Straight Ahead Animation Podcast
By Ray Mendoza Landa & Yuki Okamura-Wong
Straight Ahead Animation PodcastOct 12, 2021
122 Straight Ahead w/ Kiana Khansmith: From Palette Town to the Big City...Greens
121 Straight Ahead SEASON 4 KICKOFF! WE ARE STILL ALIVE!!
We are still alive! We are back with a brand new season and a brand new look! Tune in as we touch base about our animation journey and our personal lives. We also give our thoughts about the current state of animation and the use of AI.
Ray's IG @radiosilence
Yuli's IG @chuudles
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi!
120 Geek Girl Conline: My First Steps in the Animation Industry
Time for a throwback! This is a recording from 2021 of a panel Straight Ahead hosted during Geek Girl Conline. We hosted a round table discussion with Samia Khalaf, Steph Rizo, and Li Cree. We take this rare opportunity to share some of the many different paths one can take breaking into the animation industry. We talk about personal pitfalls in our early years, and how relatable those experiences can be. Samia tells us about her film she painted in VR, Kteer Tayyeb, and why she chose to tell this story. Steph talks about working on the bluesky phase of feature film. Li tells us the "secret" to how she creates so many personal projects. This and so much more as we take a dive back in time!
Many thanks to Alyssa Askew, Alyssa Jones-Comtois, Marina Martinez, and the entire GGC staff for inviting us to host this event.
GGC - https://geekgirlcon.com/
Samia Khalaf - @samsoomfull (instagram)
Steph Rizo - @steph_rizo (instagram)
Li Cree - @li_cree (instagram)
119 Straight Ahead w/ Kelly Lynne D'Angelo: Native Voice and Lens in Entertainment
Kelly Lynne D'Angelo (she/they) is a Native—Haudenosaunee Tuscarora and Muscowpetung Cree—writer for animation, live action, and musicals, who also plays D&D professionally. Kelly kicks-off by telling the most insane story about how she met the producers of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia... who then gave her an internship! We get to chat about the process of Starry, a musical about brothers Theo and Vincent Van Gogh, and what magic happens in the writer's room before a production even begins. Outside of her career, we get to talk about Kelly's time as a professional Dungeon Master. From an online presence, to personal games run on Cruise ships, Kelly talks about how the storytelling informs her writing and vice versa. We touch on the subject of Native visibility, not only in the industry, but in America at large. Kelly has such a sense of adventure and will to connect with others, we are sure her story will connect with you.
Instagram: @KellyLynneDang
Twitter: @KellyLynneDang
Bluesky: kellylynnedang.bsky.social
Girls, Guts, Glory: girlsgutsgloryrpg.com
NDND (all native DnD campaign) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-XY8JUTCQ0
Starry (instagram): @starrymusical
118 Straight Ahead w/ Nicolette Ray: Have a Conversation About Mental Health
Nicolette Ray is Native American, Acoma Pueblo, a storyboard artist and currently a game dev artist. She tells us about her strong start in animation, working for Wild Canary on Puppy Dog Pals for 5 years! We talk about work culture at Wild Canary, and the difference between working under Disney vs. Lucasfilm. We chat about her personal Native American Renaissance, as she dove into the history of her own people, and how connecting to those roots helped feed into her experience on Spirit Rangers. Also, Nicolette guides us through her journey struggling with mental health, and how the conversation opening up in society at large helped give her the courage to seek help. We are very fortunate to have had such a vulnerable and honest guest, and we hope her journey can help open up that conversation for you or someone you love.
Twitter: @unbadger
Instagram: @unbadgr
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap
117 Straight Ahead w/ Joey Clift: Pitching and Selling a Show
Entering the ring this week is Joey Clift, a Native American enrolled Cowlitz tribal member, currently working as a freelance writer. Not only has Joey worked as a Staff Writer and Consulting Producer for Netflix's Spirit Rangers, he has also wrote and directed his own animated digital series Gone Native for Comedy Central. Joey has a love for comedy and has a unique sense of humor that has helped him pitch and sell shows. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did!
IG: @joeycliiiiiift
Twitter: @joeytainment
Portfolio: http://joeyclift.com/
Gone Native: https://gonenative.tv/
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap
116 Straight Ahead w/ Ashley Chung: Thrown Into Kombat!
Ashley Chung works as an Associate Animator in the video games industry! In her first job working at Steamroller Studio she was thrown into the deep end working on Mortal Kombat 1! Ashley also talks about taking additional animation classes post graduation really helped her improve as an animator. Tune in and find out more about the world of animating for video games!
Portfolio: ashleychung.com
IG: @ashthemush
Twitter: @ashthemush
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap
115 Straight Ahead w/ Steve Sandoval: From Working in Construction to Environment Design
Steve Sandoval talks about how he slipped into the cracks of animation. Out of high school Steve started working as a carpenter with his cousins, unfortunately was laid off in 2007 due to a recession. However, Steve took this as an opportunity to go to school to study animation! One of the things Steve loves to do is plein air paint and posting it to social media. Eventually Robh Ruppel came across his works and asked if he wanted to work on Entergalactic. Steve has had an amazing journey into animation, find out more by checking out this episode!
IG: @Sketchinsteve
Portfolio: Sketchinsteve.com
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap
114 Straight Ahead w/ Sofia Canales: The Journey into Animation is a Zig Zag
113 Straight Ahead w/ Angela M. Sánchez: Now you see it...
Angela Sánchez is a Xicanx writer and magician with a shining personality. We have a blast talking about their work on Primos, how their work with Latinx in Animation led to the position, and about how cathartic it was to work on a Latine/Hispanic-American show. We dive back into her first gig, her time at school, and how she didn't even know writing for television was a career one could have! We also get to chat about Scruffy and The Egg, their children's book that draws from the times she and her dad were homeless. Scruffy and the Egg is also donated to shelters in the hopes of helping young kids through a difficult and confusing time.
Website: angelamsanchez.com
Instagram: @angelamsanchez.writer
Twitter: @_AngelaMSanchez
Bluesky: @angelamsanchez
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap
112 Straight Ahead w/ Jose Hernandez: Drawing with Intent, Inclusion, and Confidence
Jose Hernandez is an El Salvadorean-American freelance artist for Visual Development. We chat about how he got his start doing an unpaid internship, how the industry has changed over time, and the reality of getting through the valleys of the industry as a freelancer. He takes us through his artistic journey not being able to go to university out of high school, joining mentorships, and learning on the job. We talk a lot about his time on The Casa Grandes, and sprout a conversation about culture as a Hispanic-American.
Instagram: @main3venter_hernandez
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap
111 Straight Ahead w/ Kayse Villalba: Enjoy Yourself
Kayse Villalba shares her experience wearing hats in both 2D animation and storyboarding positions. We chat a lot about workflow and expectations when working in rigged animation, grabbing fun shots while working for Studio Yotta, and how animation can differ wildly per production. Kayse also shares insights into how her experiences have informed each other art job she's had, from awareness of animation while boarding scenes to just having a positive attitude when starting a new role. We chat about her personal work, and Kayse shares some inspiring words for growing minds.
Instagram: @roboklown
Twitter: @KlownCar
Youtube: TheKlownCar
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap
110 Straight Ahead w/ Yanna Casey: Exploring and Expressing Gender
Yanna Casey is a Black artist working as a production coordinator in Atlanta, Georgia! We talk about their position as a PC outside of Los Angeles, and the ID she did for Adult Swim before deciding she didn't want to pursue an art role professionally. We also learn about Yanna's background in music production, and how they incorporate that into their personal art. We also talk about getting in touch with your passions, like creating the art that you want, or collecting black funko pops.
Instagram: @supa_flowa
TikTok: @supaflowa
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap
109 Straight Ahead w/ Cynthia Furey: Extra! Extra! Food Journalist becomes writer on Tiny Chef!
Cynthia Furey is a hapa-vietnamese-italian-irish writer and currently a staff writer for Nickelodeon! Follow her journey of building connections through Sesame Workshop, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, and the CBS writer's program. We chat about her experiences on The Ghost and Molly McGee, Hello Jack!, and Tiny Chef. But before her career in screenwriting, she worked as a food writer for the Orange County register for 8 years! Learn all about her career shift, and the differences between writing for journalism and screenwriting... but also the unexpected strengths that came with that experience. (If you need more incentive, please listen to this episode for the most unhinged inbetween question I've ever heard Ray ask. - Yuki)
Instagram: @mortalcyn99
Twitter: @cynnamonshticks
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap
108 Straight Ahead w/ Rise Up Animation: From X-Games to X-Sheets
This week we are honored to spotlight Rise Up Animation, an organization that offers mentorship and portfolio reviews to burgeoning BIPOC talent. (fun fact: the idea for Straight Ahead was inspired by Rise Up!) To tell us all about this wonderful organization is co-founder and 16-year industry veteran: Frank Abney. We have such a great time chatting with Frank and listening to his wealth of insights into the Industry. We chat about the history of RUA, its goals as an organization, and some common pitfalls of young artists. Mixed into the interview is no shortage of Frank's own experience as both an animator, filmmaker, and black man bringing his voice to his work.
https://www.riseupanimation.org/
Instagram: @riseupanimation
Frank Abney
Instagram: @frankabney
Twitter: @iFrankAbney
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap
107 Straight Ahead w/ Black Card Members: YOU are the protagonist!
This week we are proud to host Black Card Members' founder Celeste C. Black Card Members is a space meant for empowering creatives of color from all backgrounds. They are an online, international-friendly community that provides a safe space for creatives to grow and bond while providing prompts and events to nurture that creativity. Cel chats with us about her background as an event organizer and creative person themselves, and how BCM began as a humble Zine project. We chat about BCM's events and greatest achievements, including the Black Card Gala we partook in a couple years ago! Check out BCM, and consider joining them for the joy of creativity!
Website: https://blackcardmems.org/
Instagram: @blackcardmems
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap
106 Straight Ahead w/ Asian Queens in Animation: A World of Connection
This week we are spotlighting Asian Queens in Animation: an organization dedicated to fostering a community of Asians of underrepresented genders in the animation space. We have the pleasure of talking with co-founders Maansi Sunkara and Shrav Yalsangikar, along with one of their admins, Sanisha Agarwal. We talk about the inception of AQIA, how their built their brand as an organization, and their panel at Lightbox Expo. These achievements are topped by their most successful program, Coffee with a Queen, which pairs-up professionals and those aspiring so they can make real connections.
Instagram: @asianqueensanimation
https://linktr.ee/asianqueensanim
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap
105 Straight Ahead w/ Story For All: Free 1:1 mentorships for BIPOC artists
This week we are joined by the amazing Jim Mortensen (founder of SFA) and Tristan Cabral (Admin of SFA) as we learn all about their amazing program: Story For All! Volunteer-run and completely free to join, SFA is a mentorship program focused on 1:1 mentorship between industry professionals and budding storyboard artists. The organization helps mentors onboard, guide them on how to touch base with mentees, and even how to finish that mentor relationship in case they have a big gig coming up. For the mentees, SFA gets them into a big meeting with all the mentors in order to pair them up with the appropriate board artist that understands what their goals are and who vibes well together. Jim and Tristan also share their stories, and how they both switched out of full careers outside of animation before entering this creative space.
Website: http://storyforall.net
Instagram: @storymentorship
Twitter: @storymentorship
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap
104 Straight Ahead w/ Diverse Toons: Jade Seaberry, Woman of Action!
Kicking off our August Special Speaker series with one of the co-founders of Diverse Toons: Jade Seaberry! Diverse Toons is a East-Coast (USA) based organization and resource dedicated to uplifting diversity in the animation industry. Jade shares the story of how she and Monique Henry-Hudson created Diverse Toons, and how they wanted to foster a community outside of the West coast. We learn more about Jade's own history: forming her own production company, president of Women Against Rape and Sexual Assault, and volunteer for the National Association against Domestic Violence. It all plays so much into the empathy and awareness that guides Diverse Toons' actions. We talk about so many important and amazing things about this wonderful organization, so please check them out!
Website: DiverseToons.com
Instagram: @diversetoons
Twitter: @DiverseToons
Simply Robotix (Monique's podcast!)
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
103 Straight Ahead w/ Joel Zamudio: Release Your Ego
Joel Zamudio is a Location Designer for Disney TVA! We chat about his "first three starts" in animation: working on the Sony Animation's Mitú project, then as a freelance character designer for Shadow Machine, and then again for Disney TVA. Why so many "starts"? Well, we talk about the clarity of losing your ego after graduation, and continuing your education after school to become industry-ready. Joel also tells us about his time working on The Loud House comics, and how that differed from his experience in animation. Joel also talks about Toon Therapy: a shorts channel on Youtube he collaborates on with his friends. If you're not tired of us talking on education yet, Joel shares his unique experience testing for and attending an art-highschool: the Orange County School of the Arts.
Instagram: @joelz_art
Portfolio: www.joelzamudio.com
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
102 Straight Ahead w/ Zharia B Rahn: Big Giant Sheet
Zharia B Rahn is an African-American artist working as a Model Designer for Disney TVA! This means she works on both props and characters, and she shares her workflow with us and how she makes and meets her own work quotas. She also tells about the multi-platform work she and her team does, and how this emerging department has evolved into this fast-paced age of social media. We also chat about her time as an intern for ImagineX: an indie animation collective headed by an upperclassmen of hers from school. Speaking of school, we have a grounded conversation about how art school isn't for everyone, but if you need that structure it can be a good option. In this episode, you are guaranteed to learn about something you've never heard of before!
Instagram: @Ziggora
Twitter: @ziggora
TikTok: @ziggora
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
101 Straight Ahead w/ Isabella Martinez Luna: Loving the Technical Side of 3D
100 Straight Ahead 100th Episode Celebration!
WE ARE CELEBRATING 100 EPISODES! Thank you to everyone who has been following our podcast and giving us a platform to spotlight BIPOC voices. We are so honored to have hit this huge milestone! To celebrate our 100th episode we brought back previous guest that we have had on the podcast. Join us as we catch up with Trilina Mai, Li Cree, Joon Chung, and Rebecca Chan! Also don't forget to support us on ko-fi, every little bit helps! Host Ray Mendoza Landa @raydiosilence Yuki Okamura-Wong @chuudles Guest Trilina Mai @trilinamai Li Cree @li_cree Joon Chung @thejooniverse Rebecca Chan @_rebchan If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
99 Straight Ahead w/ Ashley Tahilan: Championing jokes through Standards & Practices (SNP)
Ash Tahilan is a fil-am artist who grew-up in the melting pot of Hawaii. She shares with us her journey of bumping to a few different studios, each time as a revisionist to ease on to the production before promoting into boards. We chat about her incomparable time on Craig of the Creek, the culture of the production, and her foray into writing a fan-comic for a property she worked on. Ash also has a message for you: Don't Hold Back! Write and draw what you love, show your passion in your work! Hear it in her own words on this week's episode... so what are you waiting for?!
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/onihat
Website: www.onihat.com
Twitch: Ashe_Thistleclaw
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
98 Straight Ahead w/ Sean Yeung: In the Big Leagues
We are joined by young Sean Yeung, a member of the Riot Games champion skins team. He shares his experience going from intern to full-time employee, and the expectations within those positions. He shares his process in developing game animations for work by creating pose sheets, a standard practice in the industry. He also talks about going to Worlds 2022 in San Francisco, and how that really put into perspective the audience that enjoys League of Legends, and sees his work. Sean also shares his humble beginnings, and how the Valve Source Maker and his love of TF2 nurtured a love for animation. Last, but not least, we also talk about his love of producing music, and how that feeds him creatively outside of work.
Website: seanyeung.com
Instagram: @young_sean_yeung
Twitter: @notsoyeung
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
97 Straight Ahead w/ Devin Yang: From Corporate to Concept Artist
Our guest this week is Devin Yang, a Chinese-American Concept Artist currently working in games. After graduating college Devin found a corporate job as a motion graphic artist. However, after two years he decided to take the leap of faith and jump into freelancing before landing a full-time position in video games! Devin credits twitter and his personal project The Witching Hour which garnered him a lot of attention from future clients that really gravitated toward his artistic sensibilities. Finally, Devin mentioned how his queer identity really helped him shape his artistic voice and stand out to potential clients. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed learning about Devin's journey into videos games!
IG: @devinscribbles
Twitter: @devinScribbles
Art Station: https://www.artstation.com/scribblecat
Portfolio: http://devinscribbles.com/
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
96 Straight Ahead w/ Thy Võ: Tutorial>Complete... Career>Start!
Thy Võ is a 2D Animator staffed at Primal Screen. While working on a senior film in school, and despite feeling like her quality of work wasn't the best, her attitude and ability to take critique left an impression on her upperclassman, which lead to a recommendation on her first job. For those of you working on your own films, Thy also talks at length about her team's process on their senior film Tutorial>Skip?, a hilarious ode to JRPGs. We get into the impact of working on a crew with a director who is a person of color on Jelly, Ben & Pogo. From Toonboom Harmony to Esoteric Spine to asset creation, Thy talks about her many different hats she's worn. Speaking of different jobs, Thy also talks about her experience working on corporate motion design work, and the difference between projects and studios when working commercial vs entertainment. If this sounds too dense, don't worry, we also have a blast imagining isekai harems and escaping the HOA by running into the wilderness.
Tik Tok: @Milk_Thy
Instagram: @Milk_Thy
Website: http://thydvo.com
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
95 Straight Ahead w/ Yusra Shahid: A Heritage in Storytelling, and a Heart Full of Wonder
Yusra Shahid is a Background Designer and Painter, who holds her Indian heritage in high respect. Yusra shares her experiences working for A24 on the upcoming "#1 Happy Family USA", and the connection between her South East Asian and Muslim peers on the production. We go back through her time working on a variety of styles, from the child-like "Frog and Toad", to the more modern cartoon adaptation for "Night at the Museum". She shares many nuggets of wisdom, and we all reflect on the struggle of juggling freelance work with full-time work. Yusra also shares her experience attending the University of Hertfordshire in England, a decision she made after researching both American and Canadian schools, and her insatiable hunger to explore and learn more of the arts.
Twitter: @yusrarts
Instagram: @yusrarts
Website: yusra.myportfolio.com
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
94 Straight Ahead w/ Elliot Salgado: Discovering the World of Animatic Editing
Joining us this week is Elliot Salgado a Mexican Assistant Animatic Editor currently working on Big Nate at Nickelodeon! Elliot entered the world of animation as an Intern at Nickelodeon not fully knowing what specfically in animation he wanted to do. His journey then took him to becoming a Production Assistant at DreamWorks where he got the chance to be a part of every part of the pipeline. It was there when he discovered his calling... Animatic Editing! He recounts that is was listening to the conversations between the Animatic Editors and the Directors that really sparked his interest as they talked about storytelling on a grander scale. We also dive into Elliot being a DACA recipient and how it changed his outlook on life. We hope you enjoy this episode and learn more about the different roles in Animation!
IG: @elliollin_
Twitter: @elliollin
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-hs/
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
93 Straight Ahead w/ Amie Sanchez: Hit the Ground Running
Amie Sanchez is a Latina Storyboard Artist working at Nickelodeon. Straight out of school, Amie's first job was actually a full-time storyboard artist. We talk about her lucky break in 2D boarding, and the changes that came with the shift to boarding for a 3D show, Rugrats (2021). We have a candid conversation about having gaps in your education, and ways to fill them when your school doesn't have all the resources you need. Amie also talks about how she connects with her art outside of professional work through fan art and her friend-formed art group: Studio Rana.
Instagram: @ameetoe
Twitter: @ameetoe
Tumblr: ameetoe
Website: https://amiesanchez.wixsite.com/portfolio
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
92 Straight Ahead w/ Michelle Lam: Step by Step
This week's guest is Michelle Lam, story artist and now, graphic novelist! She shares her experiences on so many different productions, and reflects especially fondly upon her time as an Assistant Episodic Director for Tonko House's Oni: a Thunder God's Tale. We also chat at length about her experiences at Cal Arts, how she found her voice, and how that also lead to her many different internships. Michelle also shares her new experience diving into the world of publishing, and working with Penguin House Knopf on Meesh the Bad Demon. Finally, we get the chance to talk a lot about her perspective growing-up Chinese-Cantonese-American, and how that influences her storytelling choices. There's so much wisdom and fun in this episode, don't miss out!
Meesh the Bad Demon: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/667597/meesh-the-bad-demon-1-by-michelle-lam/
Instagram: @mewtripled
website: https://www.mewtripled.com/
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
91 Straight Ahead w/ Najja Porter: Falling Apples
Najja Porter is a half-black, half-white artist working as a supervising director on Craig of the Creek. We talk about her time on a long-running project like Craig (4 years!) and the highs and lows that come with such a unique production. Najja also tells us the whirlwind tale of how she began moving from Tampa, Florida all the way to Los Angeles, California without even a job secured! She tells us all about her experience in the Nickelodeon Artist Program, and how that trained her to be an industry-ready professional. Aside from that, we get to chat about Phoenix Blade, her fantasy collaborative comic with Dashawn Mahone; and her slice of life comic, Falling Apples, an introspective look into her personal life on topics such as being poor, or micro aggression's as a mixed person of color. There's so much packed into this week's episode, so come have a laugh with us!
Instagram: @bloochikin
Twitter: @najja_porter
Tumblr: https://bloochikin.tumblr.com/
Website: http://www.najjaporter.com/
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
90 Straight Ahead w/ Eddie Clark: All You Need is One Good Shot
Meet Eddie Clark, an African American Storyboard Revisionist currently working on The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder! After graduating from SJSU Eddie felt burnt out from school and decided to take a step back from animation. Outside of animation Eddie was heavily involved in theatre and started acting more. His love for acting really strengthened his skills as an animator and story artist. Eventually Eddie came into contact with Bruce W. Smith and the rest is history.
Instagram: @tim3lesz_eddie
Twitter: @eclackanimation
Portfolio: https://www.eclarkanimation.com/
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices.
89 Straight Ahead w/ Harron Atkins: From the Street to the Creek!
Meet Harron Atkins, a black writer currently working freelance. Harron is also an alumni of the Sesame Street Writers Workshop and raves how much that experience helped him in his animation career. One of Harron's most recent gigs was being a Staff Writer for Craig of the Creek! That experience helped him gain a greater appreciation for artist and has helped take the artist into consideration when he writes his scripts. He also hopes to create his own production company to help POC voices tell their own stories. Learn this and a lot more by giving this episode a listen!
IG: @harron_alexander
Twitter: @AtkinsHarron
Website: https://www.harronatkins.com/
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
88 Straight Ahead w/ Corinth Boone: Learning the Industry Standard
Meet Corinth Boone, a black artist from New Jersey who works as a Prop Designer for Cartoon Network! Although she lives in Los Angeles now, Corinth originally had to turn down CN's first offer since she wasn't ready to relocate. That opportunity would have been lost if Corinth didn't follow the #1 rule of job hunting: Always Follow-Up! During her time at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Corinth took a semester off to hone her portfolio and inadvertently did a little growing-up. As a prop designer, she not only draws hand-held props, but also furniture and even effects! So many adventures with Corinth on this week's episode of Straight Ahead!
Website: https://www.corinthboone.art/
Instagram: @heyitscorinth/
Twitter: @heyitscorinth
Peony (webcomic): https://peony.webcomic.ws/
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
87 Straight Ahead w/ Jaylen Tate-Lucas: Suit-up, Robin!
Our guest this week is Jaylen Tate-Lucas a black storyboard artist currently working at Warner Bros. Animation. We talk about what it is like storyboarding on a show like Teen Titans Go! Jaylen also talks about his love for the Horror Genre and how it is inspiring him for his own personal project. We hope you enjoy this episode and find it insightful.
Instagram: @j_t_lucas
Twitter: @jtealucas
Portfolio: https://jtatelucas.com/
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
86 Straight Ahead Season 3 Kickoff!!!
Ray and Yuki are back with Season 3 of the Straight Ahead Animation Podcast! We reflect back on Season 2 by talking about the most played episodes. We also talk about our past 3 years working in the Animation Industry. We finally wrap up by talking about what you should expect in Season 3 of the podcast!
Thank you so much for your continued support and if you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
Ray's Socials-
IG: @raydiosilence
Twitter: @raydiosilence
Yuki's Socials-
IG: @chuudles
Twitter: @chuudles
85 Straight Ahead w/ Da-Hee Im: Choosing The Game Industry Over Feature Animation
Our guest this week is Da-Hee Im, a Korean-American Cinematic Animator currently working at Bungie. Learn what gravitated Da-Hee towards working in the games industry over the animation industry. Learn about the ins and outs between Cinematic Animation for games and Gameplay animation. We also discuss how you should consider every opportunity that comes you way because you never know where it may lead you.
Portfolio: https://www.daheeim.com/
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
84 Straight Ahead w/ Ren Bernal: Starting Over With A Fresh Start
This week we have Ren Bernal a Colombian artist currently working as a Character Designer! His journey has taken him back and forth between Character Design and Storyboards! His most notable projects has been storyboarding the Music Video Electric by Katy Perry for Pokémon's 25th Anniversary. Ren is also currently leading a team in creating an independently produced animated series titled Bit Wars. This project has garnered attention from both smaller and larger studios. Ren also talks about being a DACA recipient and wanting to show that anyone no matter their background can leave a long lasting impact by telling stories that is close to their heart.
Instagram: @ren_dacreator
Bit Wars: https://www.bitwarsofficial.com/
Website: https://elmntren.wixsite.com/my-site-1
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
83 Straight Ahead w/ Nessa Tweneboah: Put fan art in your portfolio!
Nessa Tweneboah is a Black artist working for 6-point harness painting backgrounds! Nessa explains the different roles of the background pipeline including design, paint, and the collaboration that can happen therein. They also talk about their mentorship with Valerie Schwarz, and how that lead to their first break into the industry. We continue on with their work from home experience based in Ohio, and their mistake in juggling school with two different freelance jobs. At the Rhode Island School of Design, they also sought out leadership positions to train their skills with the goal of being an art director or showrunner.
Twitter: @Thepotenpro
Instagram: @nessatwene.art
Website: https://vanessatweneboah.myportfolio.com/
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
82 Straight Ahead w/ Cesilia Gutierrez: From Nursing Student to Professional Artist
81 Straight Ahead w/ The Awesombrosos : One Soul Divided Between Two Bodies
Diego & Sebastián Ramírez Jacinto, AKA the Awesombrosos, are Mexican twins and freelance Vis Dev artists! They share their experience dropping out of college, and changing their mindset from being a student to being unemployed to professional. Find out what motivated them to start creating, how their workflow evolved into a mini pipeline, and how they negotiate being a package deal. Despite their poetic outlook on life, they also have their share of down-to-earth realizations about the industry. Also throughout, feel how these incredible brothers find joy in their own culture, and don't overthink it!
Instagram: @awesombrosos
Twitter: @TheAwesombroso
Website: https://www.theawesombrosos.com/
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
80 Straight Ahead w/ Daniela Rodriguez de la Peña: Learning the Ropes and Sailing the Seas!
Hispanic Heritage Month continues with Daniela Rodriguez de la Peña, a Hispanic Artist currently working as a Storyboard Artist at Nickelodeon! She didn't realize she wanted to do story until her final year of college. From there she honed her craft until she got her first break at Nickelodeon as a Revisionist and has been there ever since! Not too long after being a Revisionist, Daniela was promoted to Storyboard Artist, and recommends that if you have an interest in moving up in your position you need to make sure you express it!
Instagram: @danirodarts
Twitter: @DaniRodArt
Website: danirodart.com
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
79 Straight Ahead w/ Juan Montoya: Working Straight Out of Colombia!
Joining us today straight out of Colombia is Juan Montoya! Juan applied and applied to several job postings until he finally got his start at Awesome Incorporated. We also dive deep on the inner workings of the H-1B Visa and how residency could be achieved. Juan also shares what he enjoys about being a background artist and the little easter eggs he leaves when given the chance. Hope you enjoy as we continue celebrating Hispanic Heritage month!
Instagram: @1montoya
Portfolio: https://www.1montoya.com/
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
78 Straight Ahead w/ Angélica Agélviz: Be the Batman of your own story!
Happy Hispanic Heritage month! We're starting out with the powerful Angélica Agélviz: a story artist from Puerto Rico. Her passion shines through everything she does, as she takes us through what it's like working on bumpers and boards. Angé has had such a full career in a short time: from animating for Adult Swim, to storyboarding for Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, to directing the short film "Nuevo Rico". "Nuevo Rico" and her own project, Netflix Spark Grant recipient "Children of the Antilles", are both in the future indigenism genre, and we talk about the lack of both Latin-American and indigenous peoples in the sci-fi genre. We also have a serious talk about the state of boarding standards in the industry, and maintaining a healthy boundary within it.
Instagram: @angelicaagelviz
Website: angelicaagelviz.com
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
77 Straight Ahead w/ Ruby Wang: visual development for VR, AR, XR, MR... all the R's!
The optimistic Ruby Wang is a Visual Development artist at Skydance Animation. Ruby shares her experience growing-up in Taiwan, absorbing both Japanese and American animation and storytelling. At Flight School Studio she was designing for VR, AR, XR, and MR; and what those different media were like to work on. Ray and Ruby reminisce on their time at Tonko House, and how Dice Tsusumi and Robert Kondo's mentorship changed their art fundamentally. Ruby really gets into the different visas you can have in the USA, the pitfalls therein, and how the shift in our industry as a gig-based economy has made the status of an international worker that much more difficult. Through her preserverance, she has also come to a place where she can work on feature film and children's books like she has always dreamed of.
Instagram: @rubywangart
Website: https://www.rubywang.net/
TonkoCast Intern Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVq2AZ5hupM
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
76 Straight Ahead w/ Karissa Valencia: Go, go, Spirit Rangers!
Rounding out our Special Speaker Series is Karissa Valencia: Executive Producer and Showrunner on Netflix Animation’s “Spirit Rangers”. Karissa shares what it's like being a show-runner for a children's series, how she gathered her all-indigenous writer's room, and the inspiration behind "Spirit Rangers". We also talk about how Karissa's past experience as a production intern led to her being a more mindful writer and well-rounded director. Karissa also takes us through her cultural experience as a multi-cultural Chumash-Mexican, how she connected with fellow native peoples in animation, and how they all brought their unique perspectives to broaden the idea of a modern indigenous family and reclaim the indigenous image from Hollywood. All this and so much more, so plug in to this very succinct and well-spoken episode featuring Karissa Valencia!
Instagram: @karissavalencia__
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
75 Straight Ahead w/ Servan Castillo: Animation to Storyboard, Making the Shift
Servan Castillo got his big break in 2013 as an intern for Titmouse Animation. Dive back with us into Servan's career as an animator, from working on Superjail and the Midnight Gospel, and how he saw the role of the animator evolve in the past decade. We talk about his shifted from animator to storyboard artist, and how even though he has such a rich history in this industry, how he feels green in this new role. We talk about his lucky break working on Vox Machina and Castlevania, and how he overcame that shift. Servan's positive attitude has given him a competitive edge in tackling new challenges like learning 3D programs to aid in storyboarding. So join us as we explore Servan's journey, and all the changes that come with experience.
Instagram: @servankenyu
Twitter: @Kenyu05
LinkedIn: Servan Castillo
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
74 Straight Ahead w/ Grace Han: VFX rigging
Continuing on our Special Speaker Series, Grace Han is a Korean-American working in Montreal, Canada as a rigging artist for the VFX industry. While the VFX and Animation industries are very closely related, and if you rig for 3D animation you can jump between both, we also talk about what's more often expected in VFX vs. Animation for a rigger. From Spiderman to octopi, we talk about what can be more interesting for a rigging artist to tackle, and how artistic flare can be brought into such a technical process. Grace originally went to the Savannah College of Art and Design wanting to do Animation and Storyboarding, but a required rigging class changed that. With a professor's sage words about how stable rigging jobs are, Grace turned to her current profession. We talk about her year break after graduating, and then how she took off another year between jobs without having to worry about her next gig! This and so much more on today's episode of Straight Ahead.
Twitter: @Kurocodile
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!
73 Straight Ahead w/ Jalysa Leva: Prioritizing your People
Starting out strong on our August Speaker series with Jalysa Leva: creator of the PBS kids show Jelly, Ben, and Pogo! We ask Jalysa how JBP first developed, and her journey leading-up to the opportunity for her to pitch a show. Jalysa values community and kindness, backed with her experience as an animation director, hear how she applied these to the production and what seemed to work to benefit the show. We talk about struggling with perfectionism, finding your own cultural connection, and strengthening your voice through art. Outside of animation, Jalysa also shares a bit about her brand, Toto-O, a celebration of fil-am culture, and what a positive impact having media made for your community can be. Please don't miss out on this week's episode as we make it Super Duper!
Instagram: @jalysal
Website: https://jalysaleva.com
Toto-o instagram: @totoo_sarisari_store
Toto-o website: https://totoo.store
If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!