Hello everyone and welcome to Film Conversations. We took a bit of a hiatus but are back, refreshed and with an updated roster: co-host RC Charles Roberts has moved on to other pastures but we are very pleased to announce the addition of animator and film maker Samantha Youssef to the Film Conversations team.

In today's show, Samantha, who has nearly twenty years of experience working as an animator and creative director for Disney

Animation, offers an analysis of the motivations behind the current round of job cuts placing it within a broader historical and structural context. She also provides us with a marvelous deep dive into how the studio functions and the work of animators.

This is the first of two conversations on this topic. We had a lot of territory to cover and didn't get to everything so, Samantha will continue in a part two episode and also, join us for analysis of films beyond the not so wonderful world of Disney.

Links and References

Samantha's website:

https://www.samantha-youssef.com/

The Walt Disney Co. begins laying off 1,000 employees

https://apnews.com/article/disney-layoffs-8434044668b03755c8a8c7a4b51f57bd

Disney: Our Friend the Atom (1957)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBbmqUaT0W0

Disney Layoffs Hit Marvel Studios Hard

https://www.forbes.com/sites/robsalkowitz/2026/04/14/disney-layoffs-hit-marvel-studios-hard/

How to Read Donald Duck

https://orbooks.com/catalog/how-to-read-donald-duck/

Mtume Gant on 'How to Read Donald Duck'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YitUIbKa3Ds