The Production Desk
A podcast about the art of animation production. Behind every animated movie is a production staff holding it together...
Episodes
14 episodes
The Production Desk Coffee Break: What's On Your Desk?
What's actually sitting on an animation production desk? Alexis and Natalie compare desk setups, from minimalist workspaces to the surprisingly difficult art of knowing when you've collected too many toys.
There’s No Crying in Animation Production with Kristine Magat Douglas, LCSW, MPH
Alexis and Natalie welcome therapist Kristine Magat Douglas, LCSW, MPH, to unpack our collective animation production baggage. We dive into burnout, unemployment shame, crying on the job, global stress, work anxiety and more! It’s fun, we swear...
Inside Walt Disney Animation Studios with Elise Scanlan: Production, Passion Projects, and Creative Side Quests
Our guest, Elise Scanlan, Production Supervisor at Walt Disney Animation Studios, joins us with stories from her work on many Disney films, including the Oscar nominated Zootopia 2. She also talks to us about her creative side quests including ...
The Production Desk Coffee Break: Nobody Wants Your Germs
This week we’re sharing a mini coffee break episode to discuss our feelings on working while sick (Spoiler: just stay home)
A Career in Animation Production: Emily Wilson from Pixar’s Oscar-nominated Elio
Alexis and Natalie talk to Emily Wilson about her unconventional path to Pixar, the key soft skills in animation production management, and the very serious business of perfecting an alien drink in ELIO. Plus, Alexis reveals the extremely impor...
From Animation Production Trenches to Creative Executive: Kevin Noel's Journey
Alexis and Natalie chat with Kevin Noel about his journey from production to creative exec, share what animation executives actually do day-to-day, and reveal the story behind Natalie’s “Taco Bell” nickname.
Managing Multiple Projects with Producer Steph Gortz, from Oscar Nominated Forevergreen
In this episode, our guest Steph Gortz breaks down the technical aspects of animation, and shares how she balanced working full-time on Disney’s Oscar Nominated ZOOTOPIA 2 as a production supervisor while producing a short film in her off hours...
The Production Desk Coffee Break: Kitchen Rules
For this snack break, we decided to take it to the rule-laden work kitchen.
The Production Desk Coffee Break: Job Hunting
In this bite-sized mini episode, Alexis and Natalie share four strategies for animation job hunters that don’t involve selling photos of your feet online.
Behind KPop Demon Hunters with Production Manager Brett Salinas
Alexis and Natalie talk with Brett about soft skills in production management, his favorite moments working on KPOP DEMON HUNTERS, and his connection to some famous feet in Titanic.
GOAT Director Tyree Dillihay On The Unsung Heroes Of Animation
GOAT director Tyree Dillihay says production crews are the unsung heroes of animation, and we agree!This week, Alexis and Natalie discuss working with feature animation directors and revisit their conversation with Tyree at LightBox.&nb...
Animation Production 101
What even is animation production? Alexis and Natalie discuss the roles and importance of production staff with a little help from some friends at LightBox Expo. A huge thank you to Alex Baskin, Troy Collins, Will Coyner, Wendell Da...