#animator interview

Tell us a little about yourself. (We know there is more to people than being an animator.):

I’m a petite New Yorker who loves to learn anything and everything. I’m an aspiring Karaoke Pro, a staunch feminist and a proud geek who doesn’t stop for anything.

Alyssa M Torres Demo Reel 2014 from Alyssa Torres on Vimeo.

Where do you work and how long have you been there?

I work for The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Creative Studio. I’ve been here for 3 years. What are some of your past jobs?

Before the Creative Studio, I worked as a Systems Consultant, designing and implementing networks for Post-Production studios in NYC. Before that, I had a series of odd-jobs including newspaper delivery, church shuttle bus driver and technical support specialist during undergrad. Where did you do to school?

I went to Wellesley College for my undergraduate education where I double majored in Studio Art and Japanese Language & Literature. I then went to SVA’s MFA Computer Art program to focus on 3D animation. What made you decide to be an animator?

My first inspiration was learning about the multiplane camera when I was a child while watching a “Making of Bambi” special. It was amazing to me how they mimicked parallax and then as they shot the animation with the camera, it all made sense. Throughout high school, my parents insisted on focusing on my quantifiable skills in math and science to carry me through life but once I got to college, I knew I had to give in to my natural state. It wasn’t until my junior year that I learned that I really could animate without special equipment, for the longest time I was told it was impossible. But thanks to my mentor, he showed me how far I could take animation as a career and I never turned back. What is your favorite part about being an animator?

I was worried during college that I wouldn’t find an appropriate outlet for my need to constantly study different and new things. But with animation, EVERYTHING is inspiration; everything is informative. Whether it’s looking at a hunk of garbage on a street corner or staring at Gothic architecture. I’m so happy knowing that all of my people watching and observation gets to go so far. What’s your favorite kind of animation?

I LOVE Disney-style animation, it was all I ever wanted to do. But I do adore Ghibli and anime styles like Cowboy Bebop and Paranoia Agent. What’s your software preference?

I was initially hired because of my Generalist abilities so I have a suite of preferences. I use Maya exclusively for 3D animation, ToonBoom AnimatePro/Harmony for 2D animation and Photoshop for illustration but I do really enjoy Manga Studio for illustration as well. What does your workflow look like?

Even though my professional work is all done digitally, I still very much prefer to work more traditionally. I prefer to sketch and experiment with pencil and paper before bringing anything into any software package then I finalize and render out of After Effects. I generally prefer pose-to-pose animation but spend a lot of time in my splining process. How do you prepare for a new shot?

I start with understanding the small details of my shot like how long it needs to be, what my audio sounds like and who the character is. From there, I try to get a sense of my first instinct either in reference footage or thumbnails. Then I watch movie clips or animation I admire of characters similar to mine. I pick my path and then I start working. What is the aspect of animation that you struggled with the most and how did you move past that struggle? 

Physicality really boggled my mind for a while. My first animation instructor told me I had a great sense of spacing and timing but whenever I really tried to apply my strengths to characters, I could see that the physicality wouldn’t read. I spent a lot of time studying the work of my co-workers and other animated features to get a better understanding of what my animation is missing. I still struggle with it now but it’s not as difficult as it used to be. What are some of the ways you manage your time so that you can get everything done in time?

I’m a HUGE list person and I like having deadlines so I come up with a bunch of deadlines and milestones to meet. I also have a checklist I run through for each step of my animation process to make sure I don’t miss anything. What are some of the things you look for before you declare your shot complete?

Line of sight, logical chain of motion from the hips through the head, asymmetry in arms and hands, and finger posing. Those are things often dropped when focusing on getting another part of my animation just right so I know I have to double back and make sure those points are hit before I can leave a shot alone. What’s your favorite animated movie, short, and game?

UUUUGGGGH I’m not good with favorite questions… Batman: The Animated Series is definitely in my top list though for having great design, characters, music and story. What do you do when you get animator’s block?

I oversaturate myself with inspiration and then I let my brain stop for as long as I can afford to complete the shot, usually one night. What do you use to get inspired?

Tumblr! And animation news. Seriously. Nothing makes me feel better than seeing artists and animators I love doing the work they love to do. And then hearing about the next big project or any great social progress really pumps me up. I also like to listen to music that fits within the style of the production I’m working on. What is your favorite experience as an animator?

My favorite experience was my very first shot on the job at The Creative Studio. I took one of the shortest shots in the act and it was the villain looking right into the camera. It was one of those moments where I felt all the principals of animation coming to play and I hit every mark. When we had dailies, our director couldn’t tell which of the four animators on our team had done the shot. The other 3 animators on my team had worked together for 8 years and they couldn’t tell my shot hadn’t been done by one of my seniors. I raised my hand and the director proceeded to say that it was perfect and he loved it. What are your favorite animation resources that other animators might find useful?

framexframe on tumblr, spungella.blogspot.com, The Mary Sue has been posting a lot more gaming and animation news after their merger, but nothing has been more inspirational and amazing than CTN. How do you take your Chipotle Burrito?

White rice, peppers and onions, no beans, chicken, lettuce, salsa and cheese. Occasionally guacamole. If you could direct a project, what would it be?

I would love to try my hand at directing an episode of TV show sometime in the near future. Eventually a feature but it would definitely have to be about a young girl dealing with the supernatural or magical. Do you have any advice for students and animators trying to find their break?

Don’t ever stop. Find yourself that community of artists or friends who will stand by you until the bitter end. Finding work can be difficult when you’re first starting and even just getting to “mid-career” level can be a trial but if you love animation and you know you can do great things, stand by it. There is someone looking for your exact talents and abilities.

I thought that I would make it easier for everyone and anyone who would like to be interviewed.  This will take you to a Google Form with the questions that you can use whenever you have the time and if you lose track of this post, up on the menu of the site there is a menu item called "Get Interviewed!" which will take you right to it too.

Don't worry about how you feel about your skill level and experience.  All of us want to know about how you made it and your story and voice is important.  You never know who your story might inspire and that is important.  All stories are greatly appreciated.

These kind of died out for a while but we've got a brand spankin' new one coming this weekend!  

What’s your software preference?: Maya What does your workflow look like?: Try to get the general idea of what kind of animation I’m going for with posing and then work out all the details after. How do you prepare for a new shot?: Import the model(s) in the scene, try to make any interesting poses, and then create a camera for a good angle. What is the aspect of animation that you struggled with the most and how did you move past that struggle?: Mainly trying to refine animation. In my eyes, I can see my animation is good and decent, but to other experienced eyes, they can see it’s still somewhat incomplete. Not sure if I have passed this struggle yet or not. What are some of the ways you manage your time so that you can get everything done in time?: Simply clear my schedule for a time a day, mainly the evening, and just work on my scene. I look at other animated pieces or real world references to get an idea of how to get my shot done. What are some of the things you look for before you declare your shot complete?: I look at my entire shot first, and see there is no object, limbs, or anything going through each other, look for things that are out of place with character movement, and if any limbs that are just staying in place for whatever reason.

What’s your favorite animated movie, short, and game?: My favorite animated movie is currently How to Train your Dragon 2, favorite short is the Usavich shorts, and my favorite game is currently League of Legends. What do you do when you get animator’s block?: I normally take a small break and play games and watch stuff until something clicks again. What do you use to get inspired?: Watching and reading interviews about animators, who they are, how they got there, and how happy they are doing something they love. What is your favorite experience as an animator?: Don’t have any to tell yet. What are your favorite animation resources that other animators might find useful?: Using the Richard Williams’ animation survival Kit book, going to sites such as Creative Crash and this blog called Animator’s Resource. If you could direct a project, what would it be?: Probably something fantasy related or inspired from Japanese history and mythology. Do you have any advice for students and animators trying to find their break?: Always, always, practice. Do animation exercises to improve yourself and think up of a small project to get an idea how long animation can be.

Tell us a little about yourself. (We know there is more to people than being an animator.): I’m a new junior animator at Nerd Corps Entertainment currently working on the show Max Steel. I’m a Canadian citizen that migrated from the Philippines at the age of 13. Animation wasn’t always my first choice for a career, and up until 3 years ago was working at various places until I decided one day to just go for the arts and choose animation. And since I’ve made the move, life has been sweet. Maybe pay is a little lower but everything else is just great! Reel

Animation Demo Reel 2013 from Ryan Abueg on Vimeo.

Where do you work and how long have you been there? As mentioned, I worked at Nerd Corps Entertainment in Vancouver, BC. I started out as an Animation PA just a little under a year ago and am now a Junior Animator What are some of your past jobs? I have been… around actually. Before this, I was an IPAX intern at Sony Imageworks and before that, I was a conductor at CN Rail. That was undoubtedly the worst place I have ever worked but necessary as working at such a difficult job pushed me to finally find a career that I would truly enjoy. Before that, I was a shipper and forklift operator at a paper tube production plant and a baker before that. And during my animation schooling, I worked parked time at IKEA.  Where did you do to school? I learned animation at the Art Institute of Vancouver. What made you decide to be an animator? Need and want. I can’t say I always dreamed of becoming an animator, but I always wanted a career in the visual arts. before discovering the animation industry in Vancouver, I always thought that a career in the arts wasn’t practical or attainable, but upon finding out that Vancouver has a great animation industry, I decided that animation was for me. And now, I can say comfortably that I’ve made the right choice. What is your favorite part about being an animator? Problem solving! Every shot is essentially an artistic problem waiting to be solved. There is no one way way to do a shot, and finding a solution that fits my style is the fun part from planning to blocking to polish. What’s your favorite kind of animation? Action. To me action is the perfect blend of art and physics. There are a million ways to execute and act out an action shot, but each solution must be believable in its physics, and it’s that proper blend of art and science that I enjoy most. What’s your software preference? Softimage XSI. Our company runs on it, and I’ve been using XSI extensively for close to a year now, and I must say that as an animation tool, I prefer XSI over Maya. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, but for me, XSI provides a better, smoother animation experience. What does your workflow look like? Very simplistic. Since I work on TV animation, quality must be met with efficiency. An average shot for me would be around a hundred frames and depending in the complexity of that shot, I could go anywhere from two to six key poses. Rarely do I go for more. Once I’ve got my key frames put in with room for ease-ins and ease-outs (and of course approved by the director), I go straight into breakdowns and polish. A shot of this length on average should take about four hours to complete from scratch so we we work fast and use any trick we can come up with short of keying every frame. And when all is said and done, my keyposes should still be readily identifiable on the graph editor to make sure that if anyone else opens my work, they wouldn’t be lost as to where my key poses are. How do you prepare for a new shot? I usually discuss any changes to the storyboard with the director before even attempting to block it out. Once I have an idea of what is desired, I usually just think in my head what I would do if I were the character that I’m animating. Sometimes, I act it out, but rarely. Though I probably should do this more hahaha… What is the aspect of animation that you struggled with the most and how did you move past that struggle? Subtle animation. To me this is a difficult thing as subtelty and behaviour are not absolutes. Everyone has their own take on it and sometimes what makes sense to me may not always make sense to a supervisor or director.  What are some of the ways you manage your time so that you can get everything done in time? Sometimes, I intentionally jump from shot to shot even if both aren’t completed. This is mainly so that I don’t get fixed on a particular problem or get hung up endlessly trying to perfect something that may already be more than good enough. I would often load two shots at the same time, and when I get hung up on one, I switch to another, and when I return to the first shot, sometimes, the solution I need will present itself. A lot of the times, I just need to refresh my eyes from looking at the same shot over a hundred times. What are some of the things you look for before you declare your shot complete? Are there are any pops in the animation? Is the eyeline correct? Are there frames in the shot where the character or any part of it appear dead or lifeless? How are the arcs? Is what I have on screen what I was going for when I originally started the shot. And most importantly, does it feel right? Sometimes, a shot is working on a mechanical level but seems “off” and I have to find out why. If everything checks out, I submit it in.  What’s your favorite animated movie, short, and game? Oooooh… this is a hard one. It’s like asking a parent which of his/her children is the favourite. But off the top of my head, for 2D, Pocahontas. And for CGI, How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Very recent, I know, but I was just so impressed by it). Favourite short? “Thought of You” by Ryan Woodward. Favourite game of all time? Starcraft: Brood War!  What do you do when you get animator’s block? I either go out for a walk or do lipsync. Seriously, lipsync is one of those almost mechanical things that you can almost do with very little creative thought.  What do you use to get inspired? I listen to music I really like or watch a small bit of animated films that I like (but not too much though, otherwise, I just end up watching the movie and not doing any animation). What is your favorite experience as an animator? Seeing the shot I worked on being played on my home TV screen. It’s like that “yes!” moment in which I get to see my work nicely rendered and part of the overall story for the show. What are your favorite animation resources that other animators might find useful? This may seem dumb, but YouTube. If I need instant reference, chances are, it’s on there. If I need a quick how-to on how to make a particular tool in XSI work, again, it’s on there. If I need another take on someone else’s workflow, again, chances are, it’s on YouTube. If used properly, it is THE visual demonstration tool, I think. How do you take your Chipotle Burrito? Would you believe I’ve never had a burrito? I really haven’t. If you could direct a project, what would it be? I would try to see if I can make an animation based on a story of my own creation. I mean, who wouldn’t? Every one of us creative types have their own story that deep down, they wish they can bring to life.  Do you have any advice for students and animators trying to find their break? You’ll hear people say that there are no jobs in animation, or that you’ll work your butt off 24/7 for little pay. You’ll even hear them say that animation must be your only life if you want to do well in it. Maybe these people, if they are animators themselves, are speeking from their own personal experience, but those experiences aren’t universal. Sometimes, you might get lucky and a studio needs fresh new animators as you are just about to graduate (honestly, that’s what happened to me and a lot of my classmates who are now my coworkers. I became a paid intern at Sony before I graduated), and sometimes, you’ll have to be patient until that break comes. Regardless, your break WILL come if you want it and work for it badly enough. Think of all the animation on TV, games and on film right now. People have to make those, and they are always being made. There will be jobs for you, even if not immediately. My advice? while you’re at school, get a part time job, and keep that job until you get your animation gig even if it’s well after you graduated. Work on your reel or add to it. That’s what I did with my part time job. Even while working at Nerd Corps, I still worked at IKEA until I decided that I’m comfortable with my new career and the company I was with. The only time you won’t get an animation job is when you decide that you won’t and you give up. Until then, anything can happen.  Also if you think of anything else that you would like to share or any stories that you would like to tell, feel free to add those too. The goal of these interviews is to help encourage and inspire animators just starting their careers or education. Anything that you would like to share would be amazing! Animation is fun! Always remember that. There will be times when it would feel very frustrating or even worse, feel like a dead end. It shouldn’t. If it does, save your work, step back, and go outside. It should be both work and play, but always keep a balance. Animation is your career, but not your life. Go outside, enjoy your free time, and mingle with your friends. Get the right amount of sleep and don’t leave things to the last minute. Good luck to all of you!

Tell us a little about yourself. (We know there is more to people than being an animator.):

Hum, I’m French (so I apologize in advance for the approximative english). I’m a big Fantasy fan, particularly Tolkien. I love reading, TV series (Sherlock, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, and a ton of others), video games (from Skyrim to Fez, mostly  RPG’s or platforms)… I’m very interested in tattoo art, I listen mostly to metal and rock, and I laugh easily. Reel:  

Demoreel 2012 from marthe delaporte on Vimeo.

but that’s my reel from 2 years ago, Now I’m a 3D animator. I did my graduation film in 3D, but it will only be online on september 8th (here’s the facebook page:www.facebook.com/FolAmor?ref=hl). And I can’t update it with professional work at the moment, so old reel it is ! (actually I’m still proud of it, maybe because I don’t really do traditionnal animation anymore).  Where do you work and how long have you been there?

Currently I work at Cube Creative in Paris. I’ve been there for 5 months now. It was planned to be 2 months but they rehired me :D There I’ve been doing a few projects for Rovio, the creators of angry birds, here are some examples : 

What are some of your past jobs?

Before Cube I had only two : on Raving Rabbids the TV series at Teamto Paris for 5 months, and 3 weeks on an Audi marketing project at Les vandales. I also did an internship at Cartoon Saloon in Ireland, and animated a few little things on the feature film “Moonman” (not really good film, but fantastic internship) Where did you do to school?

After highschool, I went to l’Ecole Estienne in Paris, which is a public Art school (they do book binding, engraving, furniture design and a ton of cool stuff). I had a non specialized year there, then 2 years of 3D animation, but in a very “artistic” way. What I did there was really interesting, but not really useful to get a job in the industry. After this I entered Gobelins, also in Paris, and had 3 wonderful years learning about 2D animation, and then 3D. To this day I still can’t believe I got in this school!  What made you decide to be an animator?

That’s cliché to say, but I always liked to draw. Until late I’d never tought to make a living of it. In Highschool I wanted to be a History teacher … But then I met a friend, and she wanted to be an  animator (and now she is!), and I realised it was a GREAT idea! Shortly after I saw a big exhibition on the making of Princess Mononoke, and I knew that was what I wanted to do. I was the weirdo of the class, because I graduated in economics, was good at science and wanted to do art .. Nobody understood (“how will you earn money!? Is it even a real job?” -___- ). But I’m lucky, my parents always supported me.  What is your favorite part about being an animator?

That every week is different. You get to work on a lot of very different projects, meet a ton of different people, leave them, meet them again a few years later, in a different place, in a different country. I don’t know if I’ll ever find this dull, but at the moment I certainly don’t! What’s your favorite kind of animation?

There’s none I dislike. I love all the extreme attention to details of Cg animation like it’s done currently in Pixar, Dreamworks or Disney. But I also admire the efficiency of japanese animation, that can be limited, but put all the right things at the right places, and the rawness of stopmotion. Personnaly I prefer to do cartoon, I find it a lot more fun and creative than realism. What’s your software preference?

Maya for 3D (but that’s not a preference, because that’s the only one I know) And TV paint for traditionnal animation What does your workflow look like?

I always start in stepped mode, first the key poses. I flip through them like I would do for 2D, searching a nice timing. Then, also in step, I inbetween as much as I can. When I’m sure everything is defined I switch to spline, and if it’s not a total chaos I polish everything, do follow through / overlap and all the little details. How do you prepare for a new shot?

I look at the 2D animatic and the layout multiple times, check the shots before and after, to be consistant. If I have a doubt about what should be going on I ask the supervisor. Sometimes I do a few thumbnails if the shot is difficult (but’s in TV series that does not happen a lot) What is the aspect of animation that you struggled with the most and how did you move past that struggle?

I struggled with 3D. I had no workflow, wanted to work everything at the same time, had a hard time to make a good pose and of course it was a mess. Then a teacher told me to take it exactly like 2D. Work the drawing, do not hesitate to manipulate the model in strange ways to make an appealing key, search the curves, line of actions and everything you would look for in a 2D drawing. And work in step, flipping through the keys, so the computer have as little freedom as possible and you really control everything. He teached me that animation is  animation, wether it’s in 2D, CG, clay … You always look for the same stuff. What are some of the ways you manage your time so that you can get everything done in time?

I love to do check list. in TV series, I always have around 20 shots all at once, so I do little charts on paper, with the state of progress of each shot, retakes and stuff. I find it useful to have an overall view on paper (paper is important because when something is finished I can cross it, and it’s satisfying) What are some of the things you look for before you declare your shot complete?

I watch it several times frame by frame, checking all the arcs, eye direction, lipsynch if there’s some and also checking for penetration (often you find some at the very end … ). I also do a little editing for myself to be sure that my shot flows nicely with what’s before and after. What’s your favorite animated movie, short, and game?

Favorite movie: Princess Mononoke (and Ratatouille) Shorts : hard to choose… all the wallace and Gromit shorts, Father and Daughter (Michael Dudok de Wit) all things by Jan Svankmajer and so many more I can’t think of right now! Game : I love a lot of games, but not for their animation, except maybe for Professor Layton, I LOVE those 2D cut scenes!! and TV series : Avatar the Last airbender What do you do when you get animator’s block?

I talk with my colleagues, having a fresh look on your work is life-saving. What do you use to get inspired?

Watch good animations, check my artbook collection, browse the web for nice art blog… or sometimes nothing of the above, just take a good book and go outside, see friends and have a good laugh. i believe that you cannot create life if you don’t live yourself (oh that sounds pompous .. sorry) What is your favorite experience as an animator?

On the rare occasions I could give a different point of view than the one of the director on some of my shots, and he accepted it. I found it very rewarding! Because then the shot was really mine, and more of a personnal challenge! What are your favorite animation resources that other animators might find useful? 

Nothing top secret: the classical Animator Survival Kit by Richard Williams, And The Illusion of Life (Frank Thomas/Ollie Johnston) on the web:http://livlily.blogspot.fr/ and http://www.penciltestdepot.com/ youtube and framepool for the references How do you take your Chipotle Burrito?

Unfortunatly in France we do not have Chipotle… I never had one If you could direct a project, what would it be?

Something linked to music! Do you have any advice for students and animators trying to find their break?

(Sorry I’m not sure I understand the question :s)  As a general advice, I would say that every project you work on has something interesting for you. Learn everyday, don’t take it too personnal, know your strenghts and your weaknesses. Be nice, talk to  everyone, cultivate your network, because that’s how you will find a job. A good network is as important as a good reel, sometimes even more.

If you're a professional animator, I would like to interview you.  As an animator waiting for her first big break, I think it would be inspiring and wonderful to hear about other animators' personal journeys.  I think it would help inspire and motivate an entire community of animation students and freelancers.