It's All About the Drive: If You Really Want to Be an Animator, It Will Happen

As early as I can remember, I always viewed myself as a artist. Even in preschool, I took pride that my Snoopy drawings were worthy enough to be hung outside in the halls for all to see. As a child, I moved around a lot, from Chicago to D.C., Florida to Atlanta and then back to Chicago. New schools with new kids was always difficult, but my art seemed to open doors - kids would want to talk to the new kid that could draw their favorite cartoon character. But with each new school, I soon realized that there was always another kid that was considered the "best artist." And sometimes that kid was a lot better then I was. But rather than packing up my paper and pencils, I would set small goals for myself. If the "best artist" was in the school newspaper, then I would be in the paper as well. If the "best artist" was painting props for the upcoming school play, then I would take drama and also make props. If there was a call for artists to design the cover of the yearbook, each artist would submit one piece while I would submit three.

In college, I went to study animation and again I realized I was way out of my league. Some students had been animating for years already. Students were talking about the Nine Old Men, and I was thinking to myself 'I thought there were only seven dwarfs?' I knew that I would never be able to compete, they had too much experience and practice. I was in way over my head. So again, I put my head down and learned as much as I could, focusing on the little goals. I noticed studios were starting to turn to computer animation, so I took a night class to learn Softimage. I noticed that animators that posted their animated short films on the internet were getting a lot of exposure, so I worked 9 to 5 on my day job then 5 to 2 a.m. on my own short films - submitting them to SIGGRAPH and Mind's Eye videos.

I knew I was not the best - that there were many more out there that were way more talented then I was. But I knew I had something much better then talent: drive. I figured, if everyone else was going to be more talented, then I was going to be the most driven. I seriously believed if I kept working and working at it, one day, some day I would get my foot in the door.

I remember taking the Disney back lot tour of animation down in Florida when I was in college. I brought my portfolio along in hopes that they would look at it. When I handed it to the animator giving the tour, she turned to the rest of the tourists and announced, "It is easier to get a spot on an NBA team than it is to get a job at Disney." My mom looked at me and said, "Are you sure you want to do this?" DEFINITELY!

The day I saw Toy Story was the day I knew I wanted to work for Pixar. Well, it ended up taking me 14 years to get my dream job. For a long time, I had a board so full of rejection letters next to my desk that they were literally falling on the ground because the pins couldn't hold that many papers layered over each other. But after a mile long of rejection letters, many demo reels, interviews that didn't pan out, and countless hours in front of a computer working on the next thing that might get me into Pixar, I'm actually animating a Buzz and Woody.

If you really want it bad enough, and you put everything you have into it. It WILL happen.


Guest blogger Aaron Hartline

What's the Most Rewarding Thing about Being an Animator?

That's a really great question, and something I've been struggling with lately, to be honest.

I mean, there are all sorts of easy answers...The excitement of getting to work with artists who inspire you, or the joy of finding such an amazing group of friends in this industry, the thrill of sitting next to your family as you see your name in the credits, or the creative stimulation from the ever-changing challenges you're presented with...

The truth, though, is that the last year especially, I've been feeling like my contribution to the world as an animator is... well, not as great as it could be were I to jump ship and throw myself into something else. Something more "meaningful." Building houses, becoming a doctor, joining the Peace Corps, HELPING people in some way. In any way.

It seems like every other person I meet is a nurse or a doctor or a social worker or a counselor or something who's directly impacting the lives of the people around them in a tangible way. I'm so envious of what they do and their accomplishments and it really has been making me feel like our accomplishments pale in comparison in such a glaring and overwhelming way.

Don't get me wrong, I *love* animation. I'm as passionate about this stuff now as I ever have been, and know darn well that I've been blessed and lucky beyond anything I deserve in this industry. I love animating, I love talking about animation, and I love meeting and getting to know animators. This job is crazy inspiring artistically, and more fun than anyone should have in a "job."

But how can I meet a firefighter and think that what I do matters in any real way compared to the lives he saves on a weekly basis?

I won't lie – it's had me down. I don't know how many of you have felt the same way, but I suspect many of you have thought about this... We don't have a lot of time here on this ball of Earth, and I want to know that I spent it well, you know?

At least that's how I was feeling this week until I had dinner with an old friend of mine who reopened my eyes to what we are truly doing.

He reminded me of an experience we both shared. When we were 5, we both separately saw Empire Strikes Back, and it changed our lives in a very real way. It gave us a passion for storytelling, and a dream to help create new worlds.

He pointed out that while we may not be building someone a house today, we might just help inspire a whole new generation of dreamers and storytellers. That there are 5 year olds out there just like us, with piles of creativity just waiting to be unlocked by a film or TV show or game that knocks their socks off and lights a fire within them, just as we were blown away by Empire, Nimh, Jurassic Park, and Toy Story. And those 5 year olds in turn will grow up to tell a whole new batch of stories and create lasting works of art that could uplift and inspire countless others, not to mention the possibility of taking the art form we love to a whole new level as future animators.

This also got me thinking about how most animators work on projects whose primary goal is to entertain an audience, and thus distract them from their daily miseries and troubles. Storytelling in all its forms has always served to help people escape their sadnesses, their illnesses, their fears, and their disappointments. While hiding from the difficult truths that hound our daily lives isn't generally the best way of dealing with them, I do think that temporary reprieves from those troubles are an important part of coping with them, absorbing them, and getting ready to move on from them.

And so, in yet another way, storytelling does serve a very important purpose, and one we can be proud to be a part of!

On top of that, we also occasionally get to be a part of a project that enlightens. Whether it's a film helping the audience broaden their worldview, a TV show teaching children to be selfless, or even the most action-packed video game forcing us to confront the consequences of violence; all of these mediums have the potential to be powerful methods to make people think and feel.

Of course, sometimes (many times, even) a story merely serves to excite and entertain and isn't very concerned with any particular message, and that's fine too. For those projects, we can feel good about still giving people the escape they need, and hopefully the inspiration they might not even have known they needed.

So, what's the most rewarding thing about being an animator? I guess it's the chance to inspire, the chance to teach, the chance to spread some laughter, and the chance to give an escape to people to desperately need it, even if only for a couple hours.

Thanks to my friend for reminding me that animation IS more than just having fun bringing something to life. I thought others out there might need a similar reminder, and when I saw this question come through from the blog, it seemed like a perfect chance to share.

So get out there and inspire/teach/entertain/rescue someone!!

Shawn :)

How Important Are Storytelling and Acting Skills for an Animator?

Storytelling and acting skills are very important to an animator. I'm still amazed that after drawing all my life, I don't draw at all at work. Instead, I'm given a puppet in the computer and my job is to pull the strings and make it come to life.

After years of animating, doing it on a daily basis, there will come a time when you are not always thinking of the principles of animation. They will all be there in your back pocket ready to pull out at any given time. All that is left is 'what kind of actor are you?'

Guest blogger Aaron Hartline

What’s the Most Difficult Aspect about the Animation Process?

That's actually a really hard thing to answer, because we each have our own strengths and weaknesses. What's hard for me may be easy for you, or vice versa, and sometimes that doesn't even have much to do with our different levels of experience. There are certain aspects of this art that you might always struggle a little harder with, and others that might come more naturally to you.

Judging from the vast majority of demo reels and animation clips I see, however, I would say that people struggle most with the body mechanics overall. I see a lot of clips that have interesting acting choices, or cool eye animation or whatever, but none of it matters because their weight and balance are all off, or the anticipations aren't there, or the hips aren't leading the actions, or the shoulders don't move, or the overlap and follow-through is wrong, or (most commonly) the arcs are a jumbled and confused mess with sharp angles on the paths of action of the limbs, etc.

Any or all of these (and many others, of course) can contribute to the body mechanics feeling wrong, and this is the main reason I tend to recommend that people avoid dialogue shots until they have really spent some time honing their physical skills, and have created a few really solid physical action tests for their demo reel. I recommend focusing on the "ing" for a while. Anything ending in "ing." Get some shots of kicking, throwing, punching, falling, dying, lifting, climbing, jumping, etc. "Speaking" is the only "ing" I would avoid for a while, until your other "ings" are rock-solid.

THEN, and only then, are you ready to dive into the giant quagmire that is "Speaking."

Thanks for writing in, I hope that was helpful!

Shawn :)

Interview at a Studio: What Was the Interview Like?

Interview at a studio: What was the interview like? What kind of questions were you asked and what do you wear?

The dress code is always a tough one. We all know that this is not an industry where people wear three piece suits. In fact, many times, the people doing the interview will be wearing a t-shirt and blue jeans. Having been on both sides of the interview process, my advice is to wear something business casual. You don't want to be uncomfortable, but you still want to be the best dressed person in the room.

When I interviewed at Pixar, I remember walking into the atrium feeling excited and nervous at the same time. I sat on the couches at the main entrance, looking through some movie clippings they lay out for visitors, pretending to read as my leg bounced up and down 100 times per minute. When the HR rep finally came over and said "Aaron?" my voiced cracked as I replied "Yes!" She walked me up to the main conference room where I would be meeting 17 people (luckily not all at once!).

As I was walking up those steps this wave of calm came over me. Suddenly, I realized that although these people were very talented and accomplished artists, that at one time they were all in the same spot I am in now. They were all are fans of Pixar and really wanted to work there. It was then that I decided I wasn't going to treat them like animation superstars, but rather just people that share common interests in their love for animation.

When I interviewed at Blue Sky, I was talking to HR on the phone working out a time best to fly out to NY for the interview. She told me that Chris Wedge would be in Chicago next week and would I be able to meet him at his hotel. I was speechless. That was like your applying for a job at ILM and George Lucas will be interviewing you. "Hello? Mr Hartline?!" Again I answered with my high "Yes!"

Going to the hotel with my best button down shirt and dress slacks, I searched the lobby for the owner of BlueSky Studios. A man with a t-shirt and bluejeans comes up to me pushing his son in a stroller. Suddenly, he was no longer this star I saw accepting a Oscar just last month, but a laid back father. We talked about our kids, the difference between Chicago and NYC, and one of my favorite films - Cats Don't Dance.

On my first interview, I answered an ad for a videogame company. Showing up with my portfolio full of life drawings and cartoon sketches, the first question I got was "Do you know how to do computer animation?" I looked at him like a deer in headlights. The ad said 'fine artist / animator wanted' so I just told him that's what I did. He smiled and said "well, you'll learn. Besides, you know how to turn on one right?!" I laughed and said "of course" knowing full well I'd have to learn how to do that as well! Then he asked 'where do you see yourself in 5 years?' This one was easy, without hesitation I said 'Disney!' His face dropped. I knew my youth and inexperience got the better of me right then and there. "Well, I'd hoped that you would like it here enough to stay and grow as an artist." Stumbling to get my footing, I said "Oh yeah, of course!" I must have messed up on every aspect of that interview, but for some reason he took a chance on this kid still in school. I'm so glad he did, I can't imagine doing anything else with my life.


Guest blogger Aaron Hartline

Animation Is a Never-ending Process, but What Are a Few Things Animators Are Expected to Know?

That's a great question!

You're definitely right that this is a never-ending journey of education. It encompasses darn near every conceivable aspect of life in one way or another, so there is just no way to "know everything" about animation.

However, there are certainly many things that any studio would expect an incoming animator to know. This would change a bit, depending on the level of animator they are hiring (they would certainly expect a much broader level of ability from an incoming Senior Animator than a new Junior Animator), but for the most part, they would be looking for different levels of experience within the same general skill set.

I would say that any animator looking for work should be expected to understand the infamous 12 principles of animation and how they apply to the medium that animator is working in. But that's only the beginning. In addition, the animators should be expected to understand how those principles all work together and interrelate. How they come together to explain and decipher "body mechanics" in general. How the concepts of internal and external "force" create momentum, and how those forces are more important to the creation of a dynamic pose than the actual body parts or "form" is.

Any professional animator should know how the body works. Period. What moves what, and WHY. Not just that the hips shift this way or the shoulders shift that way when you're lifting this or throwing that, but WHY those shifts and rotations are happening. This is key to being able to create these movements on your own, and understand how to fix your work when you get into a pinch and something just doesn't feel right.

Any junior animator should also have some understanding of acting, subtext, how to use blinks to create thought process and emotion, and how to communicate an idea through clarity, posing, and timing.

Finally, I think it's safe to assume that any studio looking for animators would expect them to be eager, easy to work with, and hungry to learn. For me, that's just as big a prerequisite as understanding arcs or overlapping action!

Hope that helps! I know that sounds like a lot of stuff to know, and in some ways I'm only just scratching the surface with the basics here, but as you say, learning animation IS a life-long journey, and you have to have a strong and solid and WIDE foundation of knowledge upon which to build.

For me, the stuff above is that basic foundation, and it's all essential stuff.

Thanks for visiting the blog!

Shawn :)

Do You Need to Have a Drawing Background to Be a 3D Animator?

No, you do not need a drawing background to be a 3D animator. That being said, you can learn a lot from drawing that will help you in your animation. When you are doing life drawing you are taught to look for lines of action, strong silhouette, balance and weight.

These are all things that animators use daily when posing out their characters for their shots. Being a student of a different art form besides animation, such as drawing - acting - photography, will help you grow into a well rounded artist that can only help you in your animation.


Guest blogger Aaron Hartline