Hey! Thanks for having me on here, this is going to be fun. Okay, let's get this rolling.

Question
How did you first get into stop motion animation? First piece of work? What was it like doing and completing your first work?

Answer
I started playing around with stop motion animation pretty early on, my dad used to do little video tricks with me when I was about 5 years old, where he would stop the camera and have me leave the shot so it looked like I disappeared. So at a very young age I was fascinated with the power you could wield with this little bit of knowledge. When I was probably 10, I was old enough to use the family video camera by myself and started experimenting with stop motion and pixilation. Mostly moving toys and dolls around, sometimes clay, but it was always just gags and tricks. I never really attempted to develop characters or tell a story. It wasn't until I was 14 and I did a short film called 'Without You' that I realized I could tell a fascinating and emotional story. That film did the festival circut and was eventually picked up by HBO. After that I was hooked, and started taking the medium much more seriously and devoted my life to learning how to grow in the field.

Question
You studied art in Florence. What was that like? And how much has a background in art helped you in stop motion animation?

Answer
I truly believe that seeing the world, and seeing other cultures is very important for any storyteller or artist. My style was impacted by the art and architecture that I saw travelling through Europe, and my experiences helped keep my content fresh. Artists need to always stimulate and inspire themselves, and animators cannot only get their inspiration from other animation. They need to offer more perspective to allow their work to be richer, and give the audience something new and exciting.

Question
What are you favourite stop-motion animation films?

Answer
I’d have to say that ‘The Wrong Trousers’ was the most influential stop-motion film in my life, and is still probably my favorite, even though I love all of the Wallace and Gromit films, especially the Were-Rabbit Feature. Aardman has really figured out the perfect balance of appealing design and fantastic writing.

Question

Which stop-motion piece did you most enjoy doing? And which do you think is your best?

Answer
‘Fox & Calf’ was by far the most fun project I’ve worked on so far. I think because the films themselves are so colorful and fun, that I couldn’t help but enjoy animating them, and seeing the stories unravel. I also think these shorts really reflect who I am more than anything else I’ve done, so they are very dear to me. And I’d say with all the love I put into it that ‘Fox & Calf’ is my best work.

Question
What do you find most challenging about stop-motion animation? And what do you most enjoy about it.

Answer
The isolation can be pretty hard, so it’s important to surround yourself with people you love, and fun and excitement during the hours you are not pushing the puppets. It’s important to keep a balance. I also hate doing walk cycles, so I usually do everything in my power to cheat and not show a character walking. I think the most fun is the moments when the characters begin to come alive, whether it’s during the sculpting process, or watching the playback for the first time. I love it.

Question
Any recommendations for people who want to start off in stop-motion but don't really know where to start?

Answer
Start small. There’s no need to make a feature or even a 5-minute film right off the bat. Take little steps; explore, experiment, have fun, make mistakes. The best lessons are the ones you’ll learn the hard way.