Company: Worker Studio Animation
Partner: Paul Trunko (musician & educator)
Series: Jammy Man (2 Episodes)
Role: Senior Producer & Performance Capture Animator
In partnership with songwriter and educator Paul Trunko, Worker Studio crafted Jammy Man, a whimsical animated music series for children. Designed to bring life to Paul’s album tracks, the two episodes blend 3D sculpted characters, rigged Adobe Character Animator puppets, hand-drawn 2D animation, and 3D + compositing in After Effects. The result: an engaging musical journey, aired on Colorado Public Television (CPT12), with support from Swallow Hill Music.
The Challenge
Our task was to translate recorded family-friendly songs into visually rich, multi-medium animation, on a modest budget with a crack team of ambitious artists. We needed to give character and purpose to songs via limited episodes without solid production histories or infrastructures, while maintaining high creative and technical standards. It was a ground-up visual development, animation pipeline, and release strategy.
What I Did (Process)
Steered the end-to-end animation pipeline: 3D sculpts → rigged puppets → 2D effects → final composite
Coordinated Paul’s vision with animation leads to honor the music’s educational and creative direction
Defined resource-efficient workflows blending Adobe Character Animator, ZBrush, After Effects, and hand-drawn animation
Oversaw production schedules, creative approvals, and broadcast delivery
Liaised with Swallow Hill Music to coordinate CPT12 underwriting, outreach, and public broadcast
Delivered two polished, aired children's music episodes
Blended multiple animation techniques into a seamless workflow
Fostered a tight-knit, cross-disciplinary production team at Worker Studio
Earned support from Swallow Hill Music and CPT12 broadcast placement
Received recognition from Adobe Character Animator and Okay Samurai
(IMDB Credits | Swallow Hill Write-up)
Strengthened Paul Trunko’s online music brand and album appeal
Reached Colorado audiences through CPT12 and Swallow Hill Music
Inspired young musicians through music education and character-based stories
Demonstrated a replicable creative pipeline for musical animation content
This was a reminder of what’s possible when music, story, and animation unite at the hands of a small but inspired team. Jammy Man was built from scratch, evolving from album track to broadcast television through clever design, collaborative trust, and resourceful pipeline work. It was a rare creative production where artistry, humor, and heart all found their rhythm.
Paul Trunko
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / CREATOR / SONGWRITER / MUSICIAN
Michael “Ffish” Hemschoot
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR / EDITOR / ANIMATION SUPERVISOR
Katrina Sass
STORYBOARD ARTIST / 2D ANIMATOR / CHARACTER DESIGNER / BACKGROUND ARTIST
Anastasia Todd
DIGITAL CHARACTER SCULPTS
Scott Brooks
CHARACTER DESIGNER