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Have you ever experienced a summer night, listening to the waves of the Mediterranean, imagining all the stories, characters, and worlds you’re about to bring to life? Well, that’s me! :)
I come from a small seaside town in the south of Spain called Torremolinos in Málaga, and that’s where it all started. I’ve always been a passionate and curious guy, hungry to learn, explore, and turn life’s experiences into creative ideas.
Animation, storytelling, and design have been at the core of my journey. I started my studies in Madrid, and after getting my first few jobs and saving some money, I packed my bags and moved to Los Angeles. To me, LA felt like one of the world’s epicenters of animation knowledge, with a vibe not so different from my hometown. While there, I attended festivals, connected with industry professionals, and polished my portfolio. These experiences ultimately helped me to give my next step: a job on the other side of the world: Kilkenny, Ireland.
In Kilkenny, I had the incredible opportunity to work with some of the most talented and humble artists from around the world. Everyone shared a common goal: to craft high-standard stories through stunning visuals. During my time there, I worked on numerous TV series like Pete the Cat and Dorg Van Dango and on feature films such as My Father’s Dragon, Puffin Rock, and Wolfwalkers, which was even nominated for an Oscar! (♡∀♡). It’s funny how life connects things—the Oscars take place in Los Angeles, bringing my journey full circle.
Being surrounded by such creativity and storytelling excellence burst my desire to tell my own stories. That spark led me back to Torremolinos, where I reconnected with my roots, drawing inspiration from the place that shaped me. It was there that BFFS! was born—a TV series project that talks about the power of friendship to overcome any problem. BFFS! earned special mentions at 3DWire and The Ibero-American League of Animation.
While BFFS! was taking shape, life had more in store. I found myself in Helsinki a city that got my LOVE, and where I got my last gig as an art director at Gigglebug, for a TV series for Nickelodeon called Super Duper Bunny League. It's funny, life seems to connect everything because Finnish people love where I am from: Málaga!! ( ̆ 3 ̆)♥ Alongside my experience in 2D and 3D animation, I recently ventured into the world of comics and published one called Rocky! (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤
Did I get your attention? I’d love to know more about you, the reader. Let’s exchange ideas and collaborate on a cool project—one that inspires the next generation of artists, motivates storytellers around the world, and moves people’s hearts.
You can reach me through the button below, or if you’re more into the traditional copy and paste, here’s my email:
josebalbuena.ole@gmail.com
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My method and toools:
For me it's key to make the team part of the same boat and guide them with my or project's/director's vision and for that I need to be always ready :). For all that I use:
Miroboard
Miroboard
Photoshop/Procreate
Flow production tracking
Slack/Discord
Google Workspace/Keynote
Ice creams in summer/Croissants in winter
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