{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Unpaid Intern, TNA Wrestling, Hard Knocks, and Freelancing Tips, Pt. 1","description":"Summary: -Hear how he learned about the game industry as a career. -How studying computer animation at Columbia College lead to his internship at Red Eye Studio. -Learn the type of work he did as an unpaid intern at Midway Games. -Find out about Animation Mentor and his hard decision to follow his passion by moving out to LA. -How we has mentored in Midway LA by industry legends Sal Divita and Mark Turmell. -His first freelancing animation job working on a TV pilot funded by a granite countertop company. -How sending his updated reel to his old boss turned into a 5-year experience working at Disney Interactive. -What\u2019s important to do for keeping your skills up-to-date. -Discover helpful advice when you are starting out in the gaming industry. -Why a good reputation and working hard leads to other doors opening. -Share hard-learned advice about advancing his skills and career. -Part 2 of Mike turning the tables to grill me with questions, coming soon! Quotes: -\u201cI went to a job fair that had the Illinois Institute of Art or something was there make shows some computer graphics, 3d stuff and animation." -\u201dIt was a 3 month unpaid internship I was happy to do to get my foot in the door.\u201d -"Maybe I thought I was gonna become a Pixar animator, Disney animator." -"That is actually where I met Jon Krusell because he was the head of Red Eye." -\u201dWe were reverse engineering to make it useable again...it was quite a task.\u201d -\u201dI signed up for Animation Mentor.\u201d -\u201dI had that 20-22 year old optimism that nothing can go wrong, it\u2019ll be fine.\u201d -\u201dPacked everything I owned into a 1997 Toyota Celica hatchback.\u201d -\u201dWhat is my son doing...why are we driving to California to be an intern-crap?\u201d -\u201dWe stopped at the Grand Canyon holding the turtle.\u201d -\u201dWe worked on TNA Wrestling.\u201d -\u201dI stayed for a while and got kinda homesick eventually.\u201d -\u201dI was paying a lot of money for Animation Mentor.\u201d -"Starting on a TV show pilot that a local person here wanted to make his own tv show that was an animated version of Sopranos basically called The Baritonios.\u201d -\u201dIt was one of the strangest experiences of my life.\u201d -\u201dIt was great until they launched the missiles and nuked us one day...but that happens.\u201d -\u201dWhen I was trying to evaluate how good I was, I would kind of look at other people\u2019s work.\u201d -\u201dI would probably would have told myself, there\u2019s always gonna be someone who\u2019s better than you.\u201d -\u201dSee how other people are doing and, specially people who are already working and see if your work is on the same level as them.\u201d -\u201dBe open to doing lots of different things. Doing a podcast for example.\u201d -\u201dYour reputation is super important, and it\u2019s not based on what you say but what you do.\u201d -\u201dHave a good attitude whatever the job is.\u201d -\u201dI did 3 internships just to get my first job.\u201d -\u201dSay Yes, then figure it out later.\u201d -\u201dEverything I\u2019m telling you I\u2019ve learned from mistakes in the past so hopefully someone else can take this advice to help them.\u201d About My Guest: Mike Antonicelli began his career in 2005 as a volunteer intern for Red Eye Studio. He graduated Columbia College the following year with a BA in computer animation. Soon after he entered the legendary Midway Games in Chicago as an art production intern. From there, he transferred to Midway LA to become a full-time animator. In 2008, Michael completed Animation Mentor -- a 2 year training program by Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks animators. In 2009, he incorporated as Superfantastik CG Inc. Over the past 9 years, Superfantastik\u2019s notable clients have grown to include Disney, Marvel, Steelseries, Next\/Now, PulseLearning, Ragtag, and Trinket Studios. Resources: -Superfantastik website to book his services -Superfantastik Twitter -Jon Krusell on LinkedIn -Sal Divita Twitter -Mark Turmell on Giant Bomb -Level Ex website -Animation Mentor -Illinois Institute of Art -Columbia College Chicago -Red Eye Studio -Wideload Games -Midway Games -Just in case, a link to the Grand Canyon :) -TNA Wrestling (video game) -Richard Branson -Mortal Kombat's Nightwolf -NBA Jam -Game Dev Advice Hotline: 224-484-7733 -Game Dev Advice Email -Game Dev Advice Website *Don't forget to subscribe and go to www.gamedevadvice.com for other shows and info! ","author_name":"Game Dev Advice: The Game Developer's Podcast","author_url":"https:\/\/www.gamedevadvice.com","html":"