442 - Illuminai Studios Founder Jesse Weglein on Being Laid Off at Pixar, Why AI Is the Brush, Not the Artist, and Animation's Next Frontier

This episode is brought to you by our e-book Mastering Film Marketing. Get your copy today at https://themakeitpodcast.com/products/mastering-film-marketing. Use the Discount code: NASHFILM20 for 20% off EVERYTHING at themakeitpodcast.com Hello, Hello!  In this episode, Chris, Nick, and Producer Papa Bear sit down with Jesse Weglein — 15 years at Pixar, now founder of Illuminai Studios — joining live from the foot of Mount Fuji. Jesse worked on Up, Toy Story 3, and Toy Story 4 before a mass layoff ended that run and pushed him into building his own studio. He's using AI as a tool, not a replacement, to make original animated films for audiences the industry keeps overlooking — including his short film Roar, which Whoopi Goldberg picked for the Tribeca Film Festival. We also talk about:The creative culture at Pixar and what makes it impossible to replicate — including how directors would skip watching their own films in theaters to study the audience's reactions insteadThe global divide on AI in animation, from China's breakneck adoption of the technology to Japan's philosophical hesitation around whether AI can carry the "soul" of an artist's visionThe economic fragility of the animation business model, including the trend of outsourcing animation overseas and how AI might offer a path to reclaiming domestic production jobsThe importance of traditional art training as the essential foundation before any aspiring animator or filmmaker touches AI tools — and why skipping that foundation produces hollow, soulless contentThe passionate debate around AI's role in filmmaking, including the social policing happening on different platforms, copyright and trademark risks when using AI-generated imagery, and the distinction between using AI to accelerate creativity versus allowing it to replace it entirely People, Places, Products, and Websites Mentioned:PeopleJesse Weglein John LasseterSteve JobsEd CatmullPete DocterFrank OzAndrew StantonWhoopi GoldbergPhil TippettTim McLaughlin John McCarthyAkira KurosawaHayao MiyazakiFritz LangToshiro MifuneLionel MessiRay KurzweilIsaac AsimovDario Amodei Sam Altman Brian AdlerBarbara Lowenstein  Films & ShowsUpToy Story 3Toy Story 4Toy Story 5The IncrediblesROAR Shine (Illuminai Studios)The Color Purple Metropolis (1927)Seven Samurai High and Low The Wind Rises Spirited Away Rashomon Red Beard Starship Troopers Jumpin' Jack Flash Sister Act A.I. Artificial Intelligence Disclosure Day The Boy and the Heron The Odyssey  Companies & OrganizationsPixar Animation StudiosILLUMINAI StudiosIndustrial Light & Magic (ILM)Google DeepMindTribeca Film FestivalTexas A&M VisualizationAnthropicOpenAI / ChatGPTAppleTechnicolorNashville Film FestivalWGA Software & TechnologyMayaPresto (Pixar's proprietary tool)PhotoshopSunoRay tracing / render farm Websites & Social Mediailluminaistudios.comnashvillefilmfestival.org Books & ProductsMastering Film Marketing (ebook)Make It AcademyUp Lego SetLuxo Jr. PlacesEmeryville, California Lake Kawaguchi / Mount FujiTokyo, JapanSan Francisco, CaliforniaLucas Building/Steve Jobs BuildingDartmouth College / Dartmouth workshop, 1956 Other ReferencesThe Dan Patrick ShowThe View2026 FIFA World CupNBA PlayoffsWHALE 52 — Suite For Man, Boy, And Whale Dear Upstairs Neighbors Joseph McCarthy / McCarthyism We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters. So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEITwww.themakeitpodcast.store/shop/support Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy