OUS2019950_1-658971681729-c&mttnsubkw=144248666108__J1lRfctc_&mttnsubplmnt=adext

44:08 Acquisition Rumors 48:44 Possible Future Podcast Episodes 55:24 Tip jar - X Keys https://xkeys.com/

Tip Jar Online: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

#22 - Studio Surprises! Apr 01, 2022

Show notes

This month's episode is all about things that surprised us working for a big studio. We hope you enjoy!

Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-22-studio-surprises

Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

#21 - Day In The Life: Layout/Previz Artist (Part 2) Feb 01, 2022

Show notes

As promised, our next episode will conclude our deep dive into a Day in the Life of a Layout/Previz artist! Listen in as we discuss everything from useful resources for students, to what kind of people might enjoy layout, favorite parts of the job, and more!

Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-20-day-in-the-life-layout-artist-5xbxd

Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

#20 - Day In The Life: Layout/Previz Artist (Part 1) Jan 01, 2022

Show notes

We are honored to have had the opportunity to sit down with two incredible Disney artists, Dorian Bustamante @layoutsketches and Corey "Rocco" Florimonte, to talk about all things Layout and Previz. This is a crucial, and often underrepresented step in the pipeline that requires a vast array of filmmaking and storytelling skills in addition to some impressive technical know-how. In fact, there's so much packed into this step of the pipeline, that we couldn't contain it to just one episode, so join us on January 1st, 2022 to listen in on part 1 of a 2-part series on layout!

Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-20-day-in-the-life-layout-artist

Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

#19 - Dealing With Feedback Dec 01, 2021

Show notes

Feedback and critiques are essential in the creative world, but that doesn't mean giving or receiving it is easy. Everyone, from seasoned professionals to first-year students, has to grapple with this aspect of our jobs, but you don't have to go it alone! In our next episode, we discuss our experiences with feedback, and give some helpful tips for ways to gracefully give and receive feedback in the professional world.

Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-19-feedback

Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

#18 - Top 5 Bad Habit and How To Avoid Them! Nov 01, 2021

Show notes

Garrett, Katie, and Ben have a light and lengthy conversation about the various ways that bad habits can creep into our work lives. Our hosts not only give advice on what to watch out for as you pursue your career in animation, but also how to overcome bad habits when you encounter them!

Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-18-top-5-bad-habits-and-how-to-avoid-them

Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

#17 - Day In The Life: Stop Motion Animator Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

In episode 17, we dive into the world of stop motion animation! Our special guest Dan MacKenzie @mackmation draws upon his years of experience in feature film, TV, advertising, and more to give us a picture of what life as a stop motion animator is like. We cover a LOT of ground in this episode--we'll hear what his average day is like at LAIKA, discuss what types of other jobs are available at stop motion studios, go over some practical advice for how best to prepare yourself for a career in stop motion, and much more!

Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-17-day-in-the-life-stop-motion-animator

Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

#16 - Day In The Life: Storyboard Artist May 01, 2021

Show notes

Storyboards are one of the earliest and most integral elements in an animation pipeline, and we have the pleasure of chatting with a couple industry superstars who have extensive experience storyboarding in both TV and feature film. Natalie Nourigat and Isabelle Gedigk join us to talk about all things storyboarding, from what it takes to break into the industry, to what an average day for a storyboard artist entails, and more!

Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-16-day-in-the-life-storyboard-artist

Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

#15 - What Level Animator Are You? Apr 01, 2021

Show notes

Assessing yourself as an artist can be difficult. In episode 15, we cover some practical ways to objectively evaluate where you are in your journey from new student to seasoned professional, and provide tips on how to advance to the next level!

Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-15-

Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

#14 - Top 10 Tips For Your First Job! Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

Are you nervous about transitioning from school to the professional world? Do you feel overwhelmed or confused when you hear words like 401k, contracts, benefits, etc? Are you nervous about not landing your dream job right out of school, or possibly being exposed to a toxic work environment? If any of this feels familiar, this next episode is for you!

Check out our detailed show-notes here: https://www.animationhappyhour.com/new-blog/episode-14-top-10-tips-for-your-first-job

Support Animation Happy Hour by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

Support Animation Happy Hour by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/animation-happy-hour

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Animation Happy Hour

This month's episode is all about things that surprised us working for a big studio. We hope you enjoy!

Garrett, Katie, and Ben have a light and lengthy conversation about the various ways that bad habits can creep into our work lives. Our hosts not only give advice on what to watch out for as you pursue your career in animation, but also how to overcome bad habits when you encounter them!

Assessing yourself as an artist can be difficult. In episode 15, we cover some practical ways to objectively evaluate where you are in your journey from new student to seasoned professional, and provide tips on how to advance to the next level!

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