Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amal Samuel. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amal, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Consistency, patience, self-discipline and grit are the key factors to make one successful! Success is not often an overnight achievement, but rather a steady consistent stream of taking steps towards the goal at hand.

Amal, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Amal Samuel; I am a Canadian Egyptian-Indian whose industry is animation. I have worked in this industry for the last 10 years, most recently as a line producer for the Disney Plus short film, ‘You Give Me Heart’, part of the Kizazi Moto Generation Fire series. I am also a Sheridan College grad (Computer Animation & FX) and have an arts and business background. As a kid, my dream was to be a cartoonist, to create the next Calvin & Hobbes! Since I did not know courses that taught cartooning at the time, I turned to animation as I have been a life long Disney & Looney Tunes fan. I still consider cartoonists to be my heroes and met one, Lynn Johnson of For Better or For Worse. Aside of working in production, I also do character design and consultation for pitch decks and help clients put character faces to their vision of an animated show as I have worked in development as well. I am also currently working on my own show pitch which I hope will find studio interest. I like writing as well and have done a few script writing workshops and have helped edit scripts in the past. I would love to bring more diversity to animation and help give a platform for the next generation of BIPOC (Black/indigenous/people of color) creators as there are so many stories that are yet to be told about cultures. I think what makes me different in my line of work is that I started out as an artist in the industry before I switched over to production. Having had the same training as artists in animation, I feel that it gives me unique insight as to how to better manage schedules work better with supervisors and leads. Some shows I have worked on in the past are Paw Patrol, Thomas and Friends, Barbie, Rick and Morty; each production has been different and a learning curve in itself. It’s cool to have been a part of shows that people love. What I would like people to know about me is that I am still first and foremost an artist at heart; I love to create new artwork each day whether it’s a silly cartoon or a deep self-portrait. Nothing makes me happier than drawing out an idea or helping others with their ideas. I am a creative and passionate Sagittarius.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

My advice for managing a team as a former production manager is to respect all and don’t give into micromanaging as that shows mistrust on your part; however, don’t let people walk all over you either. There’s a fine line between being a doormat and mutual respect. Also, when someone talks, learn to really listen to what they are saying. Check in with your team daily to see how they all are and how they’re doing to build rapport.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Too many to name, but Atomic Habits and Power are two good reads.

Contact Info:

• Website: hopeandabear.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ms_amal16
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/amal-samuel