Meet Brandon Berger | Animation Director and Technical Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Berger and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I am from Tifton, a small town in southern Georgia. Primarily farm land, there was not much to do in the way of entertainment. My family ran an audio and television repair shop where I was surrounded by all forms of music, and a wall of televisions displaying various shows and movies around the clock. I grew up listening to Big Band music from the 30’s, Rock from the 70’s, Grunge from the 90’s, and everything in between. I also watched a bit of everything from game shows, sitcoms, and, of course, cartoons. I was obsessed with any animation that aired and would stop anything I was doing to watch my favorite shows. As I grew older, I migrated away from anything live action and instead watched exclusively animated shows. At an early age I knew I wanted to pursue a career in animation. I tried to imitate the art I saw but was pretty much on my own as far as training. I drew on the bus, in class, and at home. My parents were very supportive but always assumed I would grow out of my art phase. I used my art as a way to explore worlds and ideas beyond the confines of the town I was in. Boredom breeds creativity and in a town with nothing to do it was a great escape.

I started a full time job after school at the age of 15, where I worked at a gas station. It kept me out of trouble but also affected my grades. Working so much at an early age made my town feel even smaller. From school to work, and work to school I grew evermore restless to do something else. I continued drawing and making comics. Everyone that saw them said I would make something out of them one day, but in the meantime I stocked shelves and cleaned toilets. Determined to move forward, I enrolled at the local community college. Either because I’d gotten used to working and going to classes or because I enjoyed being there, college turned out to be easier for me. I did well in all my classes, and worked on improving my art portfolio to go to art school. My drive helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel. I think this work ethic has stayed with me over the years as I am rarely able to rest if there is anything that needs to be done. Any time I feel discouraged, I remember cleaning toilets and working my way through school and just how hard I worked to get where I am today.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My ultimate goal was always to make cartoons, but I didn’t know a path or a way to learn animation. So I worked on creating comics instead. I continued drawing and making my own comics through middle and high school. I had been advised to try to get in to the Savannah College of Art and Design as it was the only school around anyone knew that taught animation. SCAD was completely out of my price range however, and working a full time job through high school had taken a real toll on my grades. So scholarships were not an option. I instead started at ABAC, the local community college.

I made big strides in the art department there right away. Donna Hatcher, the art department chair, was as optimistic and determined to help as anyone could hope for. She didn’t know much about the animation industry but she did know a lot about how to prepare to get into SCAD. She guided me to work on areas of my portfolio that needed to be improved on. After graduating ABAC, my portfolio was strong enough to get me enough of a scholarship to get into SCAD.

Having worked so hard to get there, I wanted to get the most out of my time. So I double majored in Animation and Sequential Art. Though ill-advised, I was determined to go down both tracks. I graduated SCAD with both degrees and was finally ready to step into the animation industry.

I drove to New York, where I stayed with some friends for a month. Sleeping on their kitchen floor, I would spend the nights researching studios in the area, then the next day contacting them and trying to get interviews. I was offered a lot of unpaid internships but there was no way I could afford to stay in New York without income. So after a month I went back home. I had made various contacts through college and luckily one offered me a short time gig on a Pilot they were working on. I worked with them for two months and made enough to keep afloat while I looked for something more permanent.

After months of looking with no luck, I finally got in touch with a fellow class mate I knew had gotten work in Atlanta. She informed me that the contact I was reaching out to at her studio no longer worked there. So I needed to email someone else. After emailing the new contact I was hired to come work at Radical Axis in Atlanta. I still had no money so I moved into a spare bedroom at my aunt’s house.

While at Radical Axis I worked as hard as possible. Not only to make a good impression, but to learn as much about working in a studio and to make as many contacts as I could. As my time there ended, one of those contacts reached out about me joining their team at Floyd County Productions. I started there immediately after and continued working there for 13 years.

Rising through the ranks I continued learning as much as I could about every department. I showed an ability to work well in the technical side of animation. Developing systems for Preproduction to help aid in the animation process. So I gravitated to that area. Over the years I have worked as an Animation Director, Technical Director, Assistant Producer, and Lead Retakes Animator. It has been a long road but one that I continue to find joy in to this day.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Fat Matt’s
Antico’s Pizza
Mary Mac’s Tea Room
The Vortex
Cafe Intermezzo

The Aquarium
A Brave’s game
A show at the Fox
Scofflaw Brewery

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Donna Hatcher – One of the truist artists I have ever met, Donna pushed her students while sparking a sense of appreciation in all forms of art. She worked tirelessly to help her students achieve their goals. Be it for academic or self expression, Donna strived to make sure everyone saw the magic of creating.

Tom Lyle – Tom took the time to work with me in a lot of areas I needed improvement. From anatomy to perspective, his expertise and training helped me become a better storyteller with more grounded drawings and acting. He gave me the most blunt advice I ever received but always from a place of caring and teaching.

Troy Gustafson – Troy was a patient teacher who truly loved every aspect of the craft of animation. His admiration was infectious and he inspired his students to see the joy and beauty in the art form.

Website: https://brandonleeberger.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-berger-40590013

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bbergerart

Image Credits
Tiffany Berger