Podcast EP 171: How Eric Larson Fast-Tracked His Animation Career Using ‘The Freelancer's Manifesto’

The freelance illustrator and motion graphics designer describes his journey from the world of ballet to the world of animation, what coursework he chose to learn his craft, and how he determines what to charge for his services.

Check out Terry Ibele’s Animation Industry Podcast, featuring a new podcast every week focusing on the stories of today’s animation professionals - how they got to where they are and what they learned along the way. Now home to 171 episodes, the podcasts cover all areas of the industry, including storyboarding, writing, animating, directing, visual development, and game design.

Guests have included Aaron Augenblick, the notorious JJ Villard, Spike & Mike’s Spike Decker, Disney Director John Musker, Sony Lead Animator Humberto Rosa, Cuphead’s Tina Nowracki, Frederator’s Fred Seibert, Tumble Leaf’s Scarlet Nelson, and many others from major animation studios all over the world.

His most recent interview is Episode 171: How Eric Larson Fast-Tracked His Animation Career Using “The Freelancer's Manifesto.”

This episode features Eric Larson, a freelance illustrator and motion graphics designer who shares his journey from a professional ballet dancer to the world of animation. He also shares how he’s modeled his career after Joey Korenman’s “The Freelance Manifesto: A Field Guide for the Modern Motion Designer,” which helped fast-track him to where he is today.

Tune in to Ibele and Larson to hear:

  • Which course Larson took to learn motion graphics
  • How Larson prices out his work
  • The number one way Larson sets himself up so that opportunities knock at his door

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Ibele, himself a stop-motion animator (see AWN’s Fresh Takes piece on his whimsical short, The Silly Duck Wizard, deftly digs into all manner of topics, encouraging interviewees to share insights and opinions on a wide range of topics like pitching shows, marketing your work online, key skills studios look for when they bring on talent in storyboarding, vizdev, character design, and animation.

In 2018, Ibele, who lives in Toronto, decided to quit his career as a Marketer and pursue his love for animation. Since then, he’s become well known for his viral animation productions, which include the previously mentioned Silly Duck Wizard, which is how AWN first came to know him and his work.

Learn more about Ibele’s work and podcast by visiting terryibele.com. You can find all The Animation Podcast episodes on his Soundcloud site: https://soundcloud.com/animation-podcast

Debbie Diamond Sarto's picture

Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.