A MAST nod to Willi Anton & Faustina Arriola's creative animated piece, Brush: A Fox Tale.

Do you look for imperfections in your work?

Willi: Of course. We can look at Brush and see hundreds of imperfections that no one has pointed out. Finding those imperfections and keeping them in mind when you tackle your next project is what helps you improve (but there will always be imperfections).

If you could choose to work with any artist (past, present) from the animation business, who would it be and why?

Willi: That’s a good question that I couldn’t answer simply. My first thought is animators like Hayao Miyazaki or Richard Williams, masters of their craft with an unapologetic view of how to do it. Working with would help us improve very quickly because they know exactly what we’d be missing and how to get better at it. However, I also think working with our current peers, who are striving to be great, exploring new things with fresh ideas, and are our friends, offers a rich growing opportunity as well. One where you can help each other grow and discover new things along the way.

Is there any advice you can give to an aspiring animation student or artist trying to get into the animation or gaming business?

Willi: Perhaps to never be fully satisfied with your current work. Not saying you shouldn’t ever be proud of it, or happy with what you have accomplished, but rather always see there’s ways for improvement and try to better yourself. That way you’re always making new work, and the animation likes to see you improving. If you apply to the same company twice and they see you’ve improved then they know that you’ll be a good asset for their team. Plus it’s very competitive out there for jobs right now, you’ll always want to make sure your putting your best work out there. That being said, even with competition, always be kind and supportive to your peers, we’re all in this together and connections are usually the best way to land a job.