Today’s Guest: Mark Simon, artist, animator, author, Storyboards: Motion in Art
Watch this exclusive Mr. Media interview with Mark Simon, artist, animator and author, Storyboards: Motion in Art, by clicking on the video player above!
Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience that is about as animated as we’ve seen since Raquel Welch was a guest… in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida!
So… I was a guest at Megacon in Orlando back in February 2006, I think, and I was given table space to promote my book and panel discussion. I was situated between an independent comic book artist, Keith Knight, creator of Knight Seeker, and an animator-slash-entrepreneur, Mark Simon.
Both guys were energetic, friendly, and made the hours pass quickly. Through the magic of Facebook, I’ve been able to follow both their careers, although I don’t recall that we ever had another conversation since.
MARK SIMON podcast excerpt: “Like blueprints are to a house, storyboards are the blueprint for how to build these huge productions we put on.”
That all changed a few weeks back when I heard from Mark Simon and realized he would be a natural guest on Mr. Media.
Here’s why:
Simon owns three entertainment-related companies and has written 10 books on related subjects. He has worked on more than 3,500 productions, and while I haven’t verified the count, he does own one of the most prolific storyboard houses in the southern United States.
MARK SIMON podcast excerpt: “The director and I go back and forth until everything is done. I’ll rough out thumbnails first… We’ll send out a PDF of each sequence to the entire crew. And I’ll send a ‘movie’ (animatics) to the key people — the designer, the producer, the DP, the director, and the production manager.”
He also produces animation – including work on “The Little Rascals” cartoon and live action remake – and one of his companies helps people to sell their TV ideas.
We’re going to start the conversation with his latest book, Storyboards: Motion in Art, which is a massive how-to for anyone with ambitions in the field. And I’m hoping Mark will also provide a demonstration of what a storyboard artist actually does.
(Oh, and Keith Knight? Call me. You’re next!)
Mark Simon Website • Facebook • Twitter • YouTube • LinkedIn • Order Storyboards: Motion in Art from Amazon.com
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