This interview with Danish animation producer and CEO Claus Toksvig Kjær offers a detailed look at the realities of building a life in animation from the producing side. Kjær traces his path from an early love of cartoons and drawing to the moment he discovered that animation could be pursued professionally through Viborg. He reflects on the difficult years that followed, including rejection, lack of industry experience and the uncertainty of whether passion alone would be enough to create a future in the field.

A major part of the conversation focuses on collaboration and leadership. Kjær describes filmmaking as an intensely people-based process, where every project is shaped by team dynamics, trust and the ability to stay aligned around a shared vision. He speaks about choosing projects not only because of the script, but because of the relationships involved, and compares long animation productions to marriages that require mutual respect to survive.

The interview also explores the economic realities of independent animation. Kjær discusses development slates, financing gaps, personal investment, bank loans, and the risks producers sometimes take to make meaningful projects happen. He reflects on the value of festivals for non-commercial films, the need for open creative cultures where people speak honestly, and the enduring power of animation as a medium that can take audiences somewhere no other form can.

Together, these reflections form an honest and experience-driven portrait of a producer who sees animation as both a creative calling and a constant act of belief.