Why Motion Designers Are Having a Moment — with Adobe's Michael Tanzillo

Why Motion Designers Are Having a Moment — with Adobe's Michael Tanzillo

Author: School of Motion: Design & Animation Training for MoGraph Artists September 10, 2025 Duration: 1:33:53
School of Motion Podcast
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From pouring drinks to lighting shots at Blue Sky to leading Adobe's Substance 3D team, Michael Tanzillo's professional path is anything but typical and his story is packed with lessons motion designers need to hear. Check out the corresponding blog post here: www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/adobe-michael-tanzillo In this episode of the School of Motion Podcast, EJ Hassenfratz sits down with Michael to talk about the state of 3D, why motion designers are impressing major animation studios, and how foundational skills (like lighting and storytelling) will outlast any software trend.

🗒️ SHOW NOTES

Michael Tanzillo https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeltanzillo/

The 3D Artist Newesletter https://3dartist.substack.com/

Jasmine Katadakarn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmine-katatikarn/

Alwyn Hunt https://www.therookies.co/about/team/alwyn-hunt

Andrew Kramer https://www.videocopilot.net/contact/company/

Sebastian Deguy https://x.com/sebdeguy?lang=en

Nick Campbell https://nickvegas.com/

Connor Henkle  https://vimeo.com/996490291?fl=pl&fe=ti&pgroup=plv

Connor Henkle on SOM podcast https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/connor-henkle-sports-design

Patrick Foley https://www.instagram.com/patrick_4d/

Colosseum https://colosseum.co/

Winbush https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmzWP6o2cw73moEF7LO_KvA

PJ Richardson https://www.pj-richardson.com/

Victoria Nece https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-nece

Sora https://openai.com/sora/

Midjourney https://www.midjourney.com

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/

Substance 3D stager https://www.adobe.com/products/substance3d/apps/stager.html

Omniverse https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/omniverse/

Structure reference tool https://www.adobe.com/learn/firefly/web/generative-ai-structure-reference-image?learnIn=1&locale=en

USD (Universal Scene Description) https://3dartist.substack.com/p/demystifying-usd

Blue Sky App https://bsky.app/

NAB Conference https://www.nabshow.com/

Safe Space LA https://www.safe-space-la.com/

Camp Mograph https://www.campmograph.com/

Blue Sky Studios https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Sky_Studios

Pixar https://www.pixar.com/

20th Century Studios https://www.20thcenturystudios.com/

Disney https://www.disney.com/

The Mill https://www.themill.com/

Frame Store https://www.framestore.com/

Buck http://buck.tv/

Finding Nemo https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266543/

Ice Age Three https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1080016/

Rio https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1436562/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1

Peanuts Movie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2452042/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1

Nimona https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19500164/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1

Spider-Verse https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4633694/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_7_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_spider-man

Game of Thrones https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944947/

Severance https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11280740/

Flow https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4772188/

Wild Robot https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29623480/

The Whale https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13833688/

SCAD https://www.scad.edu/

Cinema 4D https://www.maxon.net/en/cinema-4d?srsltid=AfmBOoqj346c50q5PODG-_HTeZ017JdipbkaQRt_XDIX0NBHsGV7Mu-z

Maya https://www.autodesk.com/products/maya/overview

V-ray https://www.chaos.com/vray?srsltid=AfmBOoogC_jTWraDUnBTjNhG0pkAZ9csF4CO_mtNstdVflJtvuZ4zWju

Redshift https://www.maxon.net/en/redshift?srsltid=AfmBOoo_siCAT_UUp0clTp4nqupkBj5b8zl9tVbL_q_9s4rSApkihGbo

ZBrush https://www.maxon.net/en/zbrush?srsltid=AfmBOoo3KatuGEWJE2rr4ztpt3_DJlV7Wbz0dxzl1sY2pzACcpzxdeMI

Blender https://www.blender.org/

Lightroom https://lightroom.adobe.com/

Substance Painter https://www.adobe.com/products/substance3d.html

Substance Viewer https://helpx.adobe.com/substance-3d-viewer.html

Project Neo https://helpx.adobe.com/project-neo/help/overview.html

Mixamo https://www.mixamo.com/

Firefly https://www.adobe.com/products/firefly.html

Unreal Engine https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US

Mega Scans https://quixel.com/megascans


Tune into the School of Motion Podcast for a genuine look behind the scenes of the motion design industry. Created by the team at School of Motion, this series goes far beyond simple software tutorials, though you’ll certainly find deep dives into tools like After Effects and Cinema 4D. The real value lies in conversations with the people shaping the field-from working animators and 3D artists to producers and studio owners. Each episode explores the intricate balance between creative artistry and practical business, offering insights that are as useful for freelancers as they are for those leading creative teams. Whether you’re firmly established in your career or just 3D-curious, this podcast provides a thoughtful space to learn about craft, workflow, and sustaining a creative practice. It’s a resource that feels like having a direct line to the collective wisdom of a vibrant community, all dedicated to the art of making things move.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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