Basic Brainheart

JARED BUSH (Screenwriter) is responsible for helping to develop and shape character personalities and overall story for “Moana.” Bush is also co-creator, executive producer and writer for Disney XD's animated comedy adventure series "Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero." He also helped develop the Oscar®-winning features "Big Hero 6" and "Frozen," and served as a screenwriter and co-director for this years hit feature “Zootopia.” Bush, who began his career as a script reader for Academy Award®-winning director Robert Zemeckis, worked as a staff writer on the series "Baby Bob," starring Adam Arkin and Elliott Gould. Bush added producing to his repertoire, serving as executive story editor and co-producer of Will Smith's series "All of Us." Bush has developed original television series for Revolution Studios, Fox and NBC, and feature film projects for New Line Cinema, Columbia/Tristar and 20th Century Fox.  A Harvard University graduate with a degree in English and American literature, Bush is an avid traveler who h

"Living your dream is a marathon and not a sprint." Actor Carmen Nikae (carmennikae.com) holds a graduate degree in theater studies and is pursuing the acting life in NYC. We took a deep dive into what it looks like to go after your dream full time - the ups and downs, audition triumphs and fails and so much more. Music courtesy of bensound.com Basic Brainheart: Twitter @basicbrainheart Instagram @hannah_camacho Facebook (search Basic Brainheart)

His IMDB bio packs a punch: "Daniel Powell is a producer and production manager, known for Inside Amy Schumer (2013), The Daily Show (1996) and The Colbert Report (2005)." Dan has had an impressive run with Comedy Central for years and has used the power of hard work (and a little luck) to secure an impressive list of production credits. Not only is he a badass in the entertainment space, he's an all-around nice guy. I think you'll enjoy hearing his story and what he's learned so far on his creative journey. You can find Daniel on Twitter here: @danieljpowell Music courtesy of BenSound.com

Animator and artist Leah Artwick (How to Train Your Dragon the series, Trollhunters, Word Girl, etc) has garnered quite the following on social media. Her pinup girls celebrate body positivity. I caught up with her about what to do when burnout happens, social media and all things creativity. You can find Leah: http://leahartwick.com/ @itsleahelaine Music courtesy of bensound.com

Jessica Daniels is an emmy-winning casting director. She's warm, genuine and confident in her craft. We enjoyed a lovely conversation spanning her life and career and she generously shared tips for actors who are pounding the pavement and working toward their big break. Some of her notable placements have been: MIchael Sheen, Paul Giamatti, Bryan Cranston and Titus Burgess in 30 Rock. A Young Eddie Huang in Fresh off the Boat- Hudson Yang. She recently cast Chante Adams in her first film role right out of college - as the lead in Roxanne Roxanne. She won the Breakthrough Performance Award at Sundance this year (2017). That film comes out in September. Jessica also cast the young actor James Freedson Jackson in The Strange Ones that also comes out later this year, and he won Breakthrough Performance this year (2017) at SXSW. Find Jessica: Twitter - @jdcstg Instagram - @jdcstg Music courtesy of bensound.com

Felix Davin is a sound designer specializing in animation. See below for a complete list of Felix's work. His work has spanned a number of series (Song of the Sea, Santa's Apprentice 2, Sonic Boom, Calimero, Iron Man, The Little Prince, and many more) and he's managed to launch a successful freelance career. In today's episode we dive into the world of post production from an audio perspective, freelancing, noise pollution and birthdays! Find Felix at: felixdavin.com Twitter: @basicbrainheart Instagram: @hannah_camacho Works __SoundDesign / SoundEdit__ Sonic Boom – Animation TV Show – Ouido – 2014 Song Of The Sea – Movie – Cartoon Saloon – 2014 The Little Prince (Season2) – Animation TV Show – Method – 2014 Peter Pan (Season 2) – Animation TV Show – Method – 2014 J’ai pour moi le Reve, la Lumiere et l’Ocean – Video Mapping – Ocubo – 2014 Calimero – Animation TV Show – Gaumont Animation – 2014 Twice Upon A Time – Video Mapping – Ocubo – 2013 Santa’s Apprentice 2 – Movie – Gaumont Animation – 2013 Lanfeu

Alison Wright is one of the brave few who has taken the time to explore what she truly enjoys as not only a passion but a career. This week we explore what it's like to face the "scary" beginning part of the a creative career. Something most people feel an impossibility. Music courtesy of bensound.com Alison is also a writer - see below for an except of her work: Lonely is the wolf who cries at the moon Left to idly wallow in his pallid halo An empty light seared in the sky Forever untouchable Alone she howls for her love forever lost Hungry for his affection, his touch, his gaze Inward she turns to feast on her memories Her only source of sustenance Heavy is her heart, weak is her body Why have you gone? She wails Her mind becomes ensnared by his presence Knowing he will never be hers again He may hide under the blanket of a cloudy sky Or shy away from the sun's rays Yet he will forever be seared into her eyes, Etched eternally onto the back of her mind

Subscribe in iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Today we share highlights from the last 15 guests! Enjoy some of my favorite moments from our discussions with Phillip Tyler, Chris King, Gloria Kimbwala, Esther Pearl, Kathryn Burns, Lorien McKenna, Donna Lynn Champlin, Tomm Moore, John Brooks, Mark Osborne, Jorge Gutierrez, Will Becher, Shannon Tindle, Brenda Chapman and Nora Twomey. Their tips and life stories will help you take your creative journey to the next level regardless of the discipline you're in. Music courtesy of BenSound.com Twitter: @basicbrainheart Instagram: @hannah_camacho

She’s one of Variety’s top ten animators to watch. Nora Twomey helped to found Cartoon Saloon and has been a pivotal talent on the team creating such iconic Irish films as The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. These days she is busy directing the film "The Breadwinner." Hear her talk about her journey and what she's learned along the way on today's episode. The Breadwinner: cartoonsaloon.ie Nora’s Twitter: @nora877 Music courtesy of BenSound.com Additional areas of interest relevant to this episode: Women in animation, creativity, don't talk down to your audience, writer tips, Irish film and collaboration. Nora works very closely with Tomm Moore and Paul Young at Cartoon Saloon.

Brenda grew up as the youngest of 5 children. Her mother helped foster her genuine interest in art and eventually Brenda attended CalArts where she eventually met her husband, fellow filmmaker, Kevin Lima. Once she graduated, Brenda landed a position with Disney where she was a story trainee on the Disney animated film The Little Mermaid. She was one of several key story artists on Disney's Beauty and the Beast, where she worked closely with future Disney director Roger Allers to define many of the key sequences and motifs used in the film. She later served as head of story, the first woman to do so in an animated feature film, for Disney's animated classic The Lion King. Brenda also worked in story and development for other Disney animated films such as The Rescuers Down Under, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Fantasia 2000. She joined DreamWorks Animation at its inception in the fall of 1994. She co-directed the Disney·Pixar film Brave, becoming the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Animated

Shannon Tindle, writer of Kubo and the Two Strings, believes in making stories specific and personal. This week he shares his own story and the lessons he’s learned so far in his career. Believe me, you don’t want to miss it. Some of Shannon’s other work includes Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, The Croods, Coraline and a number of other impressive projects and achievements. He and his wife Meg are incredibly creative and collaborative and I can’t wait to see what they’re up to next. Some links to check out: Check out Kubo and the Two Strings on Netflix! Google Spotlight Story "On Ice" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHgJ9DdYMiw Shannon’s Twitter: @ShannonTindle_1 Shannon’s Instagram: @shannon_tindle Intro/Outro music courtesy of BenSound.com

“William is a bit of a dreamer.” That’s what Will’s teachers often wrote on his reports. He knew from a young age that he wanted to be an animator. He describes his own story so well, that I’ll let him speak for himself here: “After a degree in animation at Edinburgh College of Art, Will joined Aardman Animations as a trainee assistant animator on Wallace & Gromit's Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Since then he has worked on features, commercials and TV shows including The Pirates, Creature Comforts and Shaun the Sheep. He has written and directed three independent short films and is currently Animation Director on Nick Park’s latest feature film Early Man in Bristol. Will lives in South Gloucestershire, England with his talented wife and two children.” Links: Will Becher: will_becher, willbecher.co.uk Eve Coy: @evescoy, http://evecoy.blogspot.co.uk/ Aardman Animation: http://www.aardman.com/ Early Man Movie: @EarlyManmovie If you're curious about Will's work, here's a list...it's not exhaustive, though! :)

Director, writer and multitalented artist extraordinaire (Book of Life, El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera) Jorge r Gutierrez has pioneered his own path since graduating from art school. He stayed true to his roots and his passion, but was deemed "unhireable" by many American studios because his style is so unique. Jorge has had to create his own work ever since. Thankfully, he and his incredibly talented wife, Sandra Equihua, have been, and continue to be, successful. Find Jorge on Twitter and Instagram: @mexopolis See and purchase his work here: http://www.super-macho.com/shop.htm

What do Kung Fu Panda, The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, The Little Prince and More have in common? They were all directed by creative genius Mark Osborne. Mark Osborne was born on September 17, 1970 in Trenton, New Jersey, USA. He is a director and producer, known for Kung Fu Panda (2008), The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) and The Little Prince (2015). His brother Kent is also an incredible creative human. Mark has thoroughly explored the worlds of stop motion animation as well as 2D and 3D animation and has garnered an amazing reputation in the entertainment industry as being a great director to work with. Not only is he passionate about story, he's passionate about helping women in animation get more opportunities in the space and is actively working to help change the landscape. He's got so many practical, actionable advice for creatives and delves into those details on today's show.

John Brooks knows his way around a camera. He has the awards to prove it. His career in Communication, Film and Television spans 42 years. He has worked with Jim Cameron and Vince Pace on a broad range of 3-D projects since 2001 in various capacities including, DP, Director, Stereo Supervisor, and the was the Vice President for Creative Services for The Cameron Pace Group. For the past 3 years has served as the Executive Vice President for The Cameron Pace Group – China. As for awards, he's won a few. ;) 1977 Addy Award – Commercial - Safe to Drink? 1978 Teddy Award’s for segments on The Outdoorsman TV Series 1979 Teddy Award’s for segments on Sports Afield TV 1996 Communicator Awards, Crystal Award of Excellence for the National Park Service Public Service Announcements on the preservation of underwater cultural resources. 1997 Emmy Nominated for work on PBS film Shipwrecks and Sacred Places. Named one of the Top 100 producers by Video Magazine for 1997. 1997 Communicator Awards, Award of Excelle

Tomm Moore and his colleagues at Cartoon Saloon have been hard at work for years creating breathtaking stories like the Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, Puffin Rock and more. In this episode we get to hear all about how the small town kids from Kilkenny Ireland go to art club together...then stumble into the film business and end up making films that the Academy nominates for Best Animated Feature. The humble beginnings of what's sure to be a continually unfolding story of one of the most beloved animation studios on earth.

Donna Lynne Champlin knew she wanted to perform at the age of 3 1/2. Since that time, she's pursued excellence in musical and dramatic performance and her career is skyrocketing these days as she has made the transition from stage to television. In today's show we cover a plethora of topics such as how she met Rachel Bloom, what it's like to be a "rookie" on the set, learning the politics of playing a supporting role and the importance of "unplugging" in order to be the best performer you can be.

This time we play with format a bit! My sister Bethanie joins me and we chat about everything form "Valley Girl Philosophy" to how chaotic school mornings are for us and our kids.

Lorien McKenna is a screenwriter and story consultant. She specializes in Story and Script Development for both studios and writers, helping them find the best version of their story. Her studio experience includes 10 years at Pixar Animation Studios in Story Development (RATATOUILLE, UP, BRAVE, INSIDE OUT, THE GOOD DINOSAUR), Paramount as a Development Producer, REELFX Animation Studios as a Story Consultant, as well as international studios for both live-action and animation. Her private writing clients include live-action and animation feature and TV writers, directors, and novelists. In 2015, along with Meg LeFauve and Chris Whitaker, she sold and wrote a TV Comedy based on the foibles of parenthood for WBTV/NBC. She is a mentor and judge for the Cinestory Foundation in both the TV/Digital and Feature Retreats. Lorien McKenna and Story HikesLorien has a BA in English Literature & Performing Arts and an MFA in Playwriting from St. Mary’s College of California. She founded GUILTY THEATER in San Francisco w

With her refreshing and innovative style, unique training, and unparalleled creativity, newly minted 2016 Emmy Award winning choreographer Kathryn Burns has become Hollywood’s toast of the town. As the groundbreaking choreographer behind the hilarious watercooler moments on CW’s critically acclaimed hit television series "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," Kathryn stood apart in her Emmy category, and her peers took notice. Her three Emmy winning dance performances include “I'm So Good at Yoga,” “Settle for Me,” and “A Boy Band Made Up of Four Joshes.” Animated, charismatic, and witty to a T, Kathryn Burns made a name for herself as one of the hardest working and most in-demand television choreographers in Tinseltown. In addition to “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” her brilliant choreography has been featured in Netflix’s “Wet Hot American Summer,” Comedy Central’s “Key & Peele,” CBS' "2 Broke Girls," and Adult Swim's "Children's Hospital" just to name a few. Originally from Texas, Kathryn moved to Los Angeles to hone her cra