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During this conversation, there was a lot of discussion around specialized knowledge of making games vs being a generalist. It seems in AAA titles, hyper-specialization is key. Bobby is then asked if being a generalist will ever make a comeback.

Piggy Backing off the question of juniors needing to know programming, Brent asks Bobby what the minimum technical skill set required would be for game animators.

We had a question during our conversation with Bobby Anguelov if Junior Game Animators should know how to program. Bobby didn't think so but then goes on to explain what would be helpful for Junior Game Animators to know when entering the industry.

No, We're not talking about parent constraints in Maya. When it comes to animation and video games, giving yourself boundaries to work within can force creativity and imagination, giving you an amazingly artistic finished product. Listen to the team discuss this further.

Bobby and Brent are huge advocates of understanding other departments within the studio. You should listen to this if you want to become a favoured member of your team ;)

There's a lot of good that came from everyone being forced to work remotely. In this clip, Bobby discusses the downside of remote work and his personal experience.

Bobby Anguelov is a technical architect/principal programmer working in the video game industry. His core areas of expertise are Animation, AI, gameplay, and core engine tech. He’s spent 10 years in the industry working with some big-name studios such as Ubisoft and WB Games Montreal. Bobby also has a Youtube channel where he teaches animation programming basics and Game Engine Entity Models. In this conversation, we’ll discuss Bobby’s love for animation programming, the future of AI, and the gaming industry!If you'd like to watch this episode you can find it here.Also, check out Agora.Community for daily content, free rigs, and assets, and order an animation review from one of our industry experts:https://www.agora.communityThanks for listening!

In our Q&A with Dan Root, a member in chat wants to know where can they learn 2DFX and where is a good place to get feedback. Dan tells all!

Dan has had great success with his videos, and in this clip he answers a question on how he learned what worked when creating content for YouTube, and also some great free resources to use! Happy Creating!

In this clip, David, Brent, and Dan talk about the importance of being able to "feel" the animation in games. A very good clip to listen to if you want to get into game animation and stand out above the rest!

Dan is a freelancer, teacher, and YouTuber! That's a lot of plates to keep spinning. It's a good thing that each of these things fuels one another. If you want to take on a side project, or if you already have one, this is a good motivational boost to keep you going!

A lot of our guests talk about learning to scrap your animation and start over. Dan talks about his experiences and why it's so important to be able to learn this lesson early on in your career.

If someone wants to learn game design/game development and make it their career, where's a good place to start? Dan and the gang give their thoughts.

In our next "A Conversation With" episode, we'll be sitting down and having a chat with Dan Root. Dan is a 2D animator based in Norwich, England. Being an avid animator and gamer at heart, Dan draws his inspiration from those good old classic 8 & 16-bit gaming eras. He also runs his own Youtube Channel dedicated to studying the craft of animation in video games called "Video Game Animation Study". In this conversation, we'll discuss Dan's love of animation and his pool of inspiration, his decision to create a Youtube channel dedicated to helping others learn the craft of game animation, and his process of coming up with video ideas.If you'd like to watch this episode you can find it here.Also, check out Agora.Community for daily content, free rigs, and assets, and order an animation review from one of our industry experts:https://www.agora.communityThanks for listening!

In this clip, Pierre recounts the time he heard Spielberg talk about his fear every time he starts a new project, and also his own experiences when taking on the task of bringing a film from start to finish!

In this clip with Pierre Perefil, he talks about the transition from 2d to 3d animation, Dreamworks' proprietary software, and how it was quite so easy for a non native English speaker to decipher what the controls were for!

This is a great clip to listen to if you want to be a lead, but feel your skill level might not quite be there yet. Do you actually need to be a good animator to be a lead?

Being a director, or a supervisor...you have a lot going on at one time. It's easy to forget about the people that are getting the work done. Being a good supervisor means recognising people's actions and telling them that you appreciate it.

In this clip, Pierre and the team talk about how to receive feedback on your work, and how it's not a personal attack.

In this clip, the gang talk with Pierre Perifel about becoming a supervisor, and the qualities of being a good one.

Have a listen to Pierre's experiences with imposter syndrome and how he overcomes it.

Pierre Perifel is our next guest on 'A Conversation With'. A French filmmaker and animator, best known for his work at DreamWorks Animation, he is the director of The Bad Guys (2022) and the award-winning short films Bilby and Le Building. Pierre moved to the United States in 2008 where he began his career with Dreamworks Animation doing character animation for the 2D short film, Secrets of the Furious Five, for which he won an Annie Award.If you'd like to watch this episode you can find it here.Also, check out Agora.Community for daily content, free rigs, and assets, and order an animation review from one of our industry experts:https://www.agora.communityThanks for listening!

It's easy to feel like we're just cogs in the wheel of the animation turnstile of life. But this little anecdote from Olivier could help motivate you to keep putting your best foot forward, make suggestions, and try something new!

It's hard, we know, but listen to this clip with Olivier to hear about how he got out of his comfort zone and what it means for your career!

This clip is proof that everyone, even Heads Of Character Animation suffer from the dreaded imposter syndrome. Listen to this clip if you need some re-assurance that you're not alone.

In this short clip, Olivier talks about his desire of jumping into the unknown and how much it can help your career!

In this conversation, we’ll be catching up with Olivier Staphylas, who has recently finished up working on Wish Dragon as Animation Director. Olivier finished top of his class at Gobelins and the next day found himself in a Parisian restaurant with a job offer from Dreamworks and within the matter of one film was promoted to Supervising Animator.If you'd like to watch this episode you can find it here.Also, check out Agora.Community for daily content, free rigs, and assets, and order an animation review from one of our industry experts:https://www.agora.communityThanks for listening!

Movies can be very cookie cutter and follow the same formula. But, in order to create something new and great, risks need to be taken!

Kirby Atkins wrote a great film, and has sold multiple scripts himself. If you want to sell your own script, you might get some great advice from this clip.

Music is a very, very important piece of the puzzle when it comes to film making. If you want to make your scores more dramatic, listen to this piece of advice from Kirby Atkins.

Creating a film, piece of animation, or any piece of art, there’s going to be a time when you need to stop and put it into the world. Kirby talks about knowing when it’s time to stop.

In our Q&A, Kirby was asked for advice on how to write a great script. Budding scriptwriters, might be a good one to listen to!

Kirby had some amazing philosophies in this conversation and one of our watchers asked him, what books do you read? If you want a list of great books to add to your shelf, or movies to be inspired by, this clip has them.

In this ‘Conversation With’ episode, we sit down to have a chat with Kirby Atkins. Kirby has had a wide range of experiences in the film industry from being an animator to screenwriter, to eventually writing and directing his own film, ‘Mosley’. He is now Head of Development and Director at Brazen Animation. To see more of Kirby's work, check out his website www.kirbyatkins.com. In our chat, we discuss Kirby’s ability to wear so many different hats, the joys and challenges of writing and directing your own film, and the transition into being head of development! Don’t miss this one if you dream of one day directing your own film!If you'd like to watch this episode you can find it here:https://youtu.be/YZQhANvizZUAlso, check out Agora.Community for daily content, free rigs, and assets, and order an animation review from one of our industry experts:https://www.agora.communityThanks for listening!

Building anticipation and then having a great pay off makes the difference between an amazing story and not so amazing. Here the team discuss with Kirby Atkins how he creates anticipation in story.

There’s a certain chaos that can be involved in living as a creative artist. If you need some motivation, listen to this!

David repeats a topic that came up in a Q&A, what happens when a director tells an animator that what they wanted was exactly what the animator had before his lead asked him to change it. With Dave’s colorful language, how would he handle the situation…you may be surprised.

Dave gets askes how does he stay motivated to be creative. He’s simple answer, his mortgage. But he has more to say!

David asks Dave where he thinks the industry is heading in terms of production and distribution. Looking to stay on top of the game, have a listen to this clip to see where Dave thinks the industry is heading.

Pitching a story and getting some interest in it from a production house is a huge deal. But what if you don’t think they company will be able to live up to the visual style of the project? Do you walk away and miss out on getting your name out there?

Dave might not be the best person to ask this question, but he gives it the best answer he can!

Dave gets asked from the audience what advice he’d give to an aspiring female director. It’s the same advice he’d give to anyone, have a listen and find out!

Creating your own short film can be a nerve-wracking experience, and you may not hold all the strings. In this short clip, Dave Mullins but staying receptive.

How does Dave Mullins develop his stories? Does he start to develop characters first and then figure out the story, or does he have story idea in mind that he uses to start filling in the blanks?

Dave talks about how he felt when it came to creating pitches for his Short Film Lou, and what made him feel motivated, and what didn’t!

When Dave Mullins started in the industry…he had some growing up to do! The gang talk about his experiences in self improvement.

Our next conversation is with Dave Mullins. Dave has spent a vast majority of his career at Pixar, growing into the role of Animating Director on films ‘Up’ as well as Supervising Animator on Cars 2 and The Incredibles 2. He was also the brainchild and director behind Pixar’s Academy Award nominated short film, Lou. He is now currently working on Pixar’s upcoming T.V. series ‘Dug Days’. In this conversation, we’ll discuss his move into one of the most influential animation studios of all time, the journey of having a short film greenlit through to its release day, the Pixar culture, and how the rise of streaming services has impacted the animation industry.If you'd like to watch this episode you can find it here:https://youtu.be/UPRS2KI9ZBcAlso, check out Agora.Community for daily content, free rigs, and assets, and order an animation review from one of our industry experts:https://www.agora.communityThanks for listening!

A question we like to ask our guests from time to time! This question stumps Dave, because he’s answered it before, but forgot what he said!

Similar to “Do Studios Get Sick Of Seeing The Same Rigs”, is it recommended to use rigs from well know movies or will your animation just be compared to the real thing? David & Brent give their thoughts.

With so many awesome free rigs getting released, would studios ever get sick of seeing the same rig used in the same way?