Andy Grisdale has been involved in various types of animation throughout his career and has worked on a number of exciting projects ranging from console games for Xbox and Playstation 2, to theme park attractions, commercials and stunning cinematic sequences for games such as Bioshock and Fable 2.

Andrew has spent the past 8 years hoarding a wealth of experience in very exciting projects. After working for several studios in England, he moved to the United Stated where he first joined Blur Studios in Los Angeles for just over a year before joining Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California where he’s currently working as a layout artist on Toy Story 3.

You are currently working at Pixar. Can you tell us how you ended up there?

I started animating as a hobby back in the early 90s which led me to art school and eventually a degree in animation. My first three jobs were for games companies in England. I wasn’t especially interested in the games industry and so in the meantime I was making my own short films at home. I made two of them — ‘The Circle’ and ‘The Green Miaow’. They look crude now but these shorts led to my being hired at Blur Studio in Los Angeles which was artistically a huge move for me, collaborating on much more cinematic pieces. I was there for three years before some larger studios started to call. Although Blur was a great place to work I couldn’t say no when Pixar invited me to join them. i feel like creating my own work was the most crucial step in getting here.

What is it about animation that made you choose it as your career?

I had an interest in film making from a very young age. When I was starting college I thought I was going to go into live action film making but I quickly got discouraged by the lack of control I had over the components of a film — actors, lighting, weather and so on. I was already comfortable with animation with which I could more easily realize my ideas and have more fun with it. You’re only limited by talent and time. When I was at Blur I started to do layout professionally and in that area I really found my niche as it is the most filmic part of the animation process and I enjoyed it a lot.

What do you like the most about the type of work you do?

It’s just really fun to start a new sequence and to create a new Pixar scene from scratch. In layout we really work out the nuts and bolts of how the film is going to work in three dimensions. Aside from figuring out the logistics we’re free to experiment as much as we please with the staging, composition and camera work so we’re a big part of the film making process which is very satisfying.

Who or what inspires your personal and professional work?

I’m mostly inspired by live action filmmakers — Kubrick, Hitchcock, Lean, Scorsese — all the usual suspects. PT Anderson is my favourite working right now. Scouring the internet for art blogs provides an infinite source of inspiration too. I’m fortunate to live in an inspiring part of the world and to be surrounded by many talented people.

What lessons have you learnt from you various roles in games and films?

My years of work have taught me to have a plan and stick to it. Think about what you’re going to do do before you do it. I try to be as organised as possible. To build up my work in layers and to do one thing after another. To communicate as much as possible with everyone you’re working with. Keep track of how long tasks take so that you can best judge how long things will take to do in the future. But how well I stick to my own advice is another question…

Having transitioned from games to films, how do you think these two mediums are different?

From an animation standpoint there are obvious differences — acting in animated film versus shorter actions and loops for games — but, really, the tools and the process are pretty much the same and you always try to create the finest quality you can. I do remember working in games as being more repetitive but it was still enjoyable for the most part. I haven’t worked in games for quite a while so maybe things are changing with this generation of technology.

I know that you enjoy working on your own animation shorts. Are there any more of them in the pipeline?

Nope! I would love to do another but this job takes too much out of me.

What are your tools of choice when animating?

Pixar has it’s own software which I really like using. Commercially, I like to use Max for most things but for animation I would say Maya is my favourite.

With films like Avatar and Up gracing the screens last year which take the art form of animation to new levels, where do you see animation going in the next few years?

Up, and especially Avatar, had huge amounts of resources poured into them and it’s great for the industry that they’re doing so well. I’m more excited about how Coraline and Fantastic Mr Fox went down so well. The animation industry is much cooler with those kind of films in it.

If you were a survivor from the zombie apocalypse and you couldn’t do animation for a living, what would you be doing instead?
Hmm… hopefully, building boats to sail away on.

Related links:

1. Andrew’s official website A closer look at his work.
2. Pixar Animation Studios Andrew’s place of work.

With 20 years of experience in the animation industry, Eric is an exceptionally skilled animator in both CG and traditional animation. His impressive portfolio contains names such as Dreamworks, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Warner Brothers, and Rhythm & Hues among others. Some of his most recent projects are The Princess and the Frog, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Bolt and Meet the Robinsons. He studied animation at California Institute of Arts, in Valencia, California, where he was awarded a partial Disney Scholarship. He’s even published a children’s book, which he wrote and illustrated: The Harbor Light, published by Kregel Publications.

As an animator, do you have any preference between 2D and 3D?

I honestly love both. Each has its own unique pluses and minuses, and I love the challenges both bring. To me, animation has always been about the performance of the character, creating a believable and relatable persona you care about.

And as a spectator?

Both forms of film hold wonderful opportunities for creativity, imagination and style. I love films that pull you in and make you believe in and care for the characters, regardless of the medium used to achieve that goal.

How long had you been doing 2D when you first decided to learn CG, and how did you find the transition?

I was a 2D animator for about 10 years before I started learning CG. It was a little daunting at first, but since I’m an analytical person by nature, I wasn’t scared off by the technical side of things. Once I wrapped my head around the tools and how they affect the animation, it became second nature and I could concentrate on the most important thing — creating a performance.

I recently had the privilege to transition back to 2D for a time to animate on The Princess and the Frog for Disney. I thoroughly enjoyed the return to familiar ground. Then, it was back to CG for my next project. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity for the variety.

Do you think CG is killing traditional animation?

No. I think there are several reasons why CG is at the forefront of animation currently. But I don’t think traditional animation is being “killed.” It’s just been pushed aside for the time being.

There’s a lot of room in the marketplace for medium diversity. The last few years have been a mix of animated films, mostly CG, but also traditional, stop-motion, as well as some new forms of animation. Great stories, appealing characters, and unique experiences are what make great films, and they are not exclusive to one particular medium. Hopefully we’ll see a better balance of mediums in the not too distant future.

What do you like animating the least?

I’d say anything not character performance related can become tedious for me. I know I keep repeating myself, but it’s all about character to me.

How does life as a family man get along with the long hours of an animator?

It is tough at times, I must say. Family is number one in my book. So when crunch time hits, I am very aware that I must be on guard to MAKE time available. Work ethic is extremely important to me too, but a person can’t live their life at the studio. I work with my employers to have some flexibility in my work schedule at times.

You have worked with very talented and renowned directors and animators, is there anyone left you would like to work with?

Yes, I have been blessed to have worked with many great people in the animation field. Down-to-earth and approachable people who make you feel part of a team, respect you, and value your experience and input.

The person I’d most like to work with is, actually, whoever is the next person or group of people I work with. Everyone has their own unique experiences, skills and ideas, and the more people I collaborate with, the more I’ll learn and grow as an artist.

Do you have any intentions of taking your children’s book, ‘The Harbor Light,’ into an animation?

I actually started the idea as an animated project. I had hopes of creating a 30 minute, direct-to-video featurette with it. But from the very beginning, I wanted to do something personal, something under my own complete creative control. As time went on, I realized a fully animated project was a bit beyond my means, so my focus shifted to a more manageable form, and the idea to turn it into a 32 page children’s picture book came in to being. There is nothing like having your own creation and seeing it through all the steps to completion.

Are you currently working on any new projects of your own?

Yes. I’m just finishing up on a new children’s picture book, my second. After that, I plan to move right on to my third picture book idea, while continuing to develop a novel aimed toward an older audience.

How would you explain your job to a 90 year old lady who’s never seen a CG animation?

I’ve always found it a challenge to convey to others exactly what an animator does, and the process they use to create a performance. I’ve sat down many times at my animation desk or my computer screen and shown in summarized terms the steps to animating. They seem to understand it to a degree, and are always amazed to discover the time and effort it takes. But in the end, I know it still eludes them. It seems “magical” to them.

But I think that’s the way it should be. To create a character from absolute nothing that you could believe lives and breathes and feels and emotes, but is created through a tedious process one frame at a time over a period of weeks and weeks – how could that be anything but magic?

Related links:

1. Disneyland miniatures and stuff Eric’s personal blog.
2. Animation portfolio A close look at his work.
3. The Harbor Light Buy his book!
4. IMDb Eric’s filmography.

Jeff Pratt has had a fascinating (slightly meandering) career. After many years working as a space shuttle engineer for NASA, Jeff swapped the ‘infinite and beyond’ for a graphic design and computer animation path, which he kicked off with none other than Pixar, joining the teams behind ‘Toy Story’ 1 and 2, ‘A Bug’s Life’, ‘Monsters Inc’. and (as modeller/rigger) ‘Finding Nemo’. Then, after gathering bundles of experience as an animation monk he moved on, logically, to become a master and pass on his wisdom. First at Expression College just outside of San Francisco and finally at Escape Studios in the United Kingdom, where he currently works.

What made you leave sunny California and come to England?

My partner at the time was transferred to London. I had lived in San Francisco for 14 years so when a chance to try living in London came up it sounded like a something worth trying out.

Have you ever attempted any traditional 2D animation?

No, I went straight into 3D in Art School.

What would you say to those who believe that 3D animation is like rocket science?

Ha ha ha… Well, I should know what Rocket Science is like having worked at NASA for 8 years. The User interfaces in 3D packages are getting more and more user friendly, so some aspects of 3D animation are actually not very technical at all. Now if you are talking FX then that’s a different story.

Is it possible to be a good 3D character animator without the technical knowledge of rigging?

Yes, if you are able to be working in a larger studio where animators are only doing animation and there are whole modeling and rigging departments to support production.

What has given you the highest sense of accomplishment as an animator?

Sitting in a theatre and watching a film I animated and observing the audience reaction to my work. Having an audience laugh at your shot is a great thrill.

And as a teacher?

Having a student who came into my class not interested in the class leave the class excited about the subject and want to learn more.

How are you finding being a teacher after all those hectic years at Pixar?

It’s a lot of fun working with students who are all excited and have lots of energy and ideas and it is allot less stressful than production and much better hours.

Is there a golden era of animation? Do you think this is it?

There have been a number or Golden Eras in animation. The Disney Classic animation Bambi, Fantasia, etc. Then the second golden age, Little Mermaid through Lion King. And yes I think this is kind of a third Golden time in Animation.

Do you currently have any personal animated projects in progress?

No, I’ve been too busy developing my animation course here at Escape to have time for a personal project these days.

If you were a famous animated character who would you be?

Arthur from The Sword in the Stone. For one it’s my favourite Disney classic animation and second I’m always changing and trying new things.

Related links:

1. Escape Studio Jeff’s profile page.
2. British Airways Interview Interesting video interview with Jeff Pratt.

Nick Cross is an award-winning animator and independent film-maker living in Ottawa, Canada. He’s played a key role in the production of several animated features such as Ren & Stimpy ‘Adult Party Cartoon’ and Rupert, not forgetting his personal projects: The Waif of Persephone and Yellow Cake. Nick’s portfolio contains clients such as Nelvana, Spumco, Nickelodeon and New Line Entertainment.

You have been in almost every job on the animation production line, from set decorator to editor, producer, writer, animator to director.
In which role do you feel most comfortable?

I think that the role that I enjoy the most is the art direction aspect of making films. I really like to play around with mood and colour and placing characters into those settings. I guess I just enjoy the idea of creating new worlds and environments; that’s the best part of animation and film-making for me.

Your personal projects have taken many years to produce. Do they stray a lot from the original idea in that time or how do you manage to stay on course?

Since all of the editing in an animated film takes place at the beginning, it gives me a firm framework to work around. If that weren’t the case, it would be really hard to resist the temptation to keep changing things as I go until the final film no longer resembles the story that I originally intended to make. It’s like being a long-distance runner, you need to have discipline to make it to the finish line.

How do you fund your projects?

I fund them with my commercial work. The sad reality is that short films rarely pay for themselves so they have to be more of a labour of love. The downside of having to self-finance my work is that I have to prioritize my time in favour of work that pays the bills. The fact that I pay for the films myself gives me all the freedom that I want, but on the downside, that’s one of the main reasons why my films take so long to produce.

Most animation students have at least one idea for an animated short but they don’t have (yet) the advantage of earning for commercial work. What advice would you offer them in order to see it finished?

Just have confidence. It’s inevitable that a filmmaker will lose motivation as they work on an animated film. It’s just such a long and sometimes a tedious process. You always get to a point where you start to question yourself and the validity of your work. You just have to push all of that aside and have confidence in your original vision, in what got you interested in starting the project in the first place. That’s all it takes, really — perhaps it’s easier said that done, but that’s the one thing that I’ve learned in 11 years of making my own independent films.

How would you sum up the underlying social message in the Waif of Persephone?

I think I would have a hard time summing it up. I don’t usually start a new film intending it to have a moral or a message. They usually just encapsulate a lot of ideas that I have in my head at that particular time. However, I think the main theme for that film is about how good intentions are almost always destroyed by greed.

What’s the animation work you’re most proud of?

That’s hard to say. Like a lot of artists, I am pretty critical of them, but I think that I have reached a point where I’m starting to feel proud of some of my most recent work and Yellow Cake in particular. I think that all the different parts from story to animation and background styling came together quite well in the finished product.

Indeed, the style and grading of Yellow Cake are very unique. What do you reckon is the secret ingredient?

I don’t know if there is a secret ingredient. The style is just my natural way of working; the only real look that I intended to put in the film is a heightened amount of contrast between the light and the darks. I wanted there to be deep, dark shadows to emphasize a sense of foreboding in a subtle way.

Is there another Nick Cross short in the pipeline? Can you give us a hint about what it is?

I actually have two new films that I am working on right now. One is still just a zygote of an idea and doesn’t really have a solid plot yet. The other is a shorter film then my last few; it will only be about 5 or 6 minutes in length. It takes place on a farm and involves a fox stealing chickens. That’s about all I can reveal at this point, since I’m still storyboarding it and I don’t quite have all the plot points figured out yet.

If aliens stole your animation and artistic powers, what could you do for a living?

I originally wanted to be a biologist and a lot of the jobs I had before I got into animation were working with animals. When I was a little kid and people would ask what I wanted to do for a living, I would always say that I wanted to be a zookeeper. I still love science and I’m addicted to nature programs, so I don’t think I would be totally lost if the art thing ever fell through.

Related links:

1. Pyatyletka Nick’s personal blog.
2. Nick Cross on Vimeo Watch his personal work.
3. IMDb Read about his long film credits.
4. Buy The Waif of Persephone on DVD Support Nick!