CAN: Cincinnati Animation Network

The first stop on my journey to find animation employers in Cincinnati is Epipheo, which is possibly Cincinnati’s largest employer of animators. Epipheo has a simple goal- to give people epiphanies with their content, hence the name.   They do this through writing and producing both live action and animated commercials and explainer videos for a wide variety of clients. A cool space awaits Nestled in Longworth Hall, Epipheo has a space filled with staff creatives that feels very similar to a cabin in the woods… minus the cozy fur-covered couch needed for napping. However, the whiskey and moonshine were present. This is how they work: they get the assignment from a client, and their storytelling teams find the epiphany and write up the script. For the animated videos they then either assign the script to an animator to complete from start to finish, or they put together a team of creatives who are each skilled at one aspect of...

lllustration by Julia Rothman Cincinnati can be a daunting place for animators.   It’s a city known for branding and advertising, weird chili and sports, but where do animators fit into that? With animation degree programs at so many schools and colleges in and around this city I thought it would be a good idea for the sake of all of us to start doing profiles of local companies that work with animators so our members and people who are shaping the educational landscape here can know what the professional field is like as they are considering a career in animation, or considering opening another animation program. The scene here is different from either the West or East coast.   The industry here as I mentioned before is based upon advertising.   On the coasts, or other larger cities in-between, the industry is fueled by advertising and also television, feature and game production. So there are a greater variety and number of employers in some other cities ...