The Animator’s Friend – Details, episodes & analysis

This month, The Animator's Friend is joined by the self-proclaimed Animator's Friend's Friend Josh Pilch. Josh is an animator at Augenblick Studios and has worked on such projects as City Island and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. He has his own improv podcast Big Town Improv which can be found on all major podcast platforms. This lively conversation leaves listeners wondering... is Josh brat? Is Josh a bully? Was Josh really raised amish? You be the judge!

Links to points of discussion:

• City Island (show)
• Bagel Villa (Brooklyn bakery)
• The Animator's Playlist
• Tigre (Manhattan bar)
• Bruce Blitz

The Animator's Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an animation educator at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In this new series, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for lighthearted and unexpected conversation.

Credits:

• Recorded and edited by India Lombardi-Bello
• Produced in part with facilities provided by SVA MFA Computer Arts
• Music by Crankin' Cloutmeyer Evans
• Design and branding by Sawyer Rippon
• Special thanks to Darren Santa Maria, Lisa LaBracio, my parents Lisa Lombardi-Bello and Mick Bello, and Josh for helping me move my couch.

The Animator's Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an animation educator at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In this new podcast, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for lighthearted and unexpected conversation.

In this episode, India sits down with director and educator Lisa LaBracio to discuss their shared Italian heritage, social norms, failure, chocolate, and Animation Speak/Easy.  Among other things!

Links to points of discussion:

• Anne Beal
• John Morena
• Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days by Regina Pessoa
• Tragic story with a Happy ending by Regina Pessoa
• Feet of Song by Erica Russell
• Neighbors by Norm McLaren
• Song Exploder
• The Animator's Friend's playlist heh

Credits:

• Recorded and edited by India Lombardi-Bello
• Produced in part with facilities provided by SVA MFA Computer Arts
• Music by Crankin' Cloutmeyer Evans
• Design and branding by Sawyer Rippon

• Special thanks to Ethan Kaplan, Michael Dondero, Adam Meyers, Lisa Lombardi-Bello, and Mick Bello

Welcome to the inaugural episode of "The Animator's Friend," hosted by India Lombardi Bello, an animation educator at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In this new podcast, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for lighthearted and unexpected conversation.

In this episode, India sits down with Kristie Kish, an Emmy-nominated director, producer, animato, motion designer, and entrepreneur known for her work with Nat Geo Wild, Sci-Fi, and Nickelodeon.

Join India and Kristie for a candid and entertaining discussion that goes beyond the technicalities of animation, offering a glimpse into the personalities and passions that drive this vibrant industry. Whether you're an aspiring animator or simply curious about the world of animation, this episode promises to inspire and engage.

Links to points of discussion:

• Kristie's film The Lonely Island
• Mother's Milk
• Walla Walla Movie Crush
• Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology
• Animation Speak/Easy
• @24memespersecond
• Throat Notes
• Peter Millard
• Eric
• Big Mouth
• SVA MFA Computer Arts

Credits:

• Recorded and edited by India Lombardi-Bello
• Produced in part with facilities provided by SVA MFA Computer Arts
• Music by Crankin' Cloutmeyer Evans
• Design and branding by Sawyer Rippon

• Special thanks to my parents, Mick Bello and Lisa Lombardi-Bello, Sam Gray, Darren Santa Maria, Bethia Feldman, Koner and Kaitlin Olcott, Lotte Marie Allen, Michael Dondero, Lila Milgrom, and Misha Savage

   

In the interest of making new friends while attending Animafest Zagreb this year, I hung out at the festival picnic to record some impromptu conversations. This feels especially meaningful since Animafest is where I got the idea for the podcast this time last year! I was graciously joined by Sawyer Rippon, designer of the TAF logo, to chat with some new buds about Animafest's programming, frogs, and the beauty of the animation community with guests.

Links to points of discussion:

• Sawyer's website
• Sawyer's Instagram
• Animafest Zagreb
• Bratislava Academy of Performing Arts
• Alina Koroleva's website
• Alina Koroleva's Instagram
• Estonian Academy of Arts
• Power Rangers Time Force on Tubi
• Yiyang Sun's website
• Yiyang Sun's Instagram
• @rs92221 on Instagram
• A Night at the Rest Area by Saki Muramoto trailer
• Ode to Perfume by Maxim Litvinov trailer
• Rise & Shine
• Animateka International Animation Festival
• Kaboom Animation Festival
• The Animator's Animations
• The Animator's Favorites
• The Animator's Friend on Instagram

The Animator's Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an animation educator at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In this new series, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for lighthearted and unexpected conversation.

Credits:

• Recorded and edited by India Lombardi-Bello
• Co-host Sawyer Rippon
• Produced in part with facilities provided by SVA MFA Computer Arts
• Travel support provided by Animafest Zagreb and SVA MFA Computer Arts
• Music by Cloutmeyer
• Design by Sawyer Rippon
• Special thanks to Ash Suh for talking about recording at animation festivals with me; either Britt Raes or Tracy Liu for talking about recording specifically at the festival picnics with me; my mom and dad Lisa Lombardi-Bello and Mick Bello; Darren Santa Maria.

Listen to my chat with my two favorite Annecy Achievers Michael Dondero and Shengnan Dong, whose film Nostril has been programmed into Annecy International Animation Festivals 2025's WTF Block!  If you are going to Annecy, book your ticket for one of the WTF blocks ASAP or rush day of!

Links to points of discussion:

• Nostril's website
• Michael Dondero's website
• Michael Dondero's Instagram
• Shengnan Dong's website
• Shengnan Dong's Instagram
• Annecy International Animation Festival
• The Animator's Animations
• The Animator's Favorites
• The Animator's Playlist
• Walla Walla Movie Crush
• Lost Signal Society (Michael's podcast)
• Woodstock Film Festival
• Blender
• The Animator's Friend on Instagram

The Animator's Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an animation educator at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In this new series, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for lighthearted and unexpected conversation.

Credits:

• Recorded and edited by India Lombardi-Bello
• Produced in part with facilities provided by SVA MFA Computer Arts
• Music by Cloutmeyer
• Design by Sawyer Rippon
• Special thanks to my mom and dad Lisa Lombardi-Bello and Mick Bello; Malt Adult and Sarah Schmidt; Darren Santa Maria

Two episodes in one month!? Don't get used to it!... yet.

Brent Sievers was in NYC a few weeks ago to receive a Webby for his show The Land of Boggs, becoming the podcast's first Angelino; allaying any blind East Coast/West Coast allegiances with his holistic perspective on the bites, the vibes, and the views.

Links to points of discussion:

• Land of Boggs on Instagram
• Brent's Instagram
• The Divide
• Caleb Wood's website
• The Animator's Favorites
• Los Tacos No. 1
• Vidiots
• The Animator's Animations
• The Animator's Playlist
• The Animator's Friend on Instagram

The Animator's Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an animation educator at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In this new series, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for lighthearted and unexpected conversation.

Credits:

• Recorded and edited by India Lombardi-Bello
• Produced in part with facilities provided by SVA MFA Computer Arts
• Music by Cloutmeyer
• Design by Sawyer Rippon
• Special thanks to Lisa Lombardi-Bello, Mick Bello, and Darren Santa Maria

The Animator's Friend reaches Unc Status by having Jasper Lin on the show. In our chat, Jasper does everything in his power to get us both canceled by crowning me the Joe Rogan of Animation, starting animation beef with Oscar winners, and attempting to settle multiple disputes with me on mic. 

Jasper is an animator, computer artist, and educator. His work ranges from narrative short films to experimental video and sound pieces, but his interdisciplinary background and DIY work ethic have led him to fill a wide variety of roles in production, design, and academia.  Jasper received an MFA in Computer Art from the School of Visual Arts in 2011 and is an Assistant Professor of Digital Art and Design at Queensborough Community College.  His most recent film The Misprint is now available to stream on Youtube.

Links to points of discussion:

• Jasper's webiste
• The Misprint
• Aid distribution in Gaza via Stephanie H. Shih
• Trans Relocation Support Western Mass
• Immigration Bond Freedom Fund
• Jasper's Youtube
• Jasper's Instagram
• Nicole Otaola on The Animator's Friend
• Westside Tavern
• @there_i_ruined_it on Instagram
• WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko trailer
• IFC Center
• SVA Faculty United: SVA FAC - UAW
• Zohran for New York City
• Kurt Vonnegut quote on Humanism
• The Animator's Playlist
• The Animator's Friend on Instagram

Credits:

• Recorded and edited by India Lombardi-Bello
• Produced in part with facilities provided by SVA MFA Computer Arts
• Music by Crankin' Cloutmeyer Evans
• Design and branding by Sawyer Rippon
• Special thanks to Lisa Lombardi-Bello and Mick Bello, Darren Santa Maria, Jack Meisterich, Andres Salazar, Jose Vargas, Michael Dondero, Adam Meyers, and Rebecca Huang

Sit poolside with me and Nicole Otaola as we discuss pauses, pivots, persistence, politics, and Jurassic Park. 

Nicole is an artist and filmmaker currently based in Miami, FL.  She is a recent graduate of the BFA Animation Program at the School of Visual Arts.  She is an animation generalist, previously at Augenblick Studios - clients including PBS, Netflix, Irony Point, G-Fuel, Toei Animation, and Expensify.  More recently, she worked on City Island PBS Kids as a Production Coordinator.  In addition to animating, illustrating, storyboarding, and compositing, she also likes to make tunes.

Links to points of discussion:

• Nicole's Instagram
• City Island
• Miami-Dade Public Library System
• Josh Pilch on the Animator's Friend
• The Animator's Favorites
• The Animator's Animations
• My Neighbor Totoro Fox Dub
• The Animator's Playlist
• The Animator's Friend on Instagram

The Animator's Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an animation educator at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In this new series, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for lighthearted and unexpected conversation.

Credits:

• Recorded and edited by India Lombardi-Bello
• Produced in part with facilities provided by SVA MFA Computer Arts
• Music by Crankin' Cloutmeyer Evans
• Design and branding by Sawyer Rippon
• Special thanks to Sam Lee for introducing me to Nicole, Lisa Lombardi-Bello and Mick Bello, Ro and Scott Hornak, and Kylie Mitchell

I think the theme of my chat with Anne is BALANCE: the balance between creative desires; improvisation and planning; nature and opportunity; perfection and imperfection; Alice in Wonderland and Scar; the artist and the critic. The deep sea angler fish serves as a sublime enactment of this search for harmony.

Anne Beal is an award-winning animation filmmaker and multimedia artist whose work merges experimental animation, painting, and sound. Informed by her musical training, she embraces the intuitive elements of cinematic language.

Links to points of discussion:

• Anne's Patreon
• The Animator's Friend on Instagram
• The Animator's Playlist
• Oliver Burkeman's 70% Rule
• Girls Night Out by Joanna Quinn
• Rocks In My Pockets by Signe Baumane
• Consuming Spirits by Chris Sullivan

The Animator's Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an animation educator at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In this new series, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for lighthearted and unexpected conversation.

Credits:

• Recorded and edited by India Lombardi-Bello
• Produced in part with facilities provided by SVA MFA Computer Arts
• Music by Crankin' Cloutmeyer Evans
• Interstitial music from guitarmaster on freesound.org
• Design and branding by Sawyer Rippon
• Special thanks to Vinay Nandargi, Lisa Labracio, Michael Dondero, Kristie Kish, Darren Santa Maria, Rebecca Huang, my mom and dad Lisa Lombardi-Bello and Mick Bello, Nikolas Fortune Hagen, and Ro and Scott Hornak

This month, I made a new friend! John Morena joined me to talk all the most taboo topics: religion, and the tristate pizza wars.

Morena is a Bronx-born animator and art director, currently living in Brooklyn.  His films have been selected by such prestigious festivals Annecy, Ottawa, Hiroshima, Anima Mundi, Animafest Zagreb, and the International Children's Festival. He is currently working on an anthology piece Films for No One which you can keep stay up-to-date with on Instagram.

Links to points of discussion:

• Di Fara Pizza
• Creepshow 2
• Animation Speak/Easy
• Alphabet by David Lynch
• I'm Okay by Elizabeth Hobbs
• Martina Scarpelli
• Area 52 by John Morena
• 25 Ways to Quit Smoking by Bill Plympton
• Your Face by Bill Plympton
• Beauty in the Grime: An Interview with Independent Animator John Morena by ASIFA-East

The Animator's Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an animation educator at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In this new series, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for lighthearted and unexpected conversation.

Credits:

• Recorded and edited by India Lombardi-Bello
• Produced in part with facilities provided by SVA MFA Computer Arts
• Music by Crankin' Cloutmeyer Evans
• Design and branding by Sawyer Rippon
• Special thanks to Lisa LaBracio for recommending John Morena, Jose Vargas, Michael Dondero, and Nikolas Fortune Hagen