The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast

This is the one! Voice-over actor extraordinaire, the legendary Jim Cummings, sits with the Bancroft Brothers and talks about some of his favorite characters. Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Darkwing Duck, and Ray from The Princess and the Frog are just the start of his A-list character roles. Have you ever wondered what it takes to make a career as a voice-over actor? Like honey from a bear, hear it straight from Winnie the Pooh himself! Available on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast.

In this episode, we welcome back the great character designer, Stephen Silver! This was a pre-recorded lecture he gave at our own Animation Y'all Expo in 2025, which we wanted to share for the first time on our animation podcast! Stephen, who has also been an artist recruiter at Disney Animation, gives his guidance to artists on how to approach their career and their passion all in this lecture! He's been on both sides of the portfolio review, so sit back and hear a very unique viewpoint from an inspirational speaker!

Join Tom and Tony as they talk with Kevin Lima, the original director of the Disney classic "A Goofy Movie," and Juan Urbina, Animation Director and owner of Venturia Animation. They discuss their adventures making the popular documentary "Not Just A Goof," which is currently screening on Disney+ and has been nominated for an Annie Award. We share behind-the-scenes stories of this unlikely documentary about an unlikely film that has gone on to change lives!

Editing an Animated Feature with Tom Scott

With their short film "Snow Bear" short listed for an Academy Award nomination Tom and Tony speak to Director/ Animator Aaron Blaise and producer Nick Burch about what to do after you've made your short. We get into submitting to film festivals, award shows, distribution and opportunities that come from making a short animated masterpiece.

In the first half of the episode, Tom and Tony sit down to discuss some of the unexpected theatrical animation hits of the year and slide into the unexpected: a film review! In the second half, the brothers review (and critique) the biggest film of the year: "K-Pop Demon Hunters"!

In this podcast, straight from Animation Y'all Expo 2025, is the amazing visual development artist Shannon Hallstein! In this art lecture, she discusses her approach to working in Procreate, her creative influences, and telling stories using color, composition, and layout. But, because she had many physical examples on the screens in person, we recommend viewing her art on Instagram while listening (@the_blue_leviathan). Enjoy this mini-Masterclass with Shannon Hallstein!

Tis the season to talk about Christmas animated films and there is none that brings more cheer than Disney's long running "Prep and Landing" animated specials! Tom and Tony rangle some reindeer fun with their interview with Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol Executive Producers, Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton! These directing/producing/writing partners have helmed all of the Prep and Landing Christmas spirit through the years! Join our lively discussion wherever you listen to your podcasts!

Instagram Comments We Wish We Posted - Hash it out

Flashback Friday with Bruce W. Smith Were you one of the millions of kids that grew up watching "The Proud Family" TV series on the Disney Channel in the 90s? If so, you're in for a great show with series creator Bruce Smith. Find out why Robin Williams called him "the Animator" and why the animation world looks up to Bruce Smith! The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is sponsored by Stuart Ng Books!

In this episode, Tony and Tom tap three recently graduated animation students to discuss what they are experiencing in the scary "real world" of animation! We feature Riley Housden (Undrgraduate), Dakota Byard (Masters), and Jacob Birm (Masters) all of which attended the Lipscomb Animation program in Nashville. Find out their thoughts and expectations in school and the reality they hit up against going into the industry and even how they feel AI will affect them now and in the future. You gotta hear this one!

Indie Animation with the founder of Brazen Animation - Bryan Engram

To celebrate today’s release of the 2d animated film “Light of the World”- a film the Bancroft’s worked on- they discuss the ins and outs of creating a 2d independent animated feature film. They are joined by directing partner John J Schafer and producer Pam Darley. Let’s get into it!

The Bancroft’s sit down with Julia McIntyre, also known as @thebookishanimator_ After losing her dream job in 2d animation, she gained popularity on her social media by creating animated scenes based on books she was reading. Publishers now come to her to create custom content for new book releases!

Welcome to a fun and inspiring episode of our podcast, featuring YouTube character designer, filmmaker, and influencer Jackie Droujko! 🎙✨ In this candid conversation, Jackie opens up about her creative journey — from early struggles to major successes — and shares the lessons she’s learned along the way.

It's podcast episode 275 and we saved it for the amazing Kyle T. Webster! If you have used Photoshop within the last five years, you know Kyle by his digital brushes that he created for Adobe. He has an interesting story of being the forerunner of creating digital brushes, creating relationships with major studios, being an early entrepreneur on Gumroad, and his more recent decision to leave Adobe to join Procreate! Get "brushed up" on Kyle in this episode!

Is 2d animation making a comeback? It is if you're talking with Tom and Tony and Aaron Blaise and Nick Burch! Join these four animation vets as they discuss where 2d animation is now, what's happening with Aaron's one man-, hand drawn "Snow Bear" short film, will Disney get back into the 2d game, and what's next for this group of 2d animation lovers!

There are a flood of amazing animated short films out and coming your way so Tony and Tom are sitting with a few creators to discuss their films pre-Oscar buzz! For this episode, the Bancrofts interview Disney animation supervisor Nathan Englehardt and Disney Storyboard artist Jeremy Spears, the two creators/directors of the CG animated short film "Forevergreen". This short was created by themselves and a small team of dedicated artists, all on their "off hours" from their jobs at Disney and elsewhere. No big studio funding, just lots and lots of sweat and love poured into a film that has an amazing style and story. Don't miss this episode!

Tony (without Tom this time) sits down with the founders of Steamroller Animation- a new independent animation studio that is creating "steam" throughout the industry! Innovative training programs and interesting projects abound at Steamroller. Have a listen to hear how they are trying to make a difference in the US animation market!