I have an incredibly hard time finding professional advice pertaining to the industry I work in. Both my parents and most my relatives have traditional professions in medicine, education, or business. Art school instructed me mostly in the technical aspects of being an animator. But, motivating yourself when you’re feeling defeated, dealing with long hours and heavy workloads, interacting with your co-workers…experience is the primary teacher. When you’re on your own, you’re never sure if what you experience as a young creative professional is normal because you may be surrounded by lots of people with experience, who have been doing it for a long time. And you occasionally question if you made the right decision, especially when your work or project isn’t turning out the way you wanted. It’s tough starting out with little experience, lots of ambition, and more to prove.

Every once in awhile, I find some open, honest advice like the video above. (Thanks to 43 Folders) Although Ira Glass of This American Life works primarily for broadcast, the experience is still applicable to anyone who works in a creative field. It is wonderful that more creative professionals are documenting their conclusions drawn from experience, observations, and lessons learned online. It gives inspiration to us kids, who are no longer shielded by academia’s umbrella, to pick ourselves up and keep marching on.

I’ll be honest with you: I know nothing about superhero comics or Batman beyond what I’ve seen from the stunning Batman animated tv series from the 90’s and the movie line featuring the likes of Keaton, Kilmer, Clooney, and Bale. I know the basics of Batman’s history, some of the major villains, and his close confidants. I preface this because I’ve read mixed reviews from Batman fans pertaining to Batman: Gotham Knight, which was recently released this past Tuesday.

After watching my Blu-Ray copy of the Gotham Knight, all I can say is: WOW.

From an animation standpoint this is an amazing visual treat. Similar to The Animatrix, this collection tells episodic stories surrounding Batman. It features animation powerhouses Studio 4ºC (Tekkon KinKreet), Madhouse (Paprika), Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell), and Bee Train (Noir). All 6 stories are loosely linked together with recurring characters and take place between Batman Begins and the upcoming Batman Dark Knight.

What really sold me on these vignettes is how they opt for a more intimate narrative beyond a typical superhero vs. villain structure. The focus is not particularly on the villains (which I’m sure angered a lot of fans), but rather on the qualities that make Batman who he is: powerful, resourceful, noble…human. Two of the stories that perfectly illustrate this theme are produced by Studio 4ºC: “Have I Got a Story For You” and “Working Through Pain” (which the above image is taken from). Unsurprisingly, these are my favorites from this collection. (On a side note: these 2 shorts have made me a Studio 4ºC convert.)

Each story has its own distinct visual style and the production quality is top-notch. There are intricate backgrounds and frenetic fight sequences galore. There is something special about each visual interpretation of Batman and his beloved Gotham City. I must admit, however, that if you’re not a fan of the anime style, you may not appreciate the work entirely.

I’m not going to bore you with the details, but if you are looking for some high quality animation or are a fan of any of the aforementioned studios, it deserves your attention. If you don’t like it, at least you get $3 off the movie concession stand if you purchase it from Best Buy.