2021 Recap Of Commercial + Freelance Work!
I was reflecting on this past year and thought it would be nice to keep track and catalog all the different projects I’ve been able to do each year. In 2020, I worked on one show and had 2 1/2 months off, but I also moved 3 times and it was… you know… 2020.
In 2021, I had the privilege of seeing 13 new episodes air that I worked on, I got to storyboard on 2 different shows (and still working on the 2nd one), I boarded a few commercials, an interstitial and I did some freelance illustration for various clients. I also moved (again) and have nested nicely into my new little studio space. Here’s a quick recap of 2021:
Commercial Work Highlights
New Let’s Go Luna Episodes Aired - PBS Kids
Last year, PBS aired 13 new episodes that I storyboarded and did additional writing on back in 2019-2020. Here’s the list of the ones I worked on along with which half I boarded and who I worked with:
“Big Little Trouble“ - 2nd half
Board Partner: Keith Silva
“Give Me A Sign” - 2nd Half
Board Partner: Keith Silva
“Muddy Miracle” - 1st Half
Board Partner: Keith Silva
“Old School“ - 2nd Half
Board Partner: Keith Silva
“Blanket Decision“ - 1st Half
Board Partner: Keith Silva
“Barry and the Lost Smell“ - 1st Half
Board Partner: Michelle Rincon
“Robo Kid“ - 2nd Half
Board Partner: Ben Fosselman
“Gaja’s Birthday“ - 2nd Half
Board Partner: Keith Silva
“Volcano Boy“ - 1st Half
Board Partner: Keith Silva
“Leo The Nessie Hunter“ - 2nd Half
Board Partner: Michelle Rincon
“Fabuloso’s New Clothes“ - 2nd Half
Board Partner: Ben Fosselman
“Way of the Gaucho“ - 1st Half
Board Partner: Ben Fosselman
“It’s a Beautiful, Wonderful Life“ - 2nd Half
Board Partner: Ben Fosselman
Seeing the fruits of my labor here from the year or two prior was so cool. I would watch them in my living room and see a gag I forgot I included or I’d remember an inside joke from how we pitched it a certain way. Storyboarding on Luna was such a fast turnaround that we’d be churning out episodes and forget what episodes we did 2 episodes ago.
Apparently some other new episodes came out in Canada but not in the USA yet… so I’ll be sure to post about them when they finally air here!
Jelly Ben, & Pogo - PBS Kids
I worked on Jelly Ben and Pogo as a storyboard artist from March to June in 2021. The show was produced at Primal Screen in Atlanta, GA. I storyboarded on 6 episodes total and my first episode “Kamayan“ aired on PBS Kids in October! Since Primal Screen was producing it all in-house, the episodes were ready a few months after I turned in my board (very unusual for me since it’s normally over a year before I see the final animation of what I boarded). Anyways, here’s the animatic I made for the Kamayan episode:
You can watch the finished episode HERE ON PBS KIDS.
NDA series at Daily Madness Productions (Currently On)
Here’s a little something I drew to announce my first day as a storyboard artist at Daily Madness Productions back in September. It’s a studio in Dublin, Ireland and since everything is remote, I’ve been able to work with some really lovely and talented people across the globe.
I’ve storyboarded 2 episodes on the show so far and I’m currently on my 3rd. It’s my first 3D show I’ve worked on so I’ve been learning a lot! It’s also an NDA show which means I’ll have to wait till it airs before I can share :)
Rick and Morty Commercial IDs - Adult Swim
After I finished working on Jelly Ben & Pogo at Primal Screen, I stayed on as a freelancer and would jump onto shorter projects they had throughout the year. One cool project was to storyboard and create animatics for 2 different Rick and Morty Adult Swim ID’s. Below is what I boarded and what Primal Screen produced:
ID # 1 - “Rick Balls”
My Animatic:
The Completed ID:
ID # 2 - “Mt. Rickmore”
My Animatic:
The Completed ID:
*All animation, design and sound are by Primal Screen*
“Hello Around the World“ Interstitial - Cartoonito
Another short project I did at Primal Screen was to storyboard and create an animatic for a 1 minute interstitial called “Hello Around the World“. It’s a fun little short showing all the different ways to say “hello“ and was created for Cartoonito (the preschool programming block for Cartoon Network and HBO Max). Here’s my animatic vs. the final animation:
The Completed Interstitial:
*All animation, design and sound are by Primal Screen*
Freelance Work Highlights
Working in animation and being project-to-project allows me to do different types of projects when I’m not at a studio. Here’s a few projects I did for various clients in 2021:
Pattern Design - Soulbaby Apparel
In November, I got to design this pattern for baby clothes and they specifically wanted cute piggies living it up in space.
Map for A Wedding Venue - The Wheeler House
Earlier in 2021, I was asked to design a grounds and to-do’s map that brides and wedding parties could give to their guests staying in town at The Wheeler House.
Trailer Layout Designs - Happy Camper
I worked with a company that customizes travel trailers and got to design a few different layouts and illustrations for them. Here’s one design for the “Mobile Office”:
Logos - Lewis Mobile Automotive + Rev Search
I took on 2 logo design projects: one for a mobile automotive business and another for a recruiting and staffing firm. It’s always fun to be collaborative and create something unique that reflects the client’s brand and types of business. Here are the silhouette versions of the logos:
Commissioned Illustration - Small Circle Life
Here’s an illustration I designed for Small Circle Life - They wanted their brand mascot toasting to the good life with Rick Ross.
Commissioned Illustration - Aero Productions
I illustrated a Christmas postcard for my brother’s audio/visual company Aero Productions. Here I have Santa bringing some holiday cheer with the latest mixing and lighting gear:
And Lastly, a little WFH Office Update
At the beginning of 2021, my husband and I were staying with my brother’s house while we were looking for our next apartment. I worked out of a spare bedroom with the bare bones; my equipment, a borrowed table and chair. Here’s me on my first day on Jelly, Ben & Pogo back in March:
In June, my husband and I moved into our little 1-bedroom apartment. I started working in the living room and moved my desk set up 3 different times before I settled on the corner in our bedroom. I always said I hated working where I slept during the pandemic and tried to avoid it when we moved here, but then I realized how important a door was.
My Current Studio Setup
Welcome to my cozy, little studio corner where I can come and be creative, gather my thoughts, dream of new projects and just be. I’ll wake up, leave the room to make coffee, and then come back to draw up whatever task is at hand for the day.
2021 was an awesome year of growth and jumping into new areas. I’m so grateful to God for all the opportunities and blessings I’ve had this past year and I’m thankful for all the wonderful people I’ve been able to work with. If you’ve made it this far down the post then I thank you for all your support and interest in my work.
2022 has been off to a great start and I’ll keep you all posted on all the things I’ll get to create this year!
Cheers,
Kathy Jo
