Josh Martin

Could you tell us more about who you are and what you do?

My name is Joshua Martin, I am a 23-year-old illustrator and animator.
I grew up watching animated films from Disney, Pixar, etc. There was this beautiful wonder about them that caught my attention.

I had a late start to my art journey; I only started drawing when I was about 17 years old, so I always felt behind. But when I started taking an art class in high school, I knew this was what I was going to do for the rest of my life, and I was motivated to make it happen.

I spent three years in school studying Illustration. My goal was (and still is) to work as a visual development artist on animated films, so I started working on my senior thesis project, Elephant Tracks, as a freshman.

After graduating in 2023, I began Elephant Tracks' festival run. It went on to win 7 awards along with several selections and honorable mentions. Since then, I have been doing freelance Illustration and animation work with over a dozen different clients, and am now developing my second animated short film, "Rain Check", which is currently in production.

How did you start making animation? Do you remember some of your first exercises?

My interests began in Illustration, and do still lie there mostly. However, I started exploring animation when I decided I was going to animate my own senior thesis animated short film (way bigger of an undertaking than I understood at the time).

My school didn't have as expansive of a 2D animation program as they do now when I was studying, so I taught myself 2D animation mostly.

I watched countless YouTube videos on animation fundamentals, character animation, etc. I worked hard for years developing my film. Some of my first exercises were the classics that most animators do: ball bounce and walk cycle.

How did you discover Callipeg? What made you want to try it?

In 2021, I began researching animation apps I could use for my senior thesis film. Nothing was catching my eye for what I was looking for.
Until I found Callipeg.

I downloaded Callipeg, and it was perfect. I believe at the time, Callipeg had only come out a year ago, so it was fairly new, but even then, it was perfect for what I needed.

Fast-forward to 2023, I used callipeg to animate the entirety of my 10-minute 2D animated short film "Elephant Tracks".

Can you present «Elephant Tracks » ?

Elephant Tracks is a 10 Minute 2D animated short film about a young man who has lost his spark due to an accident and must, with the help of his childhood stuffed elephant, learn to forgive himself and others and rekindle his relationships.

Elephant Tracks is a 7-time award-winning short film, and I would love for you to check it out here!

How did Callipeg help in the production of this film?

Callipeg was an amazing asset to have while making Elephant Tracks.

Obviously, the film wouldn't even exist without the animation part of the process, so I'm very thankful that I found callipeg when I did.

Callipeg is very intuitive and really assists the animator/artist in achieving their goal. The organization features that Callipeg has really benefited our production on both of my short films. It helps me keep everything organized so I can easily reference it when needed.

It has everything you could need as a 2D animator to make a short film or just practice some animation.

It has been amazing to see Callipeg grow into what it is, and see how many people are using it now.

What are the features that are most useful to you and how do you use them?

The various features, such as in-between assist, the lasso/move tool, and transformation layer, are some of my go to's and favorites.

They really make the process easier, but still keep the artist at the forefront.
I use the lasso/move tool the most, probably.

My process usually goes: Rough, cleaned up, final lineart.

So when I am animating my rough animation, I am moving things a lot. The lasso tool allows me to select just the head, for example, and turn it slightly, and kind of move things the way I need to, to achieve the look I want.

How does working on an iPad affect your workflow?

The mobility is amazing. I work from home, from my couch, or in coffee shops. It makes the process feel more casual and accessible, which helps psychologically.

I don’t feel like I need to “set everything up” to work — I can just pick up my iPad and start animating.

How did you manage your time on such a large project?

My schedule changed a lot because of school, so I worked on it whenever I could. Sometimes I was more productive than other times. But because everything is on my iPad, it felt easy to jump back in without friction.

Do you have some advices on character animation? What did you learn along this first production?

Character animation can be very daunting, and I still don't feel that I've mastered it, but I think we're all always learning.

My biggest advice that I, and really any animator, will give you is to record reference.

You're not expected to know how the human person moves in every situation. I have the entirety of my short films recorded in a version of me running around my room, recording reference. It will be so helpful to use as a base.

What's important, though, is to use it as a reference only and remember to push beyond it.Animation is all about exaggeration, so don't be afraid to push your poses and references further than what you're physically able to do.

Can you present a shot you made with Callipeg and tell us more about the process behind it?

One of my favorite shots I've done in Callipeg, still to this day, is one of the big climax shots in my short film, "Elephant Tracks".

It is moments before our main character has his revelation moment. Funny enough, this was actually one of the first shots I ever animated for the project. There are definitely parts of it that can be improved, but it still holds a special place in my heart. It was such a fun shot to create because I had to capture the emotion of the character and his feeling of wonder at this magic that was swirling around him.

Everything in this shot was done in Callipeg, as well. From the animation, to the color, to the lighting.

I started with a rough, skeleton-like animation for this, then cleaned it up using the character model to stay consistent. Then I cleaned up the animation and in betweened it. After that, I colored it with flat colors and then added lighting effects on top. Then, bringing in the final pieces with animating the magic effects, and adding the background environment.

This shot alone was a big endeavor, but it was well worth it, and Callipeg made it that much easier and fun to create.

You’re currently working on your new short film « Rain Check ».
What is the story? How is the production going?

I am working on my second animated short film, "Rain Check". It is another 2D animated short film, and it is about two strangers on an awkward first date who must learn to navigate their nerves and unexpected challenges to find a connection.

I first developed this story idea a little over a year ago, and about a year ago at this point, began pre-production. I worked most of last year on character designs, style exploration, storyboards, etc. Towards the end of last year, we began production and are now full steam ahead in animation.

Much like my first film, "Elephant Tracks" we are using Callipeg to its full potential to animate this film. It has proved even more useful since Elephant Tracks, with some new features.

This film is a big step up for me from my first film, "Elephant Tracks". I've learned so much since making my first film and can't wait for everyone to see it. You can follow our production to stay up to date.

What would you tell to someone who is just starting animation?

One piece of advice I received when starting my art/animation journey is "leave your ego at the door". It basically means, don't be afraid to fail.

When you allow yourself to fail, you give yourself room for growth.

Don't expect greatness right away, because, for most, it won't come. Building your craft in art or animation takes time, so be patient and give yourself some grace.

Get feedback from other people if possible, watch YouTube videos, go to school for animation. If you want to pursue animation, you have to really be motivated and do everything it takes to make it happen.

Don't give up, and keep practicing.

Discover Josh's work on Instagram.