Animax Interns Blog: End of Summer

Hi there! I’m Malcolm Bornmann, Animax’s Summer 2021 Marketing and Events Intern. Welcome to my final entry in the Animax Interns Blog, where I share first-hand accounts of what it’s like to work at this awesome company!

On behalf of us interns, I would like to express how much joy these past few months have been for all of us. We’ve been able to meet and work with amazing people, have gotten to do really cool things, and have grown as young professionals in the process. Because our internships have allowed us to grow our individual skill sets within the interdisciplinary, collaborative, and creative environment that is Animax, we’ve all been able to gain a better understanding of how we can each use our individual strengths to support the team effort in bringing beloved characters to life.

Animax truly has been a wonderful place to be. So much so, that some of us are actually staying at Animax past our internships, with others returning to school for Fall Semester. Regardless of where our journeys will lead us, however, we all are grateful for our time at Animax.

We would like to thank everyone at Animax for being so supportive and welcoming to all of us throughout these past few months!

We additionally would like to thank everyone who has viewed our blogs for taking the time to read about our experiences! Those blogs can be found be here:

Malcolm Bornmann, Marketing and Events Intern

Melody Sivri, Mechanical Engineering Intern

Anna Buntin, Soft Goods Intern

Devon Limcangco, Controls Intern

Jessica Mizuno, Marketing Intern

Sidney Chan, Mechanical Design Intern

As we look towards the future, the hope is that this internship program can grow. For those interested in future internship positions at Animax, we highly recommend applying when those positions become available! You’ll have an Animax Awesome time :)

And with that, The Animax Summer 2021 Interns say our goodbye.

Animax Interns Blog: Mechanical Design

About

Salutations! I’m Malcolm Bornmann, Animax’s Summer 2021 Marketing and Events Intern. Welcome to the Animax Interns Blog, where I share first-hand accounts of what it’s like to work at this awesome company!

Today’s post is about Animax’s Summer 2021 Mechanical Design Engineering Intern, Sidney Chan:

Water Mitigation

Sidney studies mechanical engineering and is a Certified SolidWorks Professional in Mechanical Design. Thus far in his internship, he’s spent the majority of his time utilizing his educational background to help the Mechanical Design & Engineering Team in their water mitigation efforts.

For those not aware, water mitigation is the process of reducing an animated figures’ exposure to humidity and direct rain through the fabrication of protective barriers that cover vulnerable parts of the figure in order to increase that figure’s lifespan. Because each figure is mechanically different and features different ranges of motion, there is no one-size-fits-all solution; each of these parts must be originally designed and custom-built to solve the particular need.

So far, Sidney has created 18 water mitigation parts for 2 hero characters that will be featured in an upcoming e-ticket attraction at a major theme park. To accomplish such a feat, he goes through the engineering design process for each part. He first identifies his constraints by looking at the figure’s assembly. He then brainstorms and sketches solutions for how a part could attach to the figure without getting in the way of its movement, pitching his ideas to the team. Once a solution is chosen, Sidney creates a SolidWorks model from the sketch, receiving feedback on the model and making revisions as necessary. Once the model is approved and determined to be best designed for manufacturability and assembly, Sidney creates a drawing file to document the exact measurements of the part. The part is then 3D printed and attached to the physical figure as the final step in the process.

In addition to his water mitigation tasks, Sidney sits in on engineering meetings where external feedback from the client and internal feedback from the team is reviewed. He also has helped the Marketing Department with an upcoming industry event by exporting vector files from SolidWorks that will be compiled into a printed graphic for that event.

Reflection

Working at Animax has reconfirmed Sidney’s passion for SolidWorks and has made him even more excited about how he can use that skill set on future themed entertainment projects. He’s learned how important it is to communicate ideas effectively and has gained a better understanding of how robots work in general. When reflecting on his time here at Animax, he states, “What I’ve enjoyed most about my time at Animax is that as an intern, I’m not just a cog in a machine, I actually get to contribute as a young professional in creating themed experiences. When I go to a theme park, I can now see my work come alive, which is a dream come true!”

Animax Interns Blog: Marketing

About

Hi there! I’m Malcolm Bornmann, Animax’s Summer 2021 Marketing and Events Intern. Welcome to the Animax Interns Blog, where I share first-hand accounts of what it’s like to work at this awesome company!

Today’s post is about Victory Hill Exhibitions’ Summer 2021 Marketing Intern, Jessica Mizuno:

Victory Hill Exhibitions

Based in Las Vegas, Victory Hill Exhibitions is Animax’s sister company, specializing in exhibition design and execution, with both companies being owned by Cityneon Holdings. Animax and Victory Hill have worked on multiple projects together with more in the pipeline, and because of this, Victory Hill’s Marketing Manager actually works onsite at Animax to help facilitate communication between both companies.

This is where Jessica comes in. Due to the special circumstances of the pandemic and the nature of her role, it ended up making more sense for Jessica to conduct her internship here in Nashville instead of Las Vegas. So, we adopted her into the Animax Family and she now helps both Animax and Victory Hill with their marketing initiatives!

Marketing for Two Companies

Jessica is an Economics Major and Hospitality Minor, which has served her well in assisting Victory Hill with their outreach efforts. Thus far, Jessica has conducted market research for internal use, has proofread and edited digital press releases that were translated from Chinese to English, and has updated sales decks with new statistics and imagery that will then be shown to potential clients. She also sits-in on scheduling and logistics meetings where she’s able to gain better insight on the innerworkings of the company.

As for helping out Animax, Jessica worked with a small team of individuals to create a multi-page InDesign document that details Animax’s entire project workflow. While her team members focused on overall layout and media gathering, Jessica interviewed leadership and other members within each Animax department to gather data that she then turned into copy. Creating this document took many weeks, but was a worthwhile effort, as it will help clients better understand scope and how that may factor into the overall costs of a project.

Reflection

Working for both companies has allowed Jessica to grow her expertise within the field of marketing. Through her time with Victory Hill, for example, she experienced marketing on an international scale, which taught her how different countries have different marketing expectations and practices. Her tasks at Animax, on the other hand, provided her the opportunity to better learn how an entire business operates.

When asked about her overall internship experience, Jessica states, “It’s amazing to see how much time and effort goes into everything that both companies do. It’s given me a better appreciation for the craft. I’m able to see Animax make the stuff and then see Victory Hill sell the stuff, allowing me to follow a project all the way through, which is very fulfilling!”

Animax Interns Blog: Controls

About

Greetings! I’m Malcolm Bornmann, Animax’s Summer 2021 Marketing and Events Intern. Welcome to the Animax Interns Blog, where I share first-hand accounts of what it’s like to work at this awesome company!

Today’s post is about Animax’s Summer 2021 Controls Intern, Devon Limcangco:

Working in Controls

Devon has utilized her background in electrical engineering to assist the Controls Team in a variety of ways. She helped refurbish the wiring of a puppetronic for a major theme park, ensured that the power supplies for a well-known costumed character was in working order before submission to a client, and brought a dinosaur to life by tuning motors, labeling cabinets, and pulling an e-stop button when the dinosaur needed a nap!

Devon is currently working in conjunction with our R&D team on a humanoid robot! The objective of this project is simple, yet complex to achieve: to get every electrical component as tiny as possible in order to ensure that movement and look is as natural as possible. To help with this effort, she has routed wires to mimic the veins of a human body, tied cables together with an Automation Knot, programmed maximum and minimum ranges of motion into our robot-moving software, soldered circuit boards, shopped for parts listed in our BOM, and created electrical drawings for a 4-budded e-stop that details such things as the location of safety relays and where ground and power go. Animatronics typically only have two e-stop buttons, so having one with four provides a unique learning opportunity for Devon!

Reflection

As a result of working on a multitude of projects, Devon’s been able to learn more about the engineering design process and how engineering teams must work together to solve problems. She additionally has grown her technical skill sets in all aspects of electrical engineering, while having fun and making friends in the process! When asked about how Animax has impacted her understanding of electrical engineering, Devon states, “Working at Animax has taught me just how creative the engineering field is and how wires and cables are like paint strokes that create great, beautiful artwork!”

Animax Interns Blog: Soft Goods

About

Howdy! I’m Malcolm Bornmann, Animax’s Summer 2021 Marketing and Events Intern. Welcome to the Animax Interns Blog, where I share first-hand accounts of what it’s like to work at this awesome company!

Today’s post is about Animax’s Summer 2021 Soft Goods Intern, Anna Buntin:

Working with Soft Goods

Anna has a background in theatrical costume design and puppet construction, making her a perfect fit for our Soft Goods Department! This department focuses on four main areas of production: Costuming, Patterning, Fabrication, and Finishing, all of which Anna has been able to experience during her time here at Animax.

Thus far in her internship, Anna has hand-stitched dinosaur skins onto foam limbs, stretched skins to help with dinosaur scale texturing, and made many mold socks, which are stretchy pieces of fabric that go over a 3D print to help silicon attach to a moving mech body. She additionally has cut and shaped foam, honed her measuring abilities through precision work, and is now working with our Master Patterner to learn patternmaking!

Reflection

Working within Soft Goods has allowed Anna to grow both her soft and hard skills while gaining a well-rounded perspective on the Animax design process! She’s improved her sense of detail, her confidence in effective communication, and so much more, all thanks to this internship!

When discussing what’s excited her the most about working at Animax, Anna states, “Puppetry has always been a vital and revered form of theatre and communication for me. It’s an old art form, but Animax has turned it into something new and breathtaking by incorporating new technology – it’s bananas!”

Animax Interns Blog: Mechanical Engineering

About

Hello again! I’m Malcolm Bornmann, Animax’s Summer 2021 Marketing and Events Intern. Welcome to the Animax Interns Blog, where I share first-hand accounts of what it’s like to work at this awesome company!

Today’s post is about Animax’s Summer 2021 Mechanical Engineering Intern, Melody Sivri:

Engineering At Animax

Melody’s background is in mechanical engineering and drafting, which she uses to help the Animax Engineering Team in their creation of dynamic characters. Thus far in her internship, she’s revised the drawing packages for three hero figures that were then submitted to a major client for use during assembly and maintenance, she’s collected data that helped the team internally, and she now is designing a water mitigation feature in SolidWorks that will help a figure withstand climate conditions.

When not assisting the Animax Engineering Team, Melody loves to shadow the other Animax departments to learn as much as she can! Most recently, she witnessed the first-motion of an animatronic, a major accomplishment for our Controls Team, Assembly Team, and Engineering Team. This experience taught Melody more about the innerworkings of show control, which helped reinforce the importance of her own work.

Reflection

Throughout her internship, Melody’s been able to learn and grow as a result of each department welcoming her with open arms. In interacting with each department, she’s learned that teamwork is crucial to the Animax design system. “Learning something new every day is beyond exciting: the techniques, the materials, and seeing the parts on paper assembled in real life!” says Melody. “Above all these things, it's exciting to see everyone come together to bring these figures to life and come up with amazing solutions. It's truly emphasized the importance of teamwork and supporting one another.”

Animax Interns Blog: Social Media

About

Hello! My name is Malcolm Bornmann, the new Marketing and Events Intern here at Animax! As part of my newfound marketing duties, I am starting this Animax Interns Blog to share first-hand accounts of what it’s like to work at this awesome company!

Today’s blog entry is about the behind-the-scenes adventures of making an Animax social media post:

The Adventures of Botdog

Last week, I was tasked with brainstorming and executing a creative social media post for the Animax Instagram and Facebook accounts that celebrated the 4th of July. Taking inspiration from the plethora of animated figures that surround my office desk, and the annual Animax 4th of July Barbeque, I wondered: What would robots eat for the 4th of July?

A brainstorming session with my supervisor, Shay, quickly ensued, where it was soon determined that we would make a robotic version of a hot dog, or as we like to call it, a botdog!

I created a list of ingredients and then went food shopping in our various departments. Our Engineering Department provided the hot dog (a steel rod), our Soft Good Department provided the bun (foam), and our Controls Team provided the condiments (red and yellow electrical wires). It was a team effort!

Once the botdog was cooked and ready to be served, Shay, Jessica, another intern, and I then conducted a photoshoot of our animated figures enjoying their meal. Shay touched up the photos in Photoshop while I wrote a witty caption. I compiled everything into Metigy, our social media management platform, and the post was made, mission accomplished!

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Reflection

While an admittedly silly project, in many ways this social media post helped me understand the innerworkings of the Animax design process! In order for the project to be a success, we had to work as a team within the provided parameters while maintaining healthy and effective communication to ensure project goals were met. Each department contributed their unique skillsets, helping to creatively solve the challenge at hand, building off of the work from other departments.

It was such a joy to see the smile on peoples’ faces when I asked them to help me out with making a botdog! I could tell that people at Animax truly love their individual lines of work!

Overall, I appreciated the creative freedom of this project and how it allowed me to learn more about the various departments of Animax!

Check out the post here

Animax Up Close: A Video Series

In 2021, Animax is happy to share more in-depth stories with our clients, prospects, and fans! Throughout the year we will be posting articles that will focus on an individual staff member, highlighting their work, passions, and philosophies.

We hope through this series that you will get to know more about us - who we are, what we do, and how we operate on a more personal level. We have a veritable trove of talented individuals - designers, engineers, sculptors, painters, stitchers, fabricators, managers, producers, programmers, machinists, and makers of all sorts. We can't wait to show off their prowess and - more importantly - their passion for the work they do to bring our clients’ characters to life.

Stay tuned throughout the year as we share our stories one by one!

Our first story comes in the form of a film. Titled “From the Clay,” this video is about our lead sculptural artist Chris Grondin. Chris has worked with us for over 3 years, coming from a diverse background in special effects makeup, bigfoot carving, and marine biology. Originally from a mill town in Maine, Chris has been able to live and work all over the country before making his way to Nashville and his home at Animax.

Enjoy this look into Chris’ work, his life, and his process.