Art Department Podcast

Interview with Vincent Menier - How to get hired in games in 2026 Jan 13, 2026 01:12:06 Currently Associate Art Director at Riot Games - Vincent Menier has worked on games for over a decade on 3 different continents and shares all he knows about getting hired in the games industry in 2026 and much more!https://www.artstation.com/vincentmenier- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MENTORSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE!When the work is slow and jobs are few it's the best time to impro

Interview with Kasra Farahani - Fantastic Four Production Designer Dec 30, 2025 01:16:57 Veteran concept designer and Production Designer Kasra Farahani joins us in this episode to share with us his approach to working with Artists, what he looks for and how he went about crafting the look for one of this year's standout blockbusters - Disney/Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four.https://zafron.comhttps://www.instagram.com/kasfarahani/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Interview with Andy Park - Director of Visual Development at Marvel Studios Dec 16, 2025 01:32:16 This week we have Andy Park in the virtual studio, sharing his amazing journey from comic book geek to being director of visual development at Marvel Studios and having worked on pretty much every single Marvel movies out there.https://www.andyparkart.comhttps://www.instagram.com/andyparkart/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MENTORSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE!When the work is slow and job

Interview with Ben Mauro - Publishing your own graphic novel - Huxley Dec 2, 2025 01:11:49 We're welcoming back Ben Mauro to share with us his journey to publishing his first graphic novel Huxley and the follow-up The Oracle.The Oracle is releasing on Dec 2 in the US. You can get more info and order yours here:https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/books/huxley-the-oracle-hardcoverhttps://a.co/d/aAncuyoThe deluxe hardcover versions:https://readonlymemory.com/products/the-oraclehttps://r

Interview with Angela Sung - Visdev and Art Direction Nov 18, 2025 01:08:48 We had the honour speak with visdev artist and Art Director Angela Sung about her career, her views on the animation industry, AI and of course her teaching and plein-air painting endeavours.https://www.angelasung.comhttps://www.instagram.com/angothemango/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MENTORSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE!When the work is slow and jobs are few it's the best time to i

Interview with Avatar Production Designer Dylan Cole Nov 5, 2025 01:11:10 Another week, another legend. This time we're welcoming veteran concept artist, matter painter and production designer Dylan Cole to the podcast!https://dylancolestudio.comhttps://www.instagram.com/dylancoleart/You can catch Dylan in person on November 15th from 6-9pm for his book release party at the Gnomon school campus in LA!Make sure to pre-order his upcoming book 'Creating Worlds'

Interview with Avatar Production Designer Ben Procter Oct 14, 2025 01:23:48 We bring you an exclusive interview with Production Designer Ben Procter who is working on the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash. We talk about his career, working with James Cameron, pitfalls and insecurities regardless of age etc.http://www.benprocter.comhttps://www.instagram.com/ben.procter.design- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MENTORSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE!When the work is slow and

World Building for Games with Darren Bacon Sep 30, 2025 01:11:25 This week we talk Games! Veteran artist Darren Bacon talks us through his approach for world buildings having worked on such hit titles as Destiny, Halo, Star Wars and more!https://www.artstation.com/darrenbaconhttps://www.instagram.com/artofbacon/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MENTORSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE!When the work is slow and jobs are few it's the best time to improve y

World Building for Animation with Jason Scheier Sep 16, 2025 01:15:40 We're diving into world building for Animation with Production Designer and Artist Jason Scheier. https://www.artstation.com/d3caphttps://www.instagram.com/jasonscheierart/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MENTORSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE!When the work is slow and jobs are few it's the best time to improve your skills. Learn something new and push yourself out of your comfort zo

World Building with Feng Zhu Sep 2, 2025 01:11:11 For this special episode on World Building we have none other than industry veteran Feng Zhu joining us to talk about his decades of experience as Artist, Art Director, Entrepreneur and Educator. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MENTORSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE!When the work is slow and jobs are few it's the best time to improve your skills. Learn something new and push yourself ou

It's all about technique! or is it? Jun 10, 2025 00:42:16 Improving technique is a great endeavour but it's not everything (or for everyone).

This is how you grow May 27, 2025 00:32:37 Going out of your comfort zone and embrace change and growth is the topic for this weeks episode.

Worldbuilding 101 May 20, 2025 00:44:17 We share some of our thoughts and approaches to world building alongside some of our favorite examples in media.

Can Criticism Make You a Better Artist? May 13, 2025 00:20:20 It's sometimes difficult to deal with criticism and feedback in a high-stress work environment.

What is the best way to learn (for you)? May 6, 2025 00:27:58 We talk about different approaches to learn and improve. Not only with art ...

Think Twice: Why Not All Advice Is Good Advice Apr 29, 2025 00:18:12 We're often swayed by seemingly good advice on social media. But adopting a more questioning mindset might be better in the long run.

Stop Chasing Trends - Start Making Art Apr 22, 2025 00:19:58 Trends come and go and sometimes it can feel like we're missing out if we're not following what's in.

Can you reset bad habits? Apr 15, 2025 00:17:33 We all have them, we don't want them, but how to get rid of them?

Get organized to help you focus Apr 8, 2025 00:19:35 Can organizing your surroundings (and your life), really put your mind at ease and help you focus better?

How to stay creative Apr 1, 2025 00:20:05 Working as a commercial artist can feel draining a lot of the times. How can we recharge our creativity?

How to stay positive Mar 25, 2025 00:16:46 The world can sometimes feel like a dark place. Lets talk about how to shut out the noise.

What does it mean when an artist loses their routine? Mar 14, 2025 00:21:27 In a continuation of last weeks episode we talk about what the loss of our routine could mean for us and what to do about it.

What to do when you're laid off Mar 7, 2025 00:18:17 We're back with Season 3 and a new look! First topic will be all about what to do (and what not to do) when you're laid off, retrenched etc.

S02E06 - Cara, social networks and the battle of the apps - Art Department Podcast Jul 10, 2024 00:46:00 Cara, social networks and the battle of the apps

S02E05 - Interview with Mateusz Urbanowicz - Art Department Podcast Jun 22, 2024 01:05:43 Interview with Mateusz Urbanowicz

S02E04 - Finances for artists - Art Department Podcast Jun 6, 2024 00:39:54 We chat about what artists can do beside working for clients and how to be more responsible with your finances.

S02E03 - Is the 10K hours myth still relevant for artists? - Art Department Podcast May 21, 2024 00:47:18 We're revisiting the 10K hour "rule"!

S02E02 - Interview with Simon Lee - Art Department Podcast May 7, 2024 01:09:50 Interview with Simon Lee

S02E01 - The state of the Art Department - Art Department Podcast Apr 23, 2024 00:44:16 We're back. It's been a while, a lot has happened and we're here again to talk about it!

058 - The artist's journey - Interview with Craig Mullins - Art Department Podcast Jun 20, 2022 01:11:00 For this episode we have legendary artist and designer Craig Mullins as our guest. He shares with us how he navigated the commercial art industry throughout the last three decades, what drives him these days and where he sees himself and the industry going in the near future.

057 - Can AI replace artists? - Art Department Podcast May 31, 2022 01:08:11 You’ve probably noticed that AI generated images are all the rage again these days in artists circles. Social media is full of it, some looks good (great even!), some not so much! New technologies see to emerge on a daily basis. In a follow up to our previous AI episode we examine the technical, moral and legal implications for commercial artists.

056 - The secret for success is inside you! - Interview with Marceau Nakayama - Art Department Podcast Feb 22, 2022 01:02:53 Come on a journey with Marceau Nakayama and us from his beginnings in Michelin starred restaurants to Minecraft, from start up companies and ultimately concept design and art direction.

055 - Are you a workaholic? Passion vs Addiction - Art Department Podcast Feb 8, 2022 01:08:06 Do you work very long hours? You can’t stand not checking your emails? You feel guilty when you’re not in front of the computer? If you can answer any of these questions with yes it might just be the case that you’re suffering from a modern day addiction called Workaholism.

053 - The Making Of 'Giselle' - Art Department Podcast Jan 18, 2022 01:13:02 It took a while but we’re back! Join us for an exlusive ‘making of’ of Emmanuels short film ‘Giselle’ that he did for the Epic Games Unreal fellowship and subsequently released online. Apologies for the bad audio, some technical issues made the original audio feed unusable to we had to use the backup. :(

054 - In the search for meaning - with Neal Spackman and Saiful Haque - Art Department Podcast Jan 10, 2022 01:22:05 During the pandemic, a lot of us have been quitting our jobs. Searching for new opportunities. Asking ourselves what is the meaning of it all. Is the work I do the right one for me? Join us for an honest and open look at our jobs, our art and the changes we want to make in our lives. We are joined by Neal Spackman, the CEO of Regenerative Resources Co and Artist, Director and Dog-Aficionado Saiful

052 - 127 Hours - Interview with Mieke Hutchins - Art Department Podcast Aug 3, 2021 01:00:21 Mieke Hutchins is currently an Art Director at Niantic. In this episode she takes us on a journey through her career as graphic designer, matte painter, concept artist, art director, artist, creative and mother! Join us for another great interview!

051 - From High School to Hollywood - Interview with Kevin Baillie - Art Department Podcast Jul 27, 2021 01:18:04 Kevin Baillie had an incredible start into a Hollywood film career, being hired out of high school into the Lucasfilm art department. From there on the path was set. Follow us along through an incredible journey full of motivation and inspiration that is far from over!

050 - Self-taught or Art School? - Interview with Darek Zabrocki - Art Department Podcast Jul 20, 2021 01:21:18 Darek Zabrocki is a well known concept artist who has worked on numerous big projects. Not only does he share stories and advice about he managed to amass a huge following online, but also how he started a hugely popular art podcast and lately art school!

049 - The Productivity Myth - Art Department Podcast Jul 13, 2021 01:05:05 In this episode, aptly titled “The Productivity Myth” we break down our daily tasks, schedules, routines and habits. Is being productive, prolific and efficient really the best thing to aim for? We think creativity can’t be forced, but how can we still deal with daily deadlines in the entertainment industry.

048 - Last Man Standing - Interview with Dan Luvisi - Art Department Podcast Jun 29, 2021 01:28:15 Dan Luvisi tells it how it is. The amazing (and ongoing) true story behind the creation of Last Man Standing. The stories of the never ending trials on the way to make your dreams come true have never hit closer than with this episode. Essential listening! :)

047 - How to tell your story - Interview with Armand Baltazar - Art Department Podcast Jun 22, 2021 01:20:09 The episode we all need right now. Listen to Armand’s incredible story of success, loss, hardship and a dream come true. Inspirational advice for everyone wanting to tell their story.

046 - When to take a break - Art Department Podcast Jun 15, 2021 00:57:27 As a follow up to our popular episode “Feeling Lost” we discuss the various ways we can cope with severe burnout and what to do when a regular break doesn’t seem to help anymore. How to escape productivity hell, peer pressure and invigorate your creativity again!

045 - 5000 Youtube subscriber Q+A Special - Art Department Podcast Jun 8, 2021 01:09:46 To celebrate 5000 subscribers on our Youtube channel we’re doing a special Q+A episode. Over the last week we asked our audience to send us their most burning questions. We go through career advice, mental health strategies and some funny and odd stuff as well!

044 - Cinematic Illustration - Interview with Alex Mandradjiev - Art Department Podcast Jun 1, 2021 01:25:22 Alex Mandradjiev is a professional illustrator currently working with Disney/Marvel. He has inspired countless movies with his incredibly engaging, story driven and cinematic illustrations. He shares with us his struggles finding his voice as an artist and what his plans are for the future.

043 - How to launch your own IP - Interview with Gadget-Bot - Art Department Podcast May 25, 2021 01:32:09 This week we’re talking to Peggy Chung and Robert Simons, the co-founders of creative studio Gadget-Bot. They share with us how they met and started their own studio as a husband and wife team, the many struggles and failures involved in creating and launching your own IPs, and ultimately what it takes to run and scale up your own company.

042 - Learn to learn - Interview with Wayne Haag - Art Department Podcast May 18, 2021 01:21:53 Wayne Haag is a veteran Australian artist in the movie and entertainment industry currently working out of Sydney. His career spans back to the Fifth Element, the Lord of the Rings trilogy and much more. Go with us on a journey of self-discovery, perseverance and inspiration!

041 - Copyright laws in the age of NFTs - Interview with Jacob Martin - Art Department Podcast May 11, 2021 00:49:41 Jacob Martin is a lawyer working out of LA specialising in copyright and lately NFTs in the entertainment industry. He gives us an insight into the challenges that NFTs bring when it comes to not only using other people’s intellectual property in your creations but also when you have defend your own ideas.

040 - How to get hired as a concept artist - Interview with Nicole Letaw - Art Department Podcast May 4, 2021 01:14:08 Nicole Letaw is a Hollywood veteran and currently a Senior Concept and Development Producer at Weta Dev. She shares with us stories from the hiring side, what she is looking for when putting a Concept Art team together, what are the big mistakes artists make, etc

039 - Creating iconic characters - Interview with Brian Matyas - Art Department Podcast Apr 27, 2021 01:07:40 Brian Matyas is the brain behind the Mandalorian’s amazing costume and character designs and a ton of other Star Wars properties that are currently in the making. On this weeks episode he shares with us his experiences, concerns and plans.

038 - Production Designer in Hollywood - Interview with Aaron Haye - Art Department Podcast Apr 20, 2021 01:15:15 This weeks guest is none other than Aaron Haye. A Hollywood veteran with more than 25 years of experience, Aaron is currently a Production Designer. He has worked on the biggest sci-fi and period era shows, blockbusters and Oscar-winning motion pictures. We’re chatting with him about his journey so far.

037 - Feeling lost as an artist - Art Department Podcast Apr 13, 2021 01:08:20 Whether creatively or in life, we are bound to feel lost at certain times in our lives. The recent experience with NFTs have been a trigger for a lot of artists to question their artistic voice and their place within their respective industries. We share some of our personal experiences and how we dealt with it.

036 - What is Art? - Art Department Podcast Apr 6, 2021 01:05:35 A question that as is old as humanity (or almost) … what is art? More importantly … what is good art? We dive into how to make sense of the traditional and digital art market and how we navigate through it as artists.

035 - How to turn your life around - Interview with Colie Wertz - Art Department Podcast Mar 23, 2021 01:25:24 Colie Wertz is an industry veteran having worked in Hollywood for over 20 years. Today he shares something little know to most people - learn about his fight with injuries that could have cost him his career, his battle with addiction and how he turned it all around.

034 - Find your true calling as an artist - Interview with Annis Naeem - Art Department Podcast Mar 16, 2021 01:21:43 Annis is a true creative, having explored a multitude of different genres and positions. Join us for the truly remarkable talk about introspection, finding your inner voice, navigating hardships and how to emerge on the other side with a clear focus and creative drive to tackle even the most daunting project.

033 - NFT? WTF! The ultimate beginners guide - Art Department Podcast Mar 5, 2021 01:26:48 Our inboxes are flooded, the (art) world is going crazy. The crypto art/NFT fever has spread. In this special we answer all the burning questions: What is it? Where and how do I get in? How to fund your wallet. Where do I promote myself. Also how to deal with the mental health aspects and the environmental concerns.

032 - The biggest thing in digital art right now! - Interview with Ben Mauro - Art Department Podcast Mar 2, 2021 01:27:00 The next big thing - or potentially the biggest thing ever in digital art is happening right before our eyes. We chat with Ben Mauro who has been at the heart of the CryptoArt/NFT scene early on about what it is, what it means for digital artists and where its heading. Of course we also touch on his upcoming graphic novel Huxley and his travel exploits.

031 - How to run a concept design studio - Interview with James Paick - Art Department Podcast Feb 23, 2021 01:07:07 James Paick - a man of many talents. Artist extraordinaire, creative director and found of his own concept design studio and co-founder of wildly popular design school Brainstorm in Los Angeles. Join us as James shares his journey, advice for younger artists struggling to find their place in the industry and students looking to become tomorrow’s most talked about artist.

030 - Why artists need to slow down! - Art Department Podcast Feb 16, 2021 00:54:36 We’re all guilty of posting one of those at least once during our career. “Speedpaintings” - sounds cool, gives us a lot of likes and attention and we get to show off how awesome and fast we can produce a piece of artwork. But is it really that awesome? What implications does it have on how others see us? Followers, students, clients? Let’s talk about it!

029 - From artist to movie director - Interview with Gavin Rothery - Art Department Podcast Feb 9, 2021 01:24:44 Throughout an incredible diverse career Gavin Rothery has done everything from graphic, concept, production design, art direction, running a design studio, taking on advertising clients, writing scripts, pitching ideas and much more. Recently his directorial feature debut Archive was released.

028 - Mental health - Interview with Dr Jody Echegaray - Art Department Podcast Feb 2, 2021 01:02:51 We’ve all gone through hard times. Depression, anxiety, isolation. Recent tragic events have led us think more about ourselves and the role we play in this industry and this world. We called upon an expert - clinical psychologist Dr Jody Echegaray.

027 - From Artists to entrepreneur - Interview with Maxx - Art Department Podcast Jan 26, 2021 01:09:33 From Matter Painter to CEO. Maxx Burman, one of the masterminds behind the wildly successful company Kitbash3D shares all about his journey and knowledge. Whats really behind the transition from artist to entrepreneur, the pitfalls of the business and what he misses the most from his artist days.

026 - How to read your clients mind - Art Department Podcast Jan 19, 2021 00:58:25 We introduce our favourite strategies and tips for talking to clients the right way. How to prepare and approach feedback sessions, identify and extract the most valuable information from the client brief and references boards. What does the client really mean, how to read between the lines and much more!

025 - Inspiration series part 3: Cinema - Art Department Podcast Jan 12, 2021 01:12:35 We’re back with our inspiration series and are looking at something near and dear to our hearts: Cinema! Whether its the cinematography, the stories or characters - we talk about movies that touched and influenced us throughout our lives.

024 - How does a mentorship work? - With special guest Scott Gessler - Art Department Podcast Jan 5, 2021 01:11:10 We’ve often mentioned mentorships as one of the best ways to advance your career in any field. But what’s really in a mentorship? Are you a good mentor? Are you a good mentee? In this three way conversation we sit down with Scott Gessler who has been mentored by Emmanuel in the last 18 months and who just landed his first major Hollywood gig.

023 - What happened in December 2020 and the year in review - Art Department Podcast Dec 22, 2020 00:59:21 It's been an interesting month and an even more "interesting" year. The first of our monthly reviews where we go through the biggest entertainment news that we thought worth discussing. Also what did we learn in 2020 and what have we planned in 2021.

022 - Interview with Jason Scheier - Art Department Podcast Dec 15, 2020 01:26:03 Jason Scheier is a Production Designer at Netflix. He shares all about what it takes to get into the animation industry in the US, working for big studios like Dreamworks and Warner Brother and how to become a Production Designer.

021 - Should artists be afraid of AI stealing their jobs? - Art Department Podcast Dec 1, 2020 00:52:48 How much ART is there in ARTificial Intelligence? Should we as creative professionals be afraid of the impending doom that machine learning brings? These questions, Simpsons, Terminator and much more in this episode!

020 - Interview with Sparth - Art Department Podcast Nov 24, 2020 01:42:59 To celebrate the 20th episode we invited none other than Sparth to share his thoughts on how to stay strong and motivated as an artist in a career that spans more than two decades.

019 - Impostor Syndrome - Art Department Podcast Nov 17, 2020 00:55:51 Among us is an imposter and you’re having the feeling that its you. But is it really? We often hear the phrase impostor syndrome within the artists community and we wanted to shine some light on what it is and how we cope with it.

018 - Interview tips for artists (and everyone else) - Art Department Podcast Nov 3, 2020 00:56:16 You got that email from HR, from the dream company you always wanted to work for. But you have no idea how to approach the job interview. Maybe its your first, maybe you’ve had a lot but it never turned out the way you hoped? Now its time to level up and improve your interview skills!

017 - Top 10 tips on how to improve your art - Art Department Podcast Oct 20, 2020 00:48:59 Our top ten tips for artistic growth! Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a budding junior artist chances are that you have experienced bumps, hurdles and plateaus in your career and creativity. We share our experience how on to deal with them and emerge on the other end as a stronger artist!

016 - How to deal with client feedback - Art Department Podcast Oct 13, 2020 01:17:22 We all have gotten them: Rude client emails with weird requests and odd hours ... But how do you deal with them effectively? How should we respond? Is there anything to learn from them? And how can we repair broken work relationships?

015 - Inspiration Part 2 Design - Art Department Podcast Oct 6, 2020 01:13:15 The second part of our inspiration series is all about Design. Which designers from which disciplines have influenced the most? How do you take inspiration and inspirational stories and apply them to your own creations? This and more in today’s episode!

014 - Inspiration Part 1 Photography - Art Department Podcast Sep 29, 2020 01:37:00 In this new series we’re showing our audience what inspires us as designers, artists and as humans. The first part is about a passion of ours. Photography. Hear the stories behind our personal history with the medium and how it influences us to this day.

013 - Social Media Madness - Art Department Podcast Sep 22, 2020 01:03:15 Social Media is part of our everyday lives. As artists we are even more exposed to the vicious cycle of likes, shares and comments. How do we personally navigate the modern social networks and what do we recommend to people just starting out?

012 - Our favourite projects - Art Department Podcast Sep 15, 2020 01:10:18 In this episode we’re sharing our favourite projects we had the pleasure of working on. How did we get the opportunity in the first place, what happened and why do we have such fond memories of it.

011 - Is Talent real? - Art Department Podcast Sep 8, 2020 00:57:22 We’ve all been told: “You’re so lucky you’re so talented!” And if we’re honest, none of us likes it. What about all the hard work we put in! But is there such a thing as talent after all?

010 - Fanart explained! - Art Department Podcast Sep 1, 2020 00:58:56 Everybody loves Fanart! Or do they? We’ll discuss the many sides of Fanart. Is it legal? Does it hurt your portfolio? What do we personally think about it?

009 - Better Artist? Better Person! - Art Department Podcast Aug 25, 2020 01:36:08 Our most personal episode yet! What lessons have we learned throughout our career? We share some of the biggest mistakes we made so you can avoid them!

008 - How to build a portfolio - Art Department Podcast Aug 18, 2020 01:15:12 You heard it a hundred times: Portfolio is all that matters! But what goes into a portfolio? What do employers look for? What gets you hired? Let’s discuss!

Episodes

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