Happy Animation Day! In honor of this special day, many animators here at FPP wanted to share their inspirations and favorite animations with you!

"X Story (directed by Vitaliy Shushko) is an excellent short. X Story leverages the strengths of the animation medium. It's an exercise in solid shot composition, key posing, animation, and compositing to tell a compelling story without dialogue.

It inspires me to make works that are bold, original, that have no filler." - Jomei Bernier

"I'm heavily inspired by Shinichirō Watanabe who masterfully melds music and animation" - Arcadia

"Brave Little Toaster is probably the first movie I watched that gave me a visceral understanding of what animation could do as part of the medium of film. The way it uses color and shot framing to demand emotions is what I'm constantly striving for as an artist." - Logan Finnegan

"I absolutely love Nico Marlet's work as a character artist for animation. I am inspired by the way he uses shape to show dynamic poses that are easily readable and visually appealing. Even though it's a still image it still feels like it's in motion." - Olivia "Crowpen"

"One film that stuck with me as a child is an obscure film called “Samson and Sally: The Song of the Whales.” It was about two whales navigating pollution and hunters while trying to find the legendary Moby Dick in order to save their herd. This movie is one of a few that has stuck out to me by taking its time and letting the atmosphere (including a haunting score) exemplify its message without talking down to the audience. It reminds me that sometimes art conveys a message more powerful than words." - Working Dreamer

"Goofy Goober Rock, the ultimate moment from The Spongebob Squarepants Movie. This had a great impact on me as a story artist because growing up watching Spongebob, being so enamored with the characters and their escapades, the movie was that but on a larger scale. it was one of many things that inspired me to create and draw stories where i could be anyone i wanted and do all of those kinds of cool things much like SpongeBob and the Bikini Bottom crew. i love this scene in particular, and i think it makes the whole movie because Spongebob accepts himself for who he really is, and he puts that on full display as a rock n roll, Goofy Goober diehard and saves the town. it’s proof that you can make a difference by just being who you are. i also love that it blends different visual styles, like it’s mostly 2D but it also blends with stop-motion and live-action and it all works. the visual gags, the fluid animation and just the overall grandiosity of Spongebob basically pulling off the biggest rock show ever. Goofy Goober, Goofy Goober yeah!" - Andrew Bokole, Storyboard Artist

"How to Train your Dragon was the movie that inspired me to be an animator. the music and atmosphere this film envelopes in being invested in a story of a boy and his dragon. The scene and score of "Forbidden Friendship" is a great showcase of the magic of show don't tell." - Sofibeth