Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorenzo Volpintesta.

Hi Lorenzo, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Working in animation has been an exciting goal of mine for as long as I can remember, but I couldn’t have guessed how I’d get my start in it. When I was six years old, a family friend and hobbyist animator introduced me to stop-motion animation and taught me the basics. Once I understood how it worked, I animated constantly, producing dozens of projects throughout my childhood. After a few years, I began publishing LEGO stop-motion animations on YouTube as a web series titled “BrickBob Films.” My animations garnered substantial viewership, ultimately qualifying me for the YouTube Partnership Program and enabling me to earn advertiser revenue. Effectively, turning my stop-motion hobby into a full-time occupation. Working as a YouTuber has been a fascinating experience, it gave me the freedom to develop my artistic skills further while working a flexible schedule. Today, I produce animation for a broad range of projects including short films, music videos, video games, and promotions/advertisements.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Although I’m grateful to have received recognition from my animation journey, my precocious success on YouTube posed many questions. “Is the value of my art contingent on creative fulfillment, or online engagement?” Although producing mass marketable, high-engagement projects have their perks, eventually the artist inside you becomes restless. I feel like artists intrinsically want their process, and therefore their art, to feel new and exciting. In my experience, selling new ideas demands far more investment with a reduced probability of return. Ultimately, making new ideas is more risky by nature. Living off my artistic work pushes me to balance marketable projects while nurturing new ideas and skills. In recent years, there have been points where I thought producing animation might not be the right fit for me, and I’ve explored other means of creative and community-driven fulfillment including college, volunteering, and extraneous work. However, every detour has ultimately led me back to producing animation. For me, animation isn’t just a job; it provides me with a sense of purpose and meaning, which is why I’m sticking with it!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a stop-motion animator. I established the aforementioned BrickBob Films YouTube channel, which currently has 200,000+ subscribers and 130,000,000+ views. I’m also known for producing claymation projects based on ‘80s-’90s films, television, and video games. My most recent projects include claymations of ClayFighter: Sculptor’s Cut, Beavis and Butthead, and SpongeBob Squarepants. I also collaborate with fellow content creators producing artwork and animations for video games, YouTube videos, and film projects. Additionally, I’m a sculptor and figurine designer and I’ve sold my pieces worldwide. 

My proudest achievement is impact; knowing that my work has positively impacted my fans’ lives (fan mail, art sales, and comment sections give me this feedback) and helped fulfill other creators’ projects. It reminds me that what I do has immense value. I think what makes my work stand out is my preference for claymation. Claymation is an intrinsically tactile material that encapsulates the visual aesthetics from the 80s and 90s; modeling clay is difficult to work with and never looks pretty, but in an age where mainstream animation is increasingly clean and glossy, “messy” animation shines with a fundamentally human touch.

What’s next?
Right now, I am developing one of my biggest evolutions yet. I’ve always followed in the footsteps of my heroes in animation: Will Vinton, Adam Elliot, and Nick Park (to name a few.) And although they were good animators, they were storytellers first. I’m currently in the process of writing original short film narratives to combine with my animation. I know that writing stories in my own creative voice will add a new layer of life to my films and connect with audiences on a more personal level. For me, animation and filmmaking are art forms that always take you to unexpected places. And foster a mindset geared towards curiosity and discovery; creating a fulfilling experience both on screen and in life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lorenzovolpintesta.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenzovolpintesta/?img_index=1
• Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenzo-volpintesta-4725022a2
• Twitter: https://x.com/LorVolpintesta
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDvnI1NdWyi2jqSDI1oDIHw

Image Credits
Lorenzo Volpintesta, Leah Graham, Jhonny Parks