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

Breanna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I have ever worked on is a short animated film I wrote and am currently directing called Puddles. The story of Puddles was born in the quiet, exhausted hours of my life as an animation student, when dreams were vivid but my body was running on empty. At the time, I was juggling the relentless demands of full-time school and a full-time job. Most nights, I would come home too tired to function, sometimes collapsing on the bed still in my work uniform, too drained to even untie my shoes.

But I wasn’t alone in all of this. My partner became my anchor and the quiet strength who held me together when I was falling apart. He would gently coax me out of my exhaustion. Not only cheering me on while I chased my dreams but feeding me, caring for me and “rolling” me back into shape each night so I could face another day. That small, nightly ritual became our lifeline, an act of selfless love so constant and unspoken it held our world together.

But over time, I began to see the cracks in my partner too. I realized he was carrying more than his own weight, he was carrying mine as well. I saw the toll it took, how his light was flickering under the pressure of being everything for someone who had nothing left to give.

Puddles is a story about care, burnout, and the quiet heroism of love. As the story began to develop on paper it became a visual poem to those who hold us up and a gentle reminder to notice when they begin to sink. This film was my way of saying thank you, and I see you to him, and to everyone who’s ever loved someone through hard times. When I thumbed Puddles out in my sketchbook in the late hours one evening in my senior year of college I could have never imagined I would actually get to see this story come to life on screen but with an incredible team and a lot of love just that is happening now.

In November, my colleague Eddie Garcia and I grew frustrated with the search for opportunities—so we decided it was time to create our own. We founded an Indie animation studio called Tiny Planet Productions dedicated to preserving the craft of hand drawn 2d animation. We have assembled an amazing team of artists that have been willing to volunteer their time and skill to make Puddles a reality. In June New York State awarded Puddles the Arts Thrive and Grow Grant which we are incredibly grateful for and has been crucial in solidifying our studio. This project is not only meaningful to me because I wrote and am directing it but because we have built the most amazing community of creatives and kind people at our studio and I am so excited for what the future has in store for us!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I would say my artistic journey began after I decided to relocate permanently from my hometown in upstate New York to California. While in school at California State University Fullerton I fell in love with storyboarding and writing short films. After taking a class with Kati Angelov, one of most dedicated professors I have ever met, I got my first job in the industry as a storyboard intern with a small indie game studio. The internship was a dream because I got to storyboard the entire intro and ending cutscenes of the game and when I was kept on as a production artist I got to be involved with every step of the animation pipeline. By the time the game was complete I had learned an incredible amount and I am so grateful to have started my career working with such amazing people.

It’s hard to say exactly what I do because I wear a lot of hats! I am currently working as freelance storyboard artist and Illustrator. The first children’s book I illustrated for “The Fin-tactic Tale of the Sea of Gems” was just published in May. My “day job” so to speak is as a producer in marketing and I am also currently running my own animation studio called Tiny Planet Productions where I am directing my first film “Puddles”.

Though many of jobs are vastly different from each other, a common thread through out my work and what makes me stand out as an artist is my passion and dedication to story. I feel like I can find a narrative in anything whether it be a script that is assigned to me or the condiment bottles sitting on the counter when I’m eating out. Everything I hope to do as an artist is in service to the story and narrative I am putting forward and I hope this shines through my work. I co-founded Tiny Planet Productions in an effort to tell more stories that explore themes of empathy, understanding, and compassion.

Taking a leap of faith and starting this studio with my friends has had to be the proudest moment I have had in my career thus far. Not only is Tiny Planet dedicated to preserving hand drawn 2D animation in America but our goal is to make education to this art form more accessible to everyone. Our first animated short film “Puddles” is heavily influenced by the nostalgic cartoons of the early 2000’s mixed with heart warming slice of life storytelling. I am so proud of our team and I can’t wait to share this story with everyone!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I feel like through out my entire journey as an artist resilience has been the thing I have practiced most. Some days choosing to have a career in the arts is a form of resilience in its self. About a year ago I quite my steady, comfy day job to work full time as a freelance story artist. Shortly after I made the decision the production I was working on ended and I found myself with out a job living in LA. After many months of applying to studio jobs and rejection after rejection I knew it was time for a big change in my life. I had been away from home and family for seven years and its just felt like it was time to hit reset. I moved home. Back to upstate New York. Something I had always told myself would mean failure. But something funny happened. Even though literally every thing in my life changed after the move, I didn’t.

As crazy as this sounds I started hunting through Craigslist ads looking for any remote work related to art at all. I widened my search range to the entire country and applied to every ad I could. To my surprise this method, although a bit of a gamble connected me to many jobs in children’s book illustration and storyboarding! My first job from Craigslist was creating animated ads and explainer videos for a small studio based in Brooklyn. Over time, that role evolved into a full time producer position.

Finally being able to have some steady work meant I had time to focus on what I was passionate about which lead me to Co-found Tiny Planet Productions and setting the production of “Puddles” into motion. Starting this studio and being located in my hometown is even more special for me now because I get to share my craft with my community.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Growing up I have always idealized classic hand drawn 2d animated cartoons and sadly this beautiful art form is being created less and less in America. One reason that we co-founded Tiny Planet Productions is to preserve the art form of 2d animation and pass those skills on to the next generation of artists. In addition to our studios mission, as a creator and storyteller I hope to create work that fosters empathy, compassion and understand in young audiences.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.bredoesart.com
• Instagram: @bredoesart | @tinyplanetllc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/breanna-carpico
• Other: https://Www.tinyplanetproductions.com

Image Credits

Ylan Ha