Happy Trails Animation

23/10/2025

It's official we struck GOLD! Playing with some new tools on MTV and creating some cool animation.

The Davey Awards is a premier international creative awards focused exclusively on honoring outstanding work from small agencies, independent creators and in-house teams. Inspired by the story of David vs. Goliath, the awards recognizes big ideas that come to life without big budgets.

Produced by Happy Trails Animation
Client: Freezemachine

Directors: Andy Collen/Jordan Schmidt/ Joshua Mcmahon

Here is a link to the music video on YouTube, feel free to share with friends. We had such a blast working with the band Freezemachine!

https://youtu.be/XViW1qJdiyU?si=SQEj7N933Ce0qgIM

17/10/2025

When I jumped into the work world of animation as a puddler for traditional 2D cel animation; few animators of today have any idea what puddling is. It's when you take some acrylic paint, mix it with a little water, and puddle the colors across the cels, filling the scenes and characters with color.

When all this moved to tap and fill in the computer the animation world became virtual. What is digital organic?

https://open.substack.com/pub/growingupaspen/p/digital-organics?r=2g93c&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

07/10/2025

Just noticed a spike in our MTV music video on YouTube!

Freezemachine: Give Up The Ghost!
Studio: Happy Trails Animation
Directors: Andy Collen/Jordan Schmidt/Joshua McMahon

Hope you enjoy!

Freezemachine's video for their single "Give Up The Ghost". Stream the song today - https://linktr.ee/freezemachinemusicFOLLOW FREEZEMACHINE AT: Instagram: ...

12/09/2025

Another fun MTV music video project for Freezemachine!

Freezemachine's video for their single "Give Up The Ghost". Stream the song today - https://linktr.ee/freezemachinemusicFOLLOW FREEZEMACHINE AT: Instagram: ...

04/08/2025

We just received our Telly Award so I thought I would share some after thoughts about working with Ai. I started in the animation world painting cells moved into the computer and now playing with Ai. I do feel the best results come from a hybrid of physical and digital interfaces.

Here is an Article I wrote after the second MTV music video.

https://open.substack.com/pub/growingupaspen/p/digital-organics?r=2g93c&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

04/08/2025

Great animation has to do with bringing something to life, and it could be a simple as a line. Giving line the expressions of life!

Animated short film by Marcell Jankovics from 1974. Many thanks to Beltesassar for being a hero.

29/07/2025

While we are waiting for our Telly Award to arrive I thought I would share some after thoughts about working with Ai. I started in the animation world painting cells moved into the computer and now playing with Ai. I do feel the best results come from a hybrid of physical and digital interfaces.

Here is an Article I wrote after the second MTV music video.
https://open.substack.com/pub/growingupaspen/p/digital-organics?r=2g93c&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

15/07/2025

While we are waiting for our Telly Award to arrive I thought I would share some after thoughts about working with Ai. I started in the animation world painting cells moved into the computer and now playing with Ai. I do feel the best results come from a hybrid of physical and digital interfaces.

Here is an Article I wrote after the second MTV music video.

https://open.substack.com/pub/growingupaspen/p/a-new-world-for-music-videos?r=2g93c&utm_medium=ios

01/07/2025

What’s old is new!

As our world dives into technology with Ai I find myself trying to land in a happy hybrid place something I am calling Digital Organics. While Ai is crushing it on the production pipeline it still needs a creative driver.

Back in the day when times were slow our studio would have fun coming up with short films and commercial spoofs. Here is a spot we mocked up over 20 years ago. From the pencil storyboards and a created sound track we revamped that old spot.

https://youtu.be/mU2j3_2MJbY?si=s4GCp_blaDvOAA4Y

Thanks to:

Storyboards: Steve Hess
Voice Over: Sam Mowry
Concept: Andy Collen
Visual Artist: Josh McMahon
Edit: Andy Collen
Soundtrack: Travis Hanour

What is Digital Organics?

https://open.substack.com/pub/growingupaspen/p/digital-organics?r=2g93c&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

Check first comment!

Possession ShoesEvery once in a while our studio has fun with creative concepts and techniques. This is a spot we created many years ago and using the old st...

02/06/2025

Since a lot of studios use music videos to play with techniques and styles I thought it would be fun to compile a collection of music videos that I know helped push new boundaries. A great song can create new worlds.

Hope you enjoy these Music Videos that changed animation.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJPhfKWpSA_bUm1gaGKYMQAk4hQymZP8q&si=at7A37h8F5jd45s-

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02/06/2025

Congratulations to another fun project!

Happy Trails Animation took on the challenge of creating with Ai in a collage like environment creating our own whimsical worlds. In the music video "Edge Of A Knife" the challenge was to pull from the Japanese styles of MANGA and Anime creating our own original styles. This music video is a fun exploration into these popular styles as we cut back and fourth between them. The only thing liner is the journey of the story. What a fun time we had and obviously the Telly folks thought so.

More about the process:

https://open.substack.com/pub/growingupaspen/p/a-new-world-for-music-videos?r=2g93c&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false