Behind every great on-screen character is an equally fascinating team of real-life characters dedicated to making each minute of each episode as engaging as possible. They are the artists, character designers, editors, directors, production crew, producers and writers that work on developing shows for The Hub. And these are some of their roles and stories.
Artists
Stephanie Arnett - Storyboard Revisionist
"I actually had no idea I could draw until I decided to attend college. By the sixth grade most of the drawing classes at my school had been removed from our curriculum due to budget cut backs…luckily I found out that not only I could draw, but that I could make a living as well!"
Luke Berliner - Background Painter
"When I was growing up I did not have a T.V. I used drawing to tell my own stories and travel to far off lands in my imagination. I would have never thought it would turn into a job though! You too can be a great artist, all it takes is practice and dedication but most of all keep it FUN!"
Brandon McKinney - Storyboard Artist
"You draw a picture of a character doing something, you've got a cool drawing. You draw another picture of that character a moment later, now you have a STORY. You've just done Sequential Art, one of the most powerful forms of storytelling there is."
Sebastian Montes - Storyboard Artist
"I can clearly remember as a six year-old watching cartoons on TV and thinking how magical it was. Now here I am, an adult making those same cartoons. So if you have a passion and a talent for something, keep working at it and never let the magic fade."
Vince Toyama - Background Design Supervisor
"Whether you are writing a script or designing the artwork for the animation, the entire process is an exercise in using your imagination. For me, it is the best job to be challenged everyday to design the coolest and the most realistic environments for an action adventure cartoon. But to be clever and original is not an easy thing to do for anybody, especially if you let your creative mind get lazy!"
Christophe Vacher - Color Design & EFX Supervisor
"I grew up watching sci-fi shows and animation, wondering how I could possibly be an artist in that field some day. With hard work, focus and dedication, my dream eventually came true."
Kirk Van Wormer - Storyboard Artist
"Every day I blow things up, wrestle monsters, unmask villains, solve mysteries and tell tall tales. All this and I get to work with my best friends as well. Not a bad way to make a living."
Character Designer
Augusto C. Barranco - Character Designer and Painter
"Drafting spreadsheets and counting numbers never seemed to be in the cards for me. I thrive on creating new and undiscovered worlds and that's why I'm an artist."
Jose Lopez - Character Designer
"I'm the character designer working on Transformers: Prime and I get to draw robots at work. One of the things that I love about designing Transformers is that it takes me back to when I was kid and used to draw Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots. Who knew I would do it again as an adult!"
Director
David Hartman - Supervising Director/Art Director
"I loved watching cartoons as a kid. Afterwards I would take my toys and act them out to the story the way I would have told it or draw comic book stories with characters I wish were in the cartoon. Now that I am grown up I still love cartoons, I still buy toys and I still draw comic stories. The difference now is that I have made a career telling stories and drawing pictures that I want to see and I want others to see. Animation can be a lot of hard work and dedication but every time one is finished I sit back and watch it with the same eyes I had as a kid and enjoy the story I have helped tell and hope kids today feel the same way I did."
Shaunt Nigoghossian - Director
"I got decent grades in school but I never had a subject that I really loved. I DID love to draw a lot though…on my notebooks, book covers, homework (got in trouble for it many times). After high school I didn’t really know what to do…but I kept drawing…took classes…got better and better and realized I had a gift for storyboarding (which is storytelling with drawings). Now I get to do what I love all day long. You can make a career out of anything you really truly love. If you feel strongly about something and pursue it with all of your energy - you will absolutely achieve it."
Editor
Adam Nixon - Animatic Editor
"When I was a kid I watched Saturday morning cartoons every week, but I never imagined I’d be the one helping to create stories to inspire and entertain the new generation!"
Producer
Duane Capizzi - Supervising Producer / Writer
"I grew up on a steady diet of comic books and monster movies. Now, I get to think about superheroes and giant robots at my job all day long! At some jobs, that’s called “daydreaming” and it can get you fired. But I’m a lucky guy because they actually pay me for that! So keep reading those comics, but read your textbooks too – writing for animation not only takes a wild imagination, but discipline and craftsmanship if you want to do it well."
Jeff Kline - Executive Producer
"You never know where the germ of a good story is going to come from; absolutely everything you learn in the classroom, and in life, could be fodder."
Production Crew
Mathias Dougherty - Production Manager
"When I was 8, I remember watching a new show that changed my life forever; this show was called Transformers (G1). I knew right then and there I wanted to work in cartoons and maybe one day hopefully be part of such an amazingly cool show. Well, 26 years later and with positive encouragement from my parents, a love for animation, and a determination to do what I set out to do, I AM working for Transformers, Transformers: Prime!"
Lorena Gallego - Casting Coordinator
"Having the opportunity to work with extraordinary actors such as the man who brings Optimus Prime to life is one of the most exciting things about my job in casting for animation. Also, I love being able to contribute my own creativity into each story and getting to see those choices come to life when the character speaks"
Nathan Johnson - Production Assistant
"If you have a dream, hold onto it tight and believe in it, even when no one else does. When I was a kid I used to play with my Transformers every day and wish that I got to be an Autobot. Now my job is to help create Transformers cartoons. I like to tell everyone that Optimus Prime is my boss! How cool is that?"
Writers
Mairghread Scott - Writer
"Writing for animation is 80% hard work, 15% things you learned in school, and 5% crazy awesomeness that leaks out of your brain."
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