Steven Theis
Director
Central Park
Apple TV+
What do you think makes Central Park unique?
The cast, the settings, and the musical element of the show. The Tillermans, a mixed-race family, living in the middle of Central Park, open an unlimited amount of stories and experiences that can be told. New York is huge and populated, and there are so many places to go and people to see. The music is catchy, and the animation paired with it is on another level. I often find myself singing or humming the music on my off-time.
Do you have a favorite moment you created for your show?
Without giving too much away, in the upcoming season there’s a song sequence I directed where two of our characters have a trippy fantasy. It’s my favorite because I had such a great time coming up with ideas and thumbnailing it. It allowed me to think outside of the box, draw from some of my favorite inspirations, and go a bit wild. Finally, when I saw it in color and fully animated, I was more than pleased with the way it turned out.
What animated shows inspired your career?
Growing up in the ‘80s and ‘90s, I was inspired by all sorts of shows, from DuckTales, Animaniacs, and Batman: The Animated Series to Beavis and Butt-Head and The Simpsons. They were just so darn good. When I was young, I wanted to be a comic book artist, but as these shows started airing, I fell in love with animation. I was so fascinated with the stories and the characters. It became a dream of mine to work in animation, and luckily I got my foot in the door with an internship on The Simpsons. I was inspired all over again when I finally got to meet the artists and see the process.
What animated show helped you get through the past year?
That would have to be Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I had never watched it before and noticed there are 133 episodes. So it took a very long time to finish, and it kept me excited and lifted my spirits.
Cecilia Aranovich
Supervising Director
Harley Quinn
Warner Bros. Animation
What do you think makes Harley Quinn unique?
If I had to pick one thing, I would say the comedy is what sets it apart from other shows. Every script is hilarious, and the dialogue between the characters is so sharp and witty, I often find myself laughing out loud as I read through the scripts. I feel the comedy also comes from the way the characters interact and relate to each other in this version of the DC Universe: having traditionally established characters and taking them out of their comfort zone makes for a lot of comedic situations.
Do you have a favorite moment you created for your show?
Back in Season 2, I had a chance to plan and storyboard a musical piece for the “Bachelorette” episode, where a lobster tries to lure King Shark back to the Shark Men Kingdom—and his main argument is nothing other than the ability to poop in the sea anytime he pleases. The song was conceived as a parody of another famous animated crustacean who also sings about the benefits of living underwater. I personally love staging and choreographing musical numbers, and we generally do not get to do songs in the show, so bringing this tune to life was a real treat for me.
What animated shows inspired your career?
When I was young … I was very drawn to the work of Hayao Miyazaki in particular. Series like Sherlock Hound, Future Boy Conan, and Heidi, Girl of the Alps were some of my favorites. Later I became familiar with his feature work with Studio Ghibli, and I loved Castle in the Sky, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Porco Rosso, to name a few. … To me each one of these movies was—and is—a work of art, and they were extremely influential in my decision to pursue a career in animation.
What animated show helped you get through the past year?
I have three young children, so it has been a particularly difficult year with the pandemic. Most of the animated shows I watch now are children’s cartoons with my kids, and I have to say that one that resonates with me as a mom is Bluey. After a long day of virtual schooling and working from home, it is easy to find yourself too tired and demoralized to want to participate in fun games, but every time I watch Bluey with the children, I feel inspired and motivated to be more present and play with them in more creative ways: If Bluey’s dad can do it, so can I.
Nathan Rico
Art Director
Big Mouth
Netflix
What do you think makes Big Mouth unique?
I think Big Mouth walks a line between gross humor and raw feelings about sex and relationships. Our EPs and writers are great at finding relatable moments/topics and making them fun yet approachable.
Do you have a favorite moment you created for your show?
It is an episode coming up for next season. But a close second would have to be Season 4, Episode 6: “Nick Starr”—we took our cast into a future dystopian Earth. It was super fun to take a normally light-hearted Big Mouth into a more dark and gritty locale.
What animated shows inspired your career?
Too many to count! Dragon Ball, Batman: The Animated Series, Aaah!!! Real Monsters, and Samurai Jack. I remember running to watch these shows on Saturday mornings or after school. All of them have a strong and distinct visual style that drew me to them from a young age. Most have a strong protagonist who is trying to be a good person, and the monsters are just fun and weird! I think two ideas were imprinted into my brain from these: opening my eyes to a wide range of looks for animated shows, and also for me to try to be good, fun, and weird.
What animated show helped you get through the past year?
The Midnight Gospel one hundred percent. Thought-provoking subject matter, fun style, and a format that was a little different. It released in April 2020 when things were getting more intense, and it helped me take a breath to enjoy something really cool.
Calvin Wong
Supervising Producer
Close Enough
Cartoon Network Studios
What do you think makes Close Enough unique?
Close Enough is great because it’s got the edge and surreal twists of other adult animated shows, but it also has a nice sentimental center. We very much care about the characters. We’re not a cynical show! I also like that our art style is looser, and we’re not too strict about models. We like storyboard artists’ styles to come through.
Do you have a favorite moment you created for your show?
We were really able to capture the world of skateboarding past and present in the first season episode “Skate Dad.” I was particularly happy about a dream sequence I did where Josh floats around L.A. on a skateboard and flips off his rival. It was after a lot of dialogue [had been] cut for time, and the sequence successfully said everything … with no words, in a much shorter amount of time, was funny to look at, and ALSO [paid] homage to The Big Lebowski!
What animated shows inspired your career?
The Simpsons, Futurama, The Tick, The Venture Bros., DuckTales, Aeon Flux, Beavis and Butt-Head, Rocko’s Modern Life … off the top of my head!
What animated show helped you get through the past year?
Elizabeth Ito’s City of Ghosts. It’s really inspiring to see a show that takes its time and is deliberate and comfy and profound. So many shows are so loud, and it’s nice to see what happens when you’re quiet. People listen!
