#107 | Brandon Violette | From Beijing to CoComelon

Disney TV Animation story editor Brandon Violette on studying at the Beijing Film Academy and writing for CoComelon Lane and Thomas & Friends. Brandon Violette is currently Story Editor for RoboGobo at Disney Television Animation and previously served as Co-Developer/Story Editor on CoComelon Lane and has written on Dew Drop Diaries, Pupstruction, T.O.T.S., Thomas & Friends and Stretch Armstrong & The Flex Fighters. Before moving to Los Angeles, he lived and studied at the Beijing Film Academy in China. To learn more about Brandon: https://brandonviolette.com Chapters 0:00 Welcome Brandon Violette 2:35 Growing up in Santa Clarita 5:05 Why community college is worth it 7:34 The Hollywood takeover of the valley 10:00 An uncle who wrote screenplays 12:36 Query letters from an uncle he barely knew 15:00 A script as your resume 17:30 Studying humanities to become a better writer 20:00 From graduation to Beijing 22:34 Arriving at Beijing airport 25:02 A long phone call and a job offer 27:35 Getting around China with a notebook 30:05 Film school friends from around the world 32:37 Promos for food and drinks 35:00 Saying yes to everything, then learning to say no 37:31 Ryan on the first year in a new country 40:05 Sticking to the decision to leave 42:35 Looking for a big company to join 45:01 Ryan on riding a motorcycle around China 47:31 Confidence from seeing something different 50:02 Joining a big company in LA 52:33 GI Joe and a way into cartoons 55:03 Ryan on studying international politics 57:34 Pitching ideas in the writers' room 1:00:08 Turning CoComelon into a preschool show 1:02:31 The head writer as quality control 1:05:06 Ten irons in the fire 1:07:32 Planning a lecture tour in China 1:10:05 Students' fears about graduating 1:12:35 Ten years later in China 1:15:04 How Beijing has changed 1:17:34 Unwinding a life in China during Covid 1:20:00 Lectures on school trips 1:22:34 Not knowing what will come next 1:25:05 Buying a house changes the calculation 1:27:36 Making the jump to head writer 1:30:03 Not chasing what companies say they want 1:32:34 Ryan on the gaps between shows 1:35:06 The mortgage is your real master 1:37:35 Structure as a survival factor 1:40:04 Stepping in for a head writer on leave 1:42:38 Why a manager matters 1:45:06 Advice from outside the industry 1:47:35 Wrapping up The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle Ryan's TV series are streaming around the world. Follow the Podcast X: https://x.com/RyanPylePodcast Facebook: https://facebook.com/ryanpylepodcast Follow Ryan Pyle YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ryanjpyle Instagram: https://instagram.com/ryanpyle X: https://x.com/RyanPyle Facebook: https://facebook.com/ryanpyle https://www.ryanpyle.com