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

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.

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.

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.

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

EJ jams with Barton Damer, the creative muscle behind Already Been Chewed (ABC)...basically the Tony Hawk of motion design. This dude turned his skateboarding obsession into a full-blown 3D animation studio that now cranks out mind-blowing work for Nike, Adidas, Star Wars, and Marvel. Check out the corresponding blog post with key takeaways: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/already-been-chewed Artists Barton Damer https://www.linkedin.com/in/barton-damer-92a32918 EJ Hassenfratz https://www.youtube.com/@eyedesyn/videos Nick Campbell https://greyscalegorilla.com/about-us/ Paul Babb https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulbabb/ Rob Dyrdek https://robdyrdek.com/ Mark Fancher https://www.youtube.com/c/MarkFancherFX Dan Arsham https://www.danielarsham.com/ PJ Richardson https://www.laundry.studio/ Jonathan Winbush https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmzWP6o2cw73moEF7LO_KvA Studios Already Been Chewed (ABC) https://www.alreadybeenchewed.tv/ Greyscale Gorilla https://greyscalegorilla.com/ Maxon https://www.maxon.net/en LRG https://l-r-g.com/ Nike https://www.nike.com/ Adidas https://www.adidas.com/ Under Armour https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/ Street League Skateboarding https://www.streetleague.com/ MTV https://www.mtv.com/ ESPN https://www.espn.com/ Discovery Channel https://www.discovery.com/ New Balance https://www.newbalance.com/ Louis Vuitton https://www.alreadybeenchewed.tv/louisvuitton Tiffany and Co. https://www.tiffany.com/stories/collaborations/daniel-arsham-pokemon/ Legwork https://legworkstudio.com/animation/ Laundry Studio https://www.laundry.studio/ SoFi Stadium https://www.laundry.studio/ooh/project-four-l3zw3-jecsr-hr7em-6yptl Work Fantasy Factory https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/rob-dyrdeks-fantasy-factory/ Rob & Big https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_%26_Big Snack Off https://tv.apple.com/us/show/snack-off/umc.cmc.3cjzt6066id3jq5koxur3vx9p Ridiculousness https://tv.apple.com/us/show/ridiculousness/umc.cmc.234le4y5rrb4satzsf28ix6yx Digital Artist of the Year https://www.behance.net/gallery/12189735/COMPUTER-ARTS-MAGAZINE-Digital-Artist-of-the-Year?locale=en_US Resources NAB https://www.nabshow.com/ Cinema 4D https://www.maxon.net/en/cinema-4d After Effects https://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects.html Computer Arts Magazine https://www.creativebloq.com/computer-arts Adobe Photoshop https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html Adobe Illustrator https://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator.html Final Cut Pro https://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/ iMovie https://support.apple.com/imovie Houdini https://www.sidefx.com/products/houdini/ Unreal Engine https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US Behance https://www.behance.net/onboarding/hirerCreative Nixon https://www.nixon.com/ Rob & Bart Interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frJ4rcpyFvI

Oscar-winning director Gints Zilbalodis just proved you don't need fancy film school or million-dollar software to snag that golden statue. See the corresponding blog post with key takeaways here: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/gints-zilbalodis-flow EJ sits down with animation's newest golden boy, Gints Zilbalodis, the genius behind "Flow" (yep, the one that just took home an Oscar). From doodling in Flash to accepting Academy Awards, Gints' journey is the ultimate inspo for anyone who's ever thought, "Maybe I could make cool stuff too?" Spoiler alert: You absolutely can. 👉CHAPTERS👈 00:00 Intro   00:18 Chapter 1: Journey Into Animation  03:00 Chapter 2: Transitioning to Blender ∑ 09:41 Chapter 3: From Working Solo to Teamwork  16:09 Chapter 4: Custom Workflows and Tools  19:15 Chapter 5: The Aesthetic of Flow  24:32 Chapter 6: Pushing Blender to Its Limits  26:42 Chapter 7: Future of Blender  28:37 Chapter 8: Advice for Aspiring Animators  32:35 Wrap Up  ARTISTS Gints Zilbalodis https://x.com/gintszilbalodis Martin https://x.com/_martinsh PIECES Flow (2024) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4772188/ Away (2019) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8288450/ RESOURCES Geo-Scatter https://www.geoscatter.com/ Ghibli https://www.instagram.com/ghibliusa/ DillonGoo https://80.lv/articles/goo-engine-devs-team-up-with-blender-foundation-on-blender-npr-prototype ClayPencil 2 https://www.instagram.com/_pepeland_/reel/DDt21XWsvne/

What happens when a small group of motion designers in Detroit evolves into a powerhouse of collaboration and innovation? The crew from Cart & Horse sat down with Joey on the School of Motion podcast to share their journey—from navigating the tight-knit creative community in Detroit to pioneering new workflows in Unreal Engine. Check out the corresponding blog post and key takeaways here: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/cart-and-horse 👉 CHAPTERS 👈 00:00 Chapter 1: Welcome!  01:27 Chapter 2: Chris's Experience in Detroit  03:08 Chapter 3: Dan's Journey from LA to Detroit  04:34 Chapter 4: Unreal Engine Early Adopters  08:06 Chapter 5: Why Is Unreal Engine Making Its Break Out Right Now?  11:58 Chapter 6: Live Working Sessions with Clients  17:43 Chapter 7: Unreal Engine's Learning Curve  24:22 Chapter 8: What Types of Projects Are You Using Unreal For?  28:44 Chapter 9: Virtual Production and the Travelers Spec Collab Project  43:22 Chapter 10: The Value Proposition of Virtual Production  57:42 Chapter 12: Cart and Horse Origins  Artists: Dan Maurer https://www.linkedin.com/in/maurerdan/  Kris Bargen https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisbargen/  Julie Craft https://juliecraft.work/  John Einselen https://jeinselen.com/ Clemens Conrad https://www.linkedin.com/in/clemens-conrad/  Elliot Ruddy https://www.elliotruddy.com/  Jonathan Winbush https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmzWP6o2cw73moEF7LO_KvA John Bugg https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonbugg/ Joel Pilger https://www.joelpilger.com/ Andy Blondin https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyblondin/ Geoff George https://www.geoffgeorgedp.com/contact Studios: Cart and Horse https://www.cartandhorse.studio/ Launch by NTT DATA (formerly Vectorform) https://launch.nttdata.com/ Gunner https://gunner.work/ Rocket Mortgage https://www.rocketmortgage.com Activision https://www.activision.com/ Golden Hour https://www.goldenhourgr.com/ Lunar North https://www.lunarnorth.tv/ Work: Travelers https://vimeo.com/938752533 The Mandalorian https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mandalorian 8 Mile https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8_Mile_(film) Michigan Lottery commercial https://vimeo.com/938889801 Resources: MoGraph Mondays https://www.mographmondays.com/ Unity https://unity.com/ LightWave https://www.lightwave3d.com/ Rive https://rive.app/ After Effects https://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects.html Cinema 4D https://www.maxon.net/ Unreal Engine https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US Octane https://home.otoy.com/render/octane-render/ Redshift https://www.maxon.net/en/redshift Nanite https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/nanite-virtualized-geometry-in-unreal-engine Lumen https://lumenandforge.com/services/animation-visual-storytelling/ Activision https://www.activision.com/ Viz Artist (Vizrt) https://www.vizrt.com/products/viz-artist/ Chyron https://chyron.com/products/all-in-one-production-systems/3d-real-time-graphics/ Fox Sports https://www.foxsports.com/ Miro https://miro.com/ Datasmith https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/datasmith Cineware for Unreal https://support.maxon.net/hc/en-us/articles/4411492995730-Cineware-for-Unreal

Territory Studio’s creative minds behind Dune: Prophecy, Call of Duty Black Ops 6, and Vast Haven-1 spill the beans on designing for Hollywood, gaming, and the ever-evolving world of motion design.  Check out the corresponding blog post here: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/t... Ever wonder how  mind-blowing sci-fi interfaces, cinematic VFX, and hyper-realistic game graphics come to life? In this episode, Joey Korenman sits down with the brains behind Territory Studio—Marti Romances, Luke Kaile, Russ Gautier, and Liam Proniewicz—to talk shop. They’re the artists making blockbuster visuals happen, and trust us, you’ll want to hear what they have to say. If you’re a motion designer, VFX artist, or just someone who geeks out over killer design, this is a must-watch. Hey, listeners! If you want to see the discussed works and fun behind the scenes shots, check out this episode on our YouTube channel! 

Blender artist and motion designer Elijah Sheffield shares how he transitioned into 3D, built a standout demo reel, and turned personal projects into career-defining moments. Check out the corresponding blog post (with episode highlights) here: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/elijah-sheffield-blender 👉 CHAPTERS 👈 00:00 Coming Up 00:22 Elijah Sheffield's Background and Early Career 01:29 Discovering Motion Design 03:32 College and Grad School Experience 13:30 First Job and Career Challenges 18:11 Finding the Motivation to Make Demo Reel Pieces 23:31 Transition to Freelance 26:41 Social Media's Impact on Career 34:52 Having a Freelance Plan 42:00 Pain and Rainbows of Freelance Work 44:18 Challenges and Rewards of Learning Blender 49:35 Finding a Style 55:16 Blender Learning Curve 01:03:28 Integrating Blender into Your 3D Pipeline 01:20:21 The Future of Blender 01:24:12 That's a Wrap! 🗒️ SHOW NOTES Artists: Elijah Sheffield https://www.behance.net/sweetboymotion#  EJ Hassenfratz https://www.youtube.com/@eyedesyn/videos  Myles Bolden https://mylesjbolden.myportfolio.com/ Jonathan Winbush https://www.youtube.com/@JonathanWinbush/  Norm MacDonald https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norm_Macdonald  Chris Smith https://csmithstudios.com/  Joey Korenman https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeykorenman  Andrew Kramer https://www.videocopilot.net/  Studios: School of Motion https://www.schoolofmotion.com/  SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) https://www.scad.edu/  Pixar https://www.pixar.com/  DreamWorks https://www.dreamworks.com/  Work: Museum of History and Magic https://www.museumhm.org/ Killdozer https://www.instagram.com/sweetboy.motion/p/Cw0os46AIZN/  Spider-Verse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man:_Across_the_Spider-Verse  Ninja Turtles Arcane https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcane_(TV_series)  Resources: Greyscalegorilla https://greyscalegorilla.com/  Maya https://www.autodesk.com/products/maya/overview?term=1-YEAR&tab=subscription  ZBrush https://www.maxon.net/en/zbrush  Cinema 4D https://www.maxon.net/en/cinema-4d  Blender https://www.blender.org/  Unreal Engine Course https://www.schoolofmotion.com/courses/unreal-engine-for-3d-artists  Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/ Demo Reel Dash https://www.schoolofmotion.com/courses/demo-reel-dash Arnold https://www.autodesk.com/products/arnold/overview  Eevee https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/eevee/introduction.html  Grease Pencil https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/grease_pencil/index.html  Clay Pencil https://pepeschoolland.gumroad.com/l/ibbls  Donut Tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0J27sf9N1Y&list=PLjEaoINr3zgEPv5y--4MKpciLaoQYZB1Z  STL files https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format)  Blender Market https://blendermarket.com/  Freelance Manifesto https://www.amazon.com/Freelance-Manifesto-Modern-Motion-Designer-ebook/dp/B071JRYMSG