Why Motion Designers Are Having a Moment — with Adobe’s Michael Tanzillo
From pouring drinks to lighting shots at Blue Sky to leading Adobe’s Substance 3D team, Michael Tanzillo’s professional path is anything but typical and his story is packed with lessons motion designers need to hear. Check out the corresponding blog post here: www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/adobe-michael-tanzillo In this episode of the School of Motion Podcast, EJ Hassenfratz sits down with Michael to talk about the state of 3D, why motion designers are impressing major animation studios, and how foundational skills (like lighting and storytelling) will outlast any software trend. 🗒️ SHOW NOTES Michael Tanzillo https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeltanzillo/ The 3D Artist Newesletter https://3dartist.substack.com/ Jasmine Katadakarn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmine-katatikarn/ Alwyn Hunt https://www.therookies.co/about/team/alwyn-hunt Andrew Kramer https://www.videocopilot.net/contact/company/ Sebastian Deguy https://x.com/sebdeguy?lang=en Nick Campbell https://nickvegas.com/ Connor Henkle https://vimeo.com/996490291?fl=pl&fe=ti&pgroup=plv Connor Henkle on SOM podcast https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/connor-henkle-sports-design Patrick Foley https://www.instagram.com/patrick_4d/ Colosseum https://colosseum.co/ Winbush https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmzWP6o2cw73moEF7LO_KvA PJ Richardson https://www.pj-richardson.com/ Victoria Nece https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-nece Sora https://openai.com/sora/ Midjourney https://www.midjourney.com Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/ Substance 3D stager https://www.adobe.com/products/substance3d/apps/stager.html Omniverse https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/omniverse/ Structure reference tool https://www.adobe.com/learn/firefly/web/generative-ai-structure-reference-image?learnIn=1&locale=en USD (Universal Scene Description) https://3dartist.substack.com/p/demystifying-usd Blue Sky App https://bsky.app/ NAB Conference https://www.nabshow.com/ Safe Space LA https://www.safe-space-la.com/ Camp Mograph https://www.campmograph.com/ Blue Sky Studios https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Sky_Studios Pixar https://www.pixar.com/ 20th Century Studios https://www.20thcenturystudios.com/ Disney https://www.disney.com/ The Mill https://www.themill.com/ Frame Store https://www.framestore.com/ Buck http://buck.tv/ Finding Nemo https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266543/ Ice Age Three https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1080016/ Rio https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1436562/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1 Peanuts Movie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2452042/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1 Nimona https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19500164/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1 Spider-Verse https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4633694/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_7_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_spider-man Game of Thrones https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944947/ Severance https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11280740/ Flow https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4772188/ Wild Robot https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29623480/ The Whale https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13833688/ SCAD https://www.scad.edu/ Cinema 4D https://www.maxon.net/en/cinema-4d?srsltid=AfmBOoqj346c50q5PODG-_HTeZ017JdipbkaQRt_XDIX0NBHsGV7Mu-z Maya https://www.autodesk.com/products/maya/overview V-ray https://www.chaos.com/vray?srsltid=AfmBOoogC_jTWraDUnBTjNhG0pkAZ9csF4CO_mtNstdVflJtvuZ4zWju Redshift https://www.maxon.net/en/redshift?srsltid=AfmBOoo_siCAT_UUp0clTp4nqupkBj5b8zl9tVbL_q_9s4rSApkihGbo ZBrush https://www.maxon.net/en/zbrush?srsltid=AfmBOoo3KatuGEWJE2rr4ztpt3_DJlV7Wbz0dxzl1sY2pzACcpzxdeMI Blender https://www.blender.org/ Lightroom https://lightroom.adobe.com/ Substance Painter https://www.adobe.com/products/substance3d.html Substance Viewer https://helpx.adobe.com/substance-3d-viewer.html Project Neo https://helpx.adobe.com/project-neo/help/overview.html Mixamo https://www.mixamo.com/ Firefly https://www.adobe.com/products/firefly.html Unreal Engine https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US Mega Scans https://quixel.com/megascans
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Nikola Wonder Dynamics
In the sea of surface-level chatter about AI and filmmaking, Nikola Todorovic is saying the quiet part out loud—and it’s the stuff creative pros actually need to hear. Check out the corresponding blog post with our key takeaways here: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/wonder-dynamics As Co-Founder and CEO of Wonder Dynamics, Nikola helped build Flow Studio, an AI-powered platform that lets small teams create VFX-rich productions without VFX-rich budgets. The work was so forward-thinking that Autodesk acquired Wonder Dynamics in 2024, folding it into their growing cloud-based creative suite. But this conversation goes way deeper than “AI saves time.” It’s about what happens to artistry when the tools start doing more than just accelerating workflows—and how indie filmmakers, animators, and motion designers can harness that shift without getting swept away by hype.
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Why Moonvalley's Approach to AI Video Makes Sense
Most AI video companies are gambling with copyright law. Moonvalley made a different bet. Check out the corresponding blog post with highlights here: http://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/mo... Real talk: Most AI video companies are doing it wrong.They scrape everything they can get their hands on – YouTube, Vimeo, whatever – and feed it into their models. The results? Tools like Sora and Gemini are genuinely impressive. The quality is getting scary good. But here's the rub: Video producers are using these tools to create content that's trained on copyrighted work, while the original artists who made it all possible get zero credit or compensation. It's basically profiting off someone else's creativity without asking permission. But what if there was a better way? What if AI could actually make creators more powerful instead of making them obsolete?That's exactly what Naeem Talukdar, founder of Moonvalley, is betting on. And after listening to him break down his approach on the latest School of Motion podcast, we're convinced he might be onto something big.
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Sarah Beth Morgan Gets Real About Parenthood, Career Crisis & Her New Podcast
Sarah Beth Morgan, illustrator and School of Motion instructor, joins Joey to dish about the real stuff: moving across the country, having a baby, and navigating the ever-changing animation industry. See the corresponding blog post here: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/sarah-beth-morgan Since her last appearance on the SOM Podcast, she's moved across the country, had a baby (a delightful two-year-old egg enthusiast named Arty), and launched a narrative podcast called Ghost Frame while navigating what she describes as a "career crisis" in today's evolving animation landscape.In this conversation with Joey, Sarah Beth opens up about how parenthood has surprisingly benefited her creative work, her experiments with murals and local art, taking social media breaks, and her thoughts on the current "malaise" affecting the 2D animation industry. -- Check out Sarah Beth's SOM course, Illustration for Motion https://www.schoolofmotion.com/courses/illustration-for-motion In Illustration for Motion you'll learn the foundations of modern illustration from Sarah Beth Morgan. You’ll discover a range of illustrative styles through mock client briefs meant to mimic jobs found in the real world. By the end of the course, you'll be equipped to create incredible illustrated works of art that you can use in your animation projects right away.
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Mack Garrison, Dash Studio, and Building Creative Community
Joey recently caught up with the main dude behind Dash Studio, Mack Garrison, for an episode of the School of Motion podcast that's creative rocket fuel. These two industry veterans dive into everything from bizarre career plot twists to throwing killer community events and surviving the AI apocalypse. It's a dive into how to thrive as a creative when the entire industry seems to be transforming at warp speed. Check out the corresponding blog post here: www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/mack-garrison-dash-studio
The #1 podcast for designers who animate, animators who design, and anyone who is 3D-curious. We interview Designers, Animators, 3D Artists, Producers, Studio Owners and other folks related to motion design and creativity. We get deep into the geeky world of Adobe After Effects, Cinema 4D, Photoshop and Illustrator. We talk about the business and art of Motion Design. Dig in.
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