21⟩ Explain why do you want a career as an animator?
I can't see doing anything else. I love the hight of making something move, and how satisfyiong that is. I love to draw, and I would like to contribute to a project to get it up on screen.
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57 Animator Questions And Answers
22⟩ Explain me what are you doing to keep current in technology?
What I am doing is trying to use public technology (like in the library or school) and testing how it could affect my art style.
23⟩ Tell me what was the most stressful project you worked on?
My most stressful project was a teamproject in highschool were my teammates were not as invested as I was to the project. I ended up finishing the project by myself.
24⟩ Explain me do you think that artists with a formal education in Animation or Illustration have an advantage over self-taught artists?
No, I think it really depends on the individual person. There are some people who are simply natural animators and that have never needed the formal education, they already know intuitively the animation principles and are amazing animators. Then there are amazing artists who just need the structure or knowledge that the formal education can give them.
25⟩ Tell me is there anything that you would like to do as an Animator that you haven't done yet?
I would really like to start on a film at it's early stages and help develop the characters from the ground up. That would be a truly great experience.
26⟩ Tell me have you ever thought about going solo? Becoming an animation entrepreneur and create your own film, online school?
I don't think I have the stamina to be a businessman! The creative side is too much fun. I have taught in the past and enjoy it very much, though. And I always like to have some kind of personal project going on.
27⟩ Explain about directing animation, when did you start directing and what project have you been involved with?
All of my professional directing gigs were at Make, a studio in Minneapolis that I worked at from 2006-2011.
The first thing I ever directed professionally was a public service announcement called “Spilled Oil”. It was actually four years before the devastating Gulf incident in 2011.
It was all on Xerox paper with pencil and sharpie, and it was just Aaron Quist and me (both 22 years old at the time) working on it over a five-week period.
That same summer of 2007 I directed a 5-minute western-themed animation to showcase the commercial sponsors for the AICP chapter in Minneapolis. It was a pretty fun project with incredibly bizarre character designs and cartoon situations. I love the music in it. Steve Horner does fantastic work.
28⟩ Suppose I asked your previous supervisor what area you could improve on, as an animator, what would they say?
Honestly I don't know he would say I always trying to improve myself as an animator...... last time I think he told me that work more on facial animation.
29⟩ Tell me what's your animation workflow looks like while animating? Have you adopted any “rituals” while animating?
I usually decide after I'm issued a shot if I'm going to film reference for it, or if I'm just going to act it out at my desk and "feel" it out. If a shot involves a lot of mechanics or realistic behavior, then reference is generally a must.
Whether I approach a shot from reference or come up with a graphic solution, I always like to work in stepped key-frames. This really allows me to focus on the poses that communicate the story beat in the most entertaining and clear way.
I like the challenge of making each scene as simple as it can possibly be, while also milking the part that's most compelling about it.
30⟩ Explain what are your thoughts about Japanese Animation? Are you a fan or prefer good old American Animation?
Variety is the spice of life. I love all kinds of animation styles and mediums.
I think a lot of generic anime is too uptight and stilted for my taste, but the richer works from entities like Studio Ghibli, Studio 4C, Satoshi Kon, the “Cowboy Bebop” franchise, and Production I.G are just amazing to me.
I love how different the flavor of the work is compared to conventional American animation.
I also enjoy that they tell dynamic, mature stories. I would love to see the firepower of an American studio tackle material like that. How amazing would that be? Brad Bird gave us a taste of that in his films.
31⟩ Explain an example of a time when you encouraged enthusiasm and engagement in the workplace?
I tend to walk by other animators desks throughout the day, see what theyre working on, and then ill give them some suggestions, tell them what I like, and try to pump them up.
32⟩ Tell me who influenced you the most in the animation industry? Who is or was your ultimate Mentor during the early stages?
Brad Bird, easily. When I was in college, “The Incredibles” came out in theaters, and I connected the dots that he was also responsible for “ The Iron Giant” .
I couldn't believe the same person was responsible for two of my favorite animated films. He made me believe animation could be jaw dropping at telling good stories.
His films set the bar so high, almost no one can reach it. Kind of like how Milt Kahl set the bar so high with his animation, it seemed like only he could reach it.
In my early years, Tom Schroeder was my most supportive mentor. He is a very successful and distinct independent animation filmmaker, and he also taught my first animation class at MCAD.
I freelanced for him on his projects while I was in school, and to this day we remain closely in touch.
33⟩ Tell me how animators collaborate with each other at the studio? Do you guys also bond after work?
We eat, we drink, and we're merry. Getting creative people together can sometimes be like herding cats, but one of the amazing things about Disney is how they blend communal solidarity with individual expression.
Everyone brings their own point of view to the table, and it's fun to see artists complement each other's work with their own unique talents.
34⟩ Tell me did you have a natural talent or was it a skill you had to push yourself to learn in order to acquire?
I think drawing came naturally, even though I wasn't that great at solid construction. I could render things pretty well, and see something in my head and put it on the page. I remember my classmates in elementary school frequently asked me to draw them.
A lot of animators were "that kid" in school - the one who could draw. I had other friends who could draw well, and we would hang out after school and just draw characters and stories all over sheets of Xerox paper.
I don't think I could draw 'classically' well until I got to college. At MCAD my fine art instructors really taught me how to build a drawing, to loosen up, construct it properly, and hone the skill of observing life. I still push myself to stay in that mindset. They also corrected my clumsy and awkward design skills. I'm very grateful for the education.
35⟩ As you know most recent film Kung Fu Panda 2 is in theatres now, what was it like working on Kung Fu Panda 2? How long have you been working on this project?
I absolutely loved my experience working on KFP2. I had an incredible lead Marek Kochout and Animation Director Dan Wagner and amazing Director Jen Yuh Nelson. She was very supportive and encouraging. I was brought on at the end of the project when the film was coming to an end so I didn't get to work on it as much as I had hoped but the time I got to spend one I felt like I produced my best work.
36⟩ Tell me do you find yourself watching a film you've been apart of at home, cinema, or at friends place?
I saw “Wreck-It Ralph” four times in the theaters, and since then I haven't watched it once all the way through. I own the Blu-ray and have flipped through some scenes, but it's only been a year since it came out. I'm sure I'll watch it again in the not too distant future.
It's a little strange when my shots come up. However, I'm getting more used to accepting them as just part of the film. The film moves along and is so entertaining it just washes over you. “Get a Horse!” and “Frozen” come out together in just a couple of weeks, so I'll be at the cinemas again very soon.
37⟩ Tell me what were some of the challenges you faced during the making of Kung Fu Panda 2? And how did you overcome those challenges?
The biggest challenge was coming in at the end of the project and having to ramp up to the speed of production. In order to overcome it I just needed to do the time and really sink my teeth into the work along with being flexible and produce my work quickly!
38⟩ Explain a situation where you had an unpopular idea. What did you do to convince others that it would be successful?
I just decided to grin and bear it because they had more experience than me. My animation and layout leads were 3rd year students a year or so prior, and they decided to take their respective years off for personal reasons. I will fully admit that those individuals had more experience than me and I am mich better off learning from them and not them from me.
39⟩ Please explain what is the most difficult situation you have had to face and how did you tackle it?
The most difficult situation was my entry into this industry, then my parents were not allowing me to do animation & told them no matter what happens I will do it & by the help of my friends initially & later I managed to convince my parents.
40⟩ Explain a little about the tools that you are using, what's your preferences? Plugins? Methods?
We use Maya, so at times we are at the mercy of Autodesk's latest release. But because of this, we also benefit from the amazing history of that dense software package.
CG animators coming in generally don't have to re-learn the interface they were accustomed to from school. And because of ease of scripting for Maya, Disney has some absolutely incredibly tools of their own for selecting and keying the characters.
