Creator Forge Podcast

The Future of Animation Careers - Interview with Ginger Tontaveetong and Jeff Yu Part 2

Jeff and Ginger are the unknown super champions of Animation Workers. Check out the incredibly important work they are doing to help guide employers and employees to a better, more sustainable way of working that will impact the future of the industry. We also discuss job hunting, the future of remote work (did you catch what Elon Musk is trying to pull), and unionization of Animation Studios. It's all here, gang. Link in bio. Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jS8pwlNfZ4c ASIF...

How Animation Careers Changed in the Last 2 Years - Part 1

We discuss the changing landscape of careers in Animation, games, and attractions amid the challenges of the Last 2 years with ASIFA-South Execs, Ginger Tontaveetong and Jeff Yu.     ASIFA-South (International Animation Society - South US Chapter) https://www.asifa-south.com/   ASIFAC - Animation Festival and Conference https://www.asifa-south.com/asifac-festival   Ginger Tontaveetong: Executive Director of ASIFA-SOUTH https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisa-tontaveetong-anim...

JonBoy Meyers: Comic Book Artist

Interview with Comic Book Artist JonBoy Meyers. We cover his early inspirations to draw, his art education and what advice he has for anyone who wants to start a career in comics. To WIN the JonBoy Meyers Sketchbook Volume No.2 be the first or second person to achieve all of the following: 1. Like, Subscribe, and Comment on this video, "I want the JonBoy Meyers Sketchbook" 2. Find @CreatorForge on Instagram and follow Creator Forge, then Find the JonBoy Meyers Podcast Announcement Post, ...

Coran Kizer Stone: Animation Character Designer

Coran Kizer Stone - Animation Character Designer - how to use social media to start your art career Pat chatted with Coran Kizer Stone about his inspirations, how he got his start in the Animation Industry, and how he maintains his incredible social media presence. Listen to the end for all the great knowledge that this incredible professional artist offers us in this fantastic interview. CreatorForge.com ------------------------------- Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/creatorf...

Ernest Chan: Animation Supervisor at DreamWorks Animation TV

Interview with Ernest Chan: Animation Supervisor at DreamWorks Animation TV CreatorForge.com ------------------------------------------- *Opinions expressed by guests are their own, and not necessarily endorsed by their employer, past present or future, nor by Creator Forge.*

Jennifer Garcia: Worker Rights at Creative Studios

Jeff Yu: VR Artist at Pulseworks

This amazing interview was recorded just before we had to take a break last year. Jeff is one of the most dynamic guests we have had to date. He has over ten years of multimedia design experience. He works in 2D and 3D visual development for concept art/design in games, animation, and film. His body of work features a wide range of visual styles from manga/comic illustrations to photorealistic matte compositions. He has an incredible breadth of knowledge about the application of AR and VR Ar...

Ginger Tontaveetong: Executive Director of ASIFA-South

https://www.tontaveetong.com/about/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisa-tontaveetong-animator/ https://www.asifa-south.com http://s3.siggraph.org Open Source Tools: https://geekflare.com/open-source-designer-tools/ **Opinions expressed by guests are their own, and not necessarily endorsed by their employer, past present or future, nor by Creator Forge LLC.** #podcast #cfpodcast #CreatorForge #Film #Video #Director #artist #animation #animator #arteducation #motiongraphics #artdirect...

Mark Simon:  Godfather of Storyboarding

Mark Simon has had an incredible, storied career lasting more than 30 years of working in the entertainment industry as a Storyboard Artist, Producer/Director for live-action and animation, and author of a dozen books and countless industry articles. He has been a part of more than 5000 productions. Pat interviewed Mark in his magnificent basement studio back in late January to talk about his career and his terrific new book "Start at the Top: Stories To Help You Succeed". Mark's Storyboa...

Ron Jones: Indie Cluster Founder

Game developer, game artist, entrepreneur, comic artist, and more, Ron Jones is a man of many interests and a fixture in the Atlanta game scene as the founder of the Indie Cluster. Jeremiah met up with him at SIEGE 2019 to talk about his journey to his current work of promoting and supporting Atlanta’s burgeoning indie game scene. Ron’s Website Indie Cluster Site Tripwire SIEGE Art Institute of Atlanta Brad Merritt (we interviewed Brad in Ep11)   Audio Editing by Jeremiah Cla...

Chris McLaughlin: Lead 3D Artist at Floyd County Productions

Chris McLaughlin is Lead 3D Environment artist at Floyd County Productions where he works on FX's Archer. Jeremiah caught up with him at SIEGE 2019 for a short conversation about his work history and thoughts about how to navigate a creative career. Chris’ Portfolio FX's Archer Floyd County SIEGE Trick3D Went2Play Vizitech "NdotL" (Shaders for Artists)   Audio Editing by Jeremiah Clark & Adam Greenlee

Tony Grillo: Animator / Creator / Problem Solver at Mighty Pants Media

As owner and sole full-time employee of Mighty Pants Media, Tony Grillo is a producer of dynamic video and animated content for advertising, messaging, training and entertainment. He has Directed ads as well as celebrated series for high-profile creative and corporate clients like Mark Cuban, Adam Sandler, and Tim Burton. He regularly works as a Story editor, writer, and development partner for short format content. Pat sat down with him to talk about his lengthy career that has spanned 3 de...

Lee Hammock: Senior Game Designer at Tripwire Interactive

 A self-described "Professional Nerd", Lee Hammock is a senior game designer at Tripwire Interactive where he has worked on titles like Killing Floor 2, Killing Floor: Incursion, the upcoming Man-Eater, and others. He has had a long and varied career that has included stints working on games, and RPGs and comics, for properties as diverse as Halo, Farscape, A Song of Ice and Fire, Pathfinder Online, Fallen Earth, Elder Scrolls, and Fading Suns. Tripwire Interactive Lee's Wikipedia page ...

Leah Knighton: Co-Founder and CCO at Ker-Chunk Games

Leah Knighton is co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at Ker-Chunk Games. Along with co-founder and CEO Molly Proffitt, she has managed to start and grow a company in a highly competitive market. They balance client work with developing their own original IP, and they're making it work. Jeremiah sat down with Leah at the Ker-Chunk office for a short conversation about how they got their business off the ground, their commitment to creating inclusive and empowering games, and what they've be...

Julee Fuller: Freelance Illustrator

Julee Fuller is an Athens-based freelance illustrator and concept artist. Originally from Indiana, she received a BFA in game art from the Art Institute of Atlanta. Since that time she has had a lot of ups and downs, but she's powered through it all. Jeremiah sat down with her to talk about some of her recent struggles and how she's gone about rebooting her creative career. The audio quality is not the best (sorry about that, I'm, still learning! -JC), but the conversation is chock full of...

Laura Martin: Comic Book Colorist, part 2

Laura Martin is an award-winning comic book colorist who has worked at Marvel, DC, WildStorm, CrossGen, and more. In this, part 2 of her interview with Pat, she talks about her coloring process and how it has changed over the years. LauraMartinArt.com   People Lee Loughridge Matt Hollingsworth Trish Mulvihill Joe Chiodo Brian Hitch Bryan haberlin Bryan Miller John Rauch Companies Image Comics WildStorm CrossGen Other Ruby Lith (wikipedia) RGB vs CMYK Wacom C...

Laura Martin: Comic Book Colorist, part 1

Laura Martin is an award-winning comic book colorist who has worked at Marvel, DC, WildStorm, CrossGen, and more. After months of scheduling problems, she sat down with Pat to talk all things comics. There was so much to talk about, in fact, that this is going to be part 1 of a 3 part series. Be sure to subscribe or check back often so you don't miss parts 2 and 3! ComicBookDB - Laura Martin ComicBookDB - Laura DePuy   Companies WildStorm Image Comics CrossGen Gaijin Studios ...

Brent Dey: Writer, Director, Creative Thinker

Brent Day is an Atlanta-based writer, director, and all-around creative problem solver. He currently resides at Spoke Creative where he has directed video and multimedia projects for leading companies in hospitality, financial services, and information technology. He has been lead copywriter on marketing campaigns, internal communications programs, print advertisements and video scripts for B2B and B2C marketing. Adapted from Brent's bio on the Spoke Creative website. Spoke Creative's W...

State of the Podcast / 2018 Recap

Welcome to our second annual roundup episode! We sat down at an undisclosed coffee shop to talk about the year that was, and our hopes for the year to come. This format (more conversational and out in the world) is a bit of an experiment for us, something we're going to be testing out and refining going forward. Thank you to everyone who is taking this journey with us, whether you're a long time listener or just found us. This wouldn't be possible without you. Most of what we talk about ...

Alright, trying this newsletter thing again

I'll keep this brief: Our newsletter hasn't been working properly for some time now. I've been unable to find the problem, and emails to MailChimp support have not been answered. I've been checking out alternatives for a while now, and if you're reading this then odds are I've found one that works.    For now newsletters will be sent automatically every week, but only if there is something to share. If you have any problems or questions, don't hesitate to contact us!   - Jeremiah

Sarah Massagee: UX Designer

Sarah Massagee is a UX designer based in Atlanta, GA. She is passionate about creating digital experiences through UX/UI design and Virtual Reality (VR). Our conversation with her is the last of our recordings from SIEGE 2018. Sarah's Website Tripwire UX (Definition) Kennesaw State University Trick 3D General Assembly The Design of Everyday Things The Gamer's Brain Aaron's Audio Editing by Adam Greenlee

Dean Velez: Creative Director

Dean Velez has had a lengthy career in media and motion graphics. Over that career, he has worked in commercials and marketing and more recently has ventured into VR and gaming. We talked to him at SIEGE about his time at Sprocket Creative, specifically about his recent intensive apprenticeship experiment "The Anvil" and their recent forays into VR and AR. Dean Velez Sprocket Creative After Effects Cinema 4D SIEGE 2018 - Innovative Designs for Board Games Audio Editing by Adam Gree...

Michelle Menard: Systems Designer

Michelle Menard is a systems designer with an extensive resume within the game industry. She has worked on board games, video games, social games, and any sort of game design consulting you care to mention. She is a regular presenter at SIEGE, where she was gracious enough to take a break from her crazy schedule to talk to us. Michelle's LinkedIn Oxide Games Fish Wizard Games Artemic Games Videos SIEGE 2017 - Algorithm Design Basics for Game Designers SIEGE 2017 - Indie Rants (Mich...

William Moritz: Creative Problem Solver

The first of four interviews we recorded at SIEGE 2018, William Moritz describes himself as a creative problem solver. He's worked in a huge number of positions in different creative industries in multiple countries. In our interview, he told the story of his time working at an animation house in China.   William's LinkedIn   SIEGE 2018 - Game Character Art Pipeline from Concept to Start Screen Quiz Pro Go (Google Ploy) Quiz Pro Go (iOS App Store) Bring on the Good Friends with Yo...

SIEGE 2018 Panel (live recording)

We were on a panel at this year's SIEGE (Southern Interactive Entertainment and Games Expo). The panel was titled "Long-Term Collaboration, or How Not to Kill Each Other for Fun and Profit". The initial idea was Pat's, I wrote and submitted the pitch (and the title, of which I am quite proud). Molly and Leah were added to provide a different perspective (and panel experience), for which we were very appreciative. The organizers were fine with us setting up our equipment and making our own...

SIEGE 2018 was a massive success!

We had a great time at SIEGE this past weekend! I've been going to SIEGE for years, while this was Pat's first time, and we both had a blast. I'd say it was the most worthwhile SIEGE I've been to since that very first one when I got my first real look into the Atlanta game industry. Along with Molly and Leah from Ker-Chunk Games, we spoke on a panel (our first live event, Leah and Molly are old pros at this), "Long-Term Collaboration, or How Not to Kill Each Other for Fun and Profit". We ...

SIEGE 2018, and a Newsletter Update

Hey everyone! Just a little housekeeping I wanted to take care of real quick here. First of all, this upcoming weekend is the 2018 Southern Interactive Entertainment and Games Expo (SIEGE), the big local game industry event for Georgia and the southeastern United States. Pat and I will be attending. I've gone every year since 2009 (I think), but this will be Pat's first time. We've already lined up some interviews to record that we'll be releasing during the busy holiday months, so loo...

Dane Cozens: Illustrator and Concept Artist

Dane Cozens is an illustrator and concept artist living in Atlanta, Georgia. He holds a bachelors in communication arts from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Masters in Illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design. He has done agency work for various government and military organizations, as well as illustrations for book covers and card games. He currently works full time as an illustrator in the casino games industry. Dane Cozens' Website Pokemon Dane's realistic po...

Edward Louis: VFX Artist at Hi-Rez Studios

Originally from a small town in Missouri, Edward Louis received a BFA in Media Arts and Animation from the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago. After graduating he held a number of odd and short term jobs in Chicago and California, before landing at Hi-Rez Studios here in Georgia. He currently works there as a visual FX artist working in the Unreal engine. Edward Louis Hi-Rez Studios Companies EDMC info (including gov't lawsuit) Art Institutes Dreamcenter Holdings Higi Tencen...

Scott Warren: 3D Lighting Artist at Tripwire Interactive

Scott Warren is a Lighting Artist working at Tripwire Interactive. An Atlanta native, he started in the game industry as an FX artist at Hi-Rez Studios before transitioning to in-game lighting. Scott has also worked at CCP Atlanta, Xaviant, and Raven Software where he worked on several Call of Duty titles. Scott Warren Tripwire Interactive Companies Raven Software Hi-Rez Studios CCP Games Xaviant Sledgehammer Games G4 TV People Alberto Noti Tim Lindsay Steven Jenkins ...

Jose Acosta: Director and Founder at DoubleRaven Pictures

Jose Acosta is an Atlanta based film maker and entrepreneur. He is the founder of and Director of Photography for DoubleRaven Studios, where he often adopts many more titles such as Writer, Director, and Editor. He's a rare generalist in an industry of specialists. He also has experience in 3D graphics, animation, visual FX, and teaching. DoubleRaven focuses mostly on corporate and educational films, but has recently branched out into scripted drama, something Jose hopes to do more of as tim...

We've changed podcasts hosting providers

Hey everyone! This is just a quick note to let you know that we've changed podcast hosts, again, though hopefully for the last time. Specifically we've moved from PodBean to LibSyn. The only reason this might matter to you as a listener/follower is that there might have been some weirdness in the feed as things moved over, and some links are unfortunately going to be broken. We'll do our best to fix what we can, but the fairly extensive links in our show notes, and the sheer number of ...

Jorge Gaspar: 3D Artist for Trick 3D

Jorge Gaspar is a 3D artist with an extensive background in e-learning, architectural pre-viz and design, and animation. He currently works at Trick 3D doing architectural and commercial work, and previously worked at Floyd County Productions creating 3d backgrounds and assets for the FX show Archer. Jorge has also worked as a graphic designer, and as a compositor. Jorge's Profile Trick 3D Software AutoCAD 3Ds Max VRay Flash Maya Nuke Cinema 4D Modo After Effects F...

Tim Smith & Amanda Dearborn

With Pat taking some time off to settle into life with a newborn, we thought we'd try having two guests for this episode! Amanda Dearborn is a 3d artist from Virgina Beach. She's a recent graduate from the Art Institute of Virginia. Tim Smith is a 3d artist originally from Georgia. He graduated from the Art Institute of Atlanta, and has worked at a variety of companies over the last decade. Together with co-host Jeremiah, they make up the 3d department at MR Systems in Norcross, GA. Amand...

Episode 19 - First Year Recap

It's a new year, so we decided to sit down and talk about the past twelve-plus months and the twenty episodes of this podcast that we've released in that time. We talk a bit about what we've accomplished, milestones both past and planned, and where our sixteen guests are now. Links: Teaching College by Dr. Norman Eng (book) This article discusses the problems with feed hits EPISODE RECAP Episode 2 - David Riddle David's Artstation Hi-Rez Studios Episode 3 - Jeremiah Clark Jere...

Ken Bock: 3D Modeler and Texture artist at Floyd County

Ken Bock is a 3D artist who currently works at Floyd County Productions doing 3D backgrounds and props for the TV show Archer. Originally from South Carolina, Ken earned his BFA in Game Art and Design from the Art Institute of Atlanta. We talk to him about what he does on Archer, what drives and motivates him, and how he has methodically worked to break into the entertainment industry. Ken's Website Floyd County Productions Links MR Systems (company) Art Institute of Atlanta (scho...

Marty Walker: Senior Animator at Bento Box

Marty Walker is a senior animator and technical director at Bento Box Studios in Atlanta GA. Originally from Bowie Maryland, Marty studied animation at the Art Institute of Washington. He worked freelance jobs while in college and has worked as an animator at several studios. His current position at Bento Box has him doing everything from digital design to hand-drawn animation. We talk about all of that and more in this episode. Marty's website Bento Box Mentioned People/Companies Fl...

Kathryn Hudson: Character Artist and Illustrator

Kathryn Hudson is an Atlanta-based character artist and illustrator who originally hails from a small town in Mississippi. She holds a Bachelor's degree from Belhaven University and a Masters from SCAD, and currently works at Floyd County as a character designer on Archer. She also keeps busy with freelance work for clients such as Dreamworks and Disney, among many others. Kathryn's Website Store Page Links Archer Fantasia 2000 Lemonade Illustration Agency ImagineFX Magazine Tro...

Our YouTube channel has launched!

We have officially launched our YouTube channel! We are starting by releasing each of our Podcast episodes as videos, some with never-published headshots of our guests in slide show form. So, if you haven’t listened yet, or just like the YouTube platform, please check us out there. Our first art/design tutorials are in the works as well. Thanks for following and subscribing: http://bit.ly/CF-YouTube  

John Clowdus: Card Game Designer and Publisher

John Clowdus is the owner and designer of Small Box Games, a publisher of cards games based near Atlanta, GA. His philosophy is to stay small, move fast, and produce a high-quality product that his customers will love. He has been running SBG as a one man show (with some occasional help from friends and family) since 2007 and has published and sold over 50 games, largely funded using Kickstarter and consisting of runs as small as 50 copies and up to 2000 or more. Small Box Games SBG on ...

Chris Bivins: Illustrator, Concept Artist, Storyboard Artist

Chris Bivins is a 2D Generalist who regularly tackles illustration, concept art, storyboards, digital painting, motion graphics, and animation. He's that rare sort of artist who seems to be good at everything he tries, yet still remains humble. Originally from Kansas City Missouri, Chris graduated from the Art Institute of Atlanta with an BFA in Media Arts & Animation. He works days at AGS creating art for video slot machines (alongside co-host Pat Bollin), and has done freelance concept an...

Molly Proffitt: CEO of Ker-Chunk Games

Molly Proffitt is the CEO of Ker-Chunk Games, a company dedicated to creating cross-platform, social and casual intellectual properties that empower women players. She has also worked as a game producer and designer on mobile, web, and Facebook projects, focusing on the casual and social games space. She attended The College of Santa Fe and holds a BFA from The Savannah College of Art and Design in “Interactive Design & Game Development”. Molly also served as the Chair of the IGDA Atlanta fr...

Special Episode: Hunting for Creative Jobs with Jeremiah Clark

On this special episode of the Creator Forge Podcast, we talk to Creator Forge co-founder Jeremiah Clark about his recent experience of being laid off and searching for work. We discuss the toll this took both financially and emotionally, how he was eventually able to find work, and what happened in between. Jeremiah's web site (years over due for a refresh) Jeremiah's 3D Portfolio Jeremiah's LinkedIn Mentioned Links Pixel Constructor (I said "Pixel Collider" the first time, my bad) ...

Brad Merritt: Director of Game Design at Cartoon Network Games

As Director of Game Design for Cartoon Network, Brad Merritt has designed and directed dozens of games for CartoonNetwork.com and AdultSwim.com. While working in the web design industry, Brad started creating Flash games in 1999. He lives in Atlanta, where he is the organizer of the Atlanta Game Developer Meetup and has served as a guest instructor at the Art Institute of Atlanta. Brad also develops games independently. Brad's Blog Cartoon Network Atlanta Game Dev Meetup GGDA Presenta...

Kim Nguyen: 3D Animator

Originally from Florida, Kim Nguyen is an Atlanta based 3D animator. She earned her Masters in Interactive Technology from the FIEA (Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy) after earning her undergrad degree at USF. Her credits include EA Tiburon, Hi-Rez Studios, and now Moon Studios. We discuss her work, her experiences in the industry thus far, and the unconventional path she took to get there. Kim's Portfolio Website Mentioned Companies: EA Tiburon HiRez Studios Moon Studios ...

Fernando Vazquez: Lead Illustrator for Archer, the Animated Series

Originally from Puerto Rico, Fernando Carlos Vazquez Rivera was trained in art at the Atlanta campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design. With 7 seasons under his belt, he is now the Lead Illustrator for FX's hit Animated TV Series, Archer. “Ferni” discusses how he discovered his passion for illustration, how he first broke into the animation industry, what studio life is like, and how to approach an animation studio for work. Ferni is also passionate about athletics and rock climbin...

Goni Montes: Freelance Editorial Illustrator

Originally from Puerto Rico, Goni Montes is a prolific Atlanta-based freelance editorial illustrator. His client list includes Men's Health, Rolling Stone, BOOM! Studios, The New York Times, Playboy, Tor, and many many more. Goni discusses how he discovered his passion for illustration, how he first broke into the industry, his creative process, and what his daily work life is like. Goni's Website Goni's Blog Richard Solomon, Goni's Agent Mentioned Clients Men's Health BOOM! Studi...

Special Episode - Geek Talk: Marvel Cinematic Universe on TV

Episode 7G, Creator Forge: Geek Talk. A geeky, off the cuff discussion about the Marvel Cinematic Universe on TV (cut together from a few recordings). Mentioned TV Shows & Movies: Daredevil Jessica Jones Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Batman v Superman Suicide Squad Agent Carter (OK, we didn't mention this one, but it's good)   Podcast Credits: Pat Bollin: Host Jeremiah Clark: Co-Host Opinions expressed by guests are their own, and not necessarily endorsed by their employer, pas...

Pat Bollin: Game Artist and Illustrator (Part 2)

Pat Bollin is a Concept Artist and Illustrator for the casino game industry. He has been an accomplished web and advertising illustrator, a published comic book artist, and served a 5 year tour as a U.S. Naval Illustrator-Draftsman. He holds BFA and MFA in Sequential Art from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Pat has a passion for learning and teaching, and has taught Drawing, 2D Design, and Concept Art at SCAD and the Art Institute of Atlanta. He and his lovely wife, Renee (also a de...

Pat Bollin: Game Artist and Illustrator

Originally form L.A. (Lower Alabama), Pat Bollin is a Concept Artist and Illustrator for the casino game industry. He has been an accomplished web and advertising illustrator, a published comic book artist, and served a 5 year tour as a U.S. Naval Illustrator-Draftsman. He holds BFA and MFA in Sequential Art from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Pat has a passion for learning and teaching, and has taught Drawing, 2D Design, and Concept Art at SCAD and the Art Institute of Atlanta. He...