From Lighting to Directing: Is Such A Move Possible?
I’ve been getting some great questions thrown my way on my website. Greg, a student in Texas, asked me, “If I start out as a lighter in a studio, is it possible to move up to being a director?” Although anything is possible and I (mostly) never say never, I have to say it would be a very rare thing – at least in feature animation. I don’t have the experience in TV shows to know if that is the case or not. I know directors who were once animators, character designers, editors, FX artists, productions designers and writers – but directors in feature animation mostly come out of the story artist pool. They are trained from the beginning to keep story at the forefront of their visions, both written and visually. By the time they reach story supervisor on...
Read MoreStuck At the Wrong School for Animation: Now What?
You’ve decided you want to pursue a career in the animation industry and you’re headed to a school that you think will prepare you for your professional journey. Yet what happens if you share Emily’s sad dilemma? She wants to get into storytelling in animation, and realizes that she has committed herself to the wrong university. The art classes are non-existent – what little they have, she already knows. Now what should she do to move forward? My big piece of advice would be: RESEARCH! It sounds like Emily didn’t do enough research when looking into this university. I’m not being critical – I was guilty of the same thing when I was looking for schools during my senior year in high school. At one point, I wanted to go to the Northern Arizona...
Read MoreHow ‘A Mighty Girl’ Is Teaching Girls To Be Heroes
If you’re a parent, an aunt or uncle, a sibling, a teacher, or simply a person who loves children’s literature and movies, you might notice something—a good girl (character) can be hard to find. It’s not always easy to find female characters in books who actually take on leadership roles in stories—and fortunately, that’s where A Mighty Girl comes in. A Mighty Girl is more than a website; it’s a comprehensive resource: “A Mighty Girl is the world’s largest collection of books and movies for parents, teachers, and others dedicated to raising smart, confident, and courageous girls and, of course, for girls themselves!” Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? A Mighty Girl launched just over a month ago, but its selection and resources are vast. The...
Read MoreSubliminal Messages in Animated Films: Fact or Fiction?
Subliminal messages in animated films–it sounds like a sinister topic! How do I respond to people who say that they exist? Well, it’s not a question I get very often, but luckily, I have an answer. So to those who wonder about subliminal messages, I say: “Yes, there are often hidden things in films I’ve worked on, and many that I haven’t.” They are usually little pranks a renegade artist has snuck into a frame of film, or hidden in a background or in a cloud of dust. Sometimes they are quite innocent – like a baby’s name, or a caricature of a friend or loved one. Sometimes they are naughty – like a nude photo in a window that flies past in a quick camera move. Or sometimes it’s a geeky pride in their work, like spelling out “SFX” for...
Read MoreHow To Make Your Portfolio Stand Out
Searching for a job in any creative field, you must know that your portfolio is a crucial tool for showcasing your work and sparking a prospective employer’s interest—and the animation industry is no exception. Because a portfolio is so important, I’m frequently asked about portfolio tips and best practices. Cassidy, a senior animation student, asks, “With hundreds of other people with a passion for story art competing for the same job, how do I stand out?” That is the eternal question for all creative artists of how we can make ourselves stand out from the others. You are not alone, and that, in essence, is the problem… for all of us. Those that stand out do so for many different reasons. You can’t pin it down – and that’s what makes them stand...
Read MoreProject Involve: A Great Opportunity for Under-Represented Filmmakers
If you’re an aspiring filmmaker or considering another career path in the film industry, you might just want to consider applying for Film Independent’s Project:Involve. The intensive nine-month program is “Film Independent’s signature diversity program, dedicated to increasing diversity in the film industry by cultivating the careers of under-represented filmmakers,” according to Film Independent. The application deadline is April 30, and applicants can choose from a variety of categories: *Filmmaking – cinematography, directing, documentary, editing, producing and screenwriting. *Industry – acquisitions/distribution, agent/manager, development exec, film programming, marketing. Once participants are selected, they’ll be individually...
Read MoreWriting Stories: Find Your Passion
When it comes to writing stories, there’s no question that coming up with a concept is always the most difficult part of the process. And coming up with something new, different and original is no easy task. One of our readers, Keren, recently submitted a question on this topic and I thought it made sense to write about that here – in case that’s something you’re wrestling with, too. Keren, and any other writer out there reading this and nodding your head, rest assured you’re not alone. All storytellers/writers suffer from the same questions and worries. It does sometimes feel as though there are no new stories and that everything has already been done. But that’s not really the case. There’s always another way to tell a story. It Starts With...
Read MoreMy Five Favorite Animated Films
When it comes to choosing my five favorite animated films, I have to limit myself here, or I could easily write a book. I love so many different animated films for so many different reasons… it’s going to be hard to narrow it down. But narrow it I must! Call me old-fashioned, call me a girl (I am one, after all), but out of all of the animated films that I love, Lady and the Tramp comes to mind first. It might be that I love dogs. It might be that I love the time period. But I really think it’s because it is such a wonderful story, and it was executed so beautifully. All of the characters are so appealing for so many different reasons. I give it credit for making me want to scratch each dog behind their ears while at the same time wanting to have a...
Read MoreA Final Peek Inside My Children’s Book, “A Birthday”
Okay… here’s the final sneak peek of my children’s book, A Birthday (until I begin painting another one). I’ve been working on the story and illustrations for more than two decades, and although I have a lot of work ahead of me, I’m excited to head back to the drawing board—literally! A Birthday follows the story of Emma, a little old lady who is alone on her birthday. I created the book based on a student film I did that caught the attention of Disney Animation Studios back in 1987. So far, I’ve shared four of the five illustrations I’ve completed for the book. I think I completed this last illustration after I did the ones of Young Emma and Old Emma, but it’s been so long, and of course —I didn’t put a date on the back. When I look at this...
Read MoreChannel Your Inner Filmmaker With 3 Stop Motion iPhone Apps
Add “filmmaking” to the list of things your iPhone can do! If you have a newer iPhone, you’re likely able to record video. Ready to take your skills to the next level? Try one of three iPhone apps that let you create stop motion videos. Regardless of whether you’re interested in animation or live-action films, honing your skills with tools like these stop motion apps is a great way to prepare yourself for your future education and career. And even if you’re not considering a career in the film industry, making movies is fun and makes for an enriching hobby. Without further ado, grab your iPhone and let’s dive in to your stop motion filmmaking options. Frame X Frame (Free): Created by JOBY, Frame X Frame is a comprehensive camera app that also allows...
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