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Podcast EP 175: Eugene Fong's Shotgun Approach to Switching Careers into Animation

Hear about Fong’s decision to pursue a major career change that will catapult him from the world of global supply chains to the world of animation and his ‘shotgun’ approach to making it happen. 

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 175 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.

Episode 175: Eugene Fong's Shotgun Approach to Switching Careers Into Animation

In this episode, Ibele speaks with Eugene Fong, who he met through a pitching workshop at the Toronto Animated Image Society. What’s most interesting about their discussion is that Fong is not an animator or even in the animation industry. Right now, Fong works in global supply chains for his day job. However, he’s currently researching everything he can to make the jump into the animation industry, something the podcast’s host did just a few years ago.

So, in this chat, you’ll hear Ibele and Fong talk about the risks of switching careers later in life, their plans on how to do it, and the shotgun approach Fong is currently undertaking to make it happen. The episode should be particularly interesting to those considering a career change to animation.

Tune in to Fong and Ibele to hear:

  • The unique “shotgun” approach Fong is taking to enter the industry
  • Fong’s pursuit of animation and his definition of success
  • How to align your personal and career goals

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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.