Meet Dan Pasto

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dan Pasto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dan, why did you pursue a creative career?
I really feel like I didn’t have a choice. Artistic and creative things, that don’t make lots of money, are hardwired into my brain in a way that’s difficult to ignore. Conversely, social and academic things, that do make lots of money, are removed from anything that I’m able to achieve without gritting my teeth and faking it.

However, all the things that would make me a terrible pharmacist or businessman make me a great stop motion animator. “I don’t think how other people think. Great, approach the problem from an angle no one’s tried before.” “I can’t sit still and think about one thing. Great, stand up and think about 50.” “It’s difficult for my brain to do lots of things quickly. Great, do one thing reeeeeeeeally slowly.

Stop motion turns my greatest weaknesses into my greatest strengths. My deficiencies become efficiencies, my disabilities become abilities. Albert Einstein said “If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” I am a fish. Don’t take me out of the water.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Well, my whole process begins when I ask myself “What are other people expecting?” When I have this answer, I do the opposite. This, I think, is what gives my brand of wierdo content its particular twang.

I first moved to LA 7 years ago, and I’ve worked on a bunch of TV stuff like Robot Chicken, and I’ve done lots of toy commercials, like for Lego and Funko and stuff. These last few years, plastic for kiddies has been keeping the lights on. We’ll see if I’m able to turn content creation into a livable income sometime soon.

I’m most proud of how I haven’t stagnated. Every year, my animation has gotten better, and the list of things I feel comfortable doing has gotten longer. I was never good at “good enough,” and I’m always looking for ways I can do things better. That’s something I love about animation, there’s always a lesson to learn and there’s always gunna be something you did wrong. Infinite failures means infinite lessons, and infinite lessons means infinite success.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My girlfriend is the whole reason I ever tried to get big online. Before we were together I was living just waiting for jobs at studios and making my little art projects between gigs. She helped me overcome my fear of putting myself out there, and creating the market for myself, myself. She found a person in me who I didn’t know was there.

We met on Robot Chicken by the way, the most romantic place on Earth.

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