Over the past 30 years, Kyle Balda has risen from humble animator to co-director of beloved kids’ movies Minions: The Rise of Gru and Despicable Me 3. Beginning in animation for films including Mars Attacks, The Mask, and Toy Story 2, Kyle met director Pierre Coffin in Europe and helped create the animated series Pat & Stan, which would build the foundations for the Minions’ lovable antics.

In this illuminating podcast, Kyle shares the essential lessons he learned as an animator and his path to the director’s chair. He reveals the organic process of creating a Minions movie, from the initial concept with the writer to the collaborative addition of ideas as more people get involved. Kyle also gives a positive perspective on AI and its role in CG movies, and he shares his thoughts on how animation has evolved from a genre to a medium.

Ryan Woodward began his career in traditional animation for movies, including cult classics The Iron Giant and Space Jam, before becoming a storyboard artist on Spider-Man 2, Iron Man 2, and Avengers Assemble, and creating the stirring short, “Thought of You.” Today, he’s pursuing many avenues for his creative powers.

In this podcast, recorded at THU in Japan, he talks about how he’s found happiness after some perilous life moments. He also dives deep into story, and how his understanding of metaphysics and neuroscience led to a breakthrough that can avoid formulaic Hollywood tales. Anyone with a creative streak will recognize Ryan’s career path, and his advice on how to navigate it is invaluable.

Murai Sadayuki is the writer behind some of the most astonishing and groundbreaking anime films of all time, including the Hitchcockian Perfect Blue, Otomo’s Akira follow-up Steamboy, and the reality-blurring Millennium Actress. But he’s not done yet: he continues to write for TV series, including Knights of Sidonia, Godzilla, and Sabikui Bisco.

Conducted at THU via a translator, this podcast sees Chris discover the world of Japanese animated movie-making and storytelling. Murai explains the importance of Godzilla, Ultraman, Akira, and WWII in Japanese culture. He also discusses the back-and-forth between Western and Japanese movie-making, and gives us his thoughts on what it means to be a creative person today.

What can today’s artists and storytellers learn from an ancient Japanese method? In this podcast, Chris is joined by Google brand expert Cláudia Cristovão, who practices Kintsugi, the art of taking old ceramics and repairing them with gold-infused sap that grows stronger with time.

Building on her presentation at the THU festival in Kaga, Japan, Cláudia explains how Kintsugi’s restorative, meditative process can apply to art and even people themselves. Claudia brings a refreshing perspective on creativity to the podcast, and she also reveals how upcoming artists can build their own brands.

Amy Aniobi is a whirlwind of inspiration, smart advice, and creative energy. As a young girl, she was inspired by Frasier and Boy Meets World to become a writer. After graduating from Stanford University, she entered the industry and worked her way up to becoming head writer, executive producer, and director of HBO’s Insecure. In addition, she co-hosts The Antidote podcast and has movie projects coming up with Fox and Universal.

Recorded at THU in Japan, Amy talks about getting ahead in the industry and how she honed her creative skills and found her voice. She also shares how she’s helping fellow Black writers make a name for themselves, gives her thoughts on AI as a writing tool, and reveals why Barbie and Oppenheimer are bringing authorship back to the big screen.