Greetings, everyone! With Magical Stage now moving increasingly into interview-oriented work, I thought it would be quite special to share a voice interview I featured on my YouTube channel last year. Aaron Rodriguez is a professional industry animator who has worked on some notable properties within the past few years, including Sousou no Frieren, One Piece, Fate/strange Fake, Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines, among others!
Throughout the course of the interview, Aaron addresses not only his own industry beginnings, but also freelancing, mistakes, and several other topics. For those of you who might consider going into the industry, his words and insights will be highly valuable!
Topics are timestamped within the video for your own convenience, but they will be included under the video if needed. Feel free to subscribe to the original channel if you are so inclined…and apologies for the peaked audio during my laughter! XD
0:00 – Introducing…Aaron!
2:46 – Clarifications
3:34 – Getting Started
12:01 – Freelance Animator vs. Hired Studio Animator Differences
20:14 – New Animators: What Are the Common Mistakes?
28:00 – The (ABRIDGED) Creative Process for a 12-14 Episode Run of an Anime
44:33 – Subtler Ways to Detect a Troubled Production as a Viewer
54:59 – “They Ran Out of Budget!” As a Soundbite
1:01:58 – “I Don’t Like How Older Anime Looks” As a Soundbite
1:06:37 – Different Ways of Seeing Anime: How to Get Out, and How to Get In
1:16:48 – AI in Anime, and the Ways it Makes Things Worse
1:28:24 – The Landscape of Two One Pieces
1:35:48 – “Rapid-Fire” Questions Start: Television, Movies, Live Theatre
1:38:22 – Favorite Book
1:40:08 – The Music That You Constantly Reach For
1:42:05 – Last Major Non-Anime Fixation
1:42:31 – Best Abandoned Location
1:46:50 – Favorite Meal
1:47:53 – Early Bird or Night Owl
1:49:49 – Best Teacher
1:53:32 – Best Piece of Advice
1:54:32 – First Anime You Recall Watching
1:55:16 – First Anime Character You Obsessed Over
1:57:27 – Anime That Made You Want to be an Artist or Animator.
2:00:34 – Strangest Piece of Anime Merchandise That You Have
2:01:59 – Historical Anime Production that You Wish You Could Have Worked On
2:03:50 – Anime That You Feel You Should Have Seen at This Point
2:04:44 – Anime Where You Did a 180-degree Turn
2:06:53 – Most Underappreciated Anime
2:12:00 – Best Anime of the 2020s Thus Far
2:13:51 – Biggest Disappointment as an Anime Fan
2:15:08 – Advice for Young Aaron
2:16:24 – Favorite Cut that You’ve Worked On
2:20:02 – Cut You’d Most Like to Fix
2:21:59 – The Animation Job You Regret Not Taking.
2:23:12 – Longest Genga Session
2:24:59 – Anime Mount Rushmore
2:26:53 – Animation Lesson w/ Who and What?
2:29:15 – WebGen Admiration
2:31:31 – Anime Resource to Know
2:32:31 – Global Fans Supporting the Industry?
2:36:18 – Final Message From Aaron
