🎙️ Episode 17 Don't change with the tides - Eric Calderon

For this episode, I sat down with Eric Calderon — animation producer, development executive, and founder of Surviving Animation. This conversation goes deep into the winding, unexpected path into animation, the power of clarity in storytelling, how community can keep people afloat, and what it means to learn and teach at the same time in a changing industry.

We talk about:

✨ Early Obsessions

Eric looks back on the childhood mix that shaped him — Schoolhouse Rock, Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny, Transformers, G.I. Joe, and the early wave of Japanese animation that sparked a lifelong love of the medium.

🎬 From Business Major to Animation Executive

He shares how he didn’t go to art school, but instead started in business, drifted through different paths, and eventually found his way into animation through MTV, script reading, and development.

📼 Learning on the Job at MTV

Eric talks about reading pitches, developing projects, and producing pilots during the height of MTV’s creative influence — a crash course in how stories, brands, and networks really work.

🧠 The Importance of Clarity

A major theme of the episode is the value of sharp, clear storytelling. Eric explains why original ideas need focus, why “putting everything in” usually weakens a project, and why simplicity often wins.

🌍 From the West to Japan

He also reflects on his years working in Japan with Studio Gonzo, where he had to unlearn old assumptions and adapt to an entirely different creative and production culture.