Up & Coming Artists Podcast

Ben and Christian get the opportunity to talk with incredibly talented visual effects artist, compositor, and stereoscopic 3D converter, Kaya Herman! Beyond being a role model for women in the VFX industry, Kaya describes her cinematic influences, her current work at Legend 3D, and how her love of “Frasier” started it all. Kaya provides phenomenal insight into networking, and how she and women around her are changing the industry for the future!

Episode 012 – Hand-Drawn Animation with Cassady Blake-Christo

Starting off the new year is Ben’s conversation with 2D animator, Cassady Blake-Christo! Fueling up at The Kettle in Manhattan Beach, Cassady shares his 90s animation influences, his crazy workload when creating two films at once, and how he wants to expand his work into every avenue animation has to offer! Also, hear Christian tell his comedic proposal story, as well as the exciting plans he and Ben have for the coming year!

From canvas to Photoshop, and from grandparents to anime, Luigi Manese and Sheila Rezaei share their experiences and inspirations in the exciting field of painting! Luigi also provides great advice for illustrators, his growth in digital painting, freelancing for “D&D with High School Students,” and upcoming events for artists to attend and sell their work!

Ben and Christian get the opportunity to hear from their good friend, as well as wedding and lifestyle photographer, Holly Sigafoos! Covering topics from what gear Holly uses on her shoots, to the skills that helped her build a successful business, Holly shares her love of families and doggos through the visual artform of photography.

Starting off with possibly their cheesiest transition to date, Ben and Christian get the opportunity to talk with band director, composer, and creator of the band Good Luck, Ugly!, Mike Alvarez. Mike shares his musical upbringing and how living between two cultures is currently influencing the story for his upcoming musical, “4th Street and Main.”

Ever wondered about the process of glassblowing? Tien Do shares how he fell into the artform on accident, how glass “feels” an artist’s emotional state as they work with it, and how he seeks to combine glassblowing and animation with augmented reality! Tien also gives advice for students in any artistic discipline and how following this advice got him in the newspaper!

Check out Tien’s work on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nin_tien_do_94/

Check out the article Tien was featured in: https://www.ocregister.com/2018/06/28/animation-and-glass-fuse-in-vivid-mind-of-cal-state-fullerton-artist/

Having done animation, storyboarding, visual development, character designs, directing, and comics, Napoleon Chavez is a storyteller who has amassed an incredible body of work in hand-drawn animation! Lots of laughs and CSUF name-dropping are in store as Napoleon shares his filmmaking with Team Totino, and the group project film, “4 Walls and a Roach!”

Check out Napo’s work: http://www.napoleonchavez.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/napoleonchavez_/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drilly812?lang=en

Twitch: https://m.twitch.tv/napovalley/profile

The gang’s all in on this street-side recording with fantastic storyboard artist, Elizabeth Castillo! Hear Liz’s beginning in art, how one class channeled her focus to storyboarding, and how doing the work of pre-production really pays off in making films!

Check out Liz’s work on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/eliza.bethcas/

If you’re interested in storyboarding, Liz gave these suggestions.

Flooby Nooby: http://floobynooby.blogspot.com/

Framed Ink: https://www.amazon.com/Framed-Ink-Drawing-Composition-Storytellers/dp/1933492953

Ben and Christian’s cheesy transitions abound as they share Ben’s conversation with amazing character designer, Joel Zamudio! Joel discusses his early artistic growth at OCSA, his transition from video games to character design for TV animation, and the discovery of his true passion in storytelling. Joel gives incredible advice about where to start in designing your own characters, as well as pitching shows to professional networks like Frederator!

Ever wondered about acting for animation? Jordan Haro shares his experience in voice acting from fan-made “Invader Zim” projects, to the live-action show on Amazon, “Too Old to Die Young.” Haro expresses his passion for the medium, the difference between silly-voices and creating genuine characters, and tips to help anyone who is considering voice acting as a career!