Designing for a Skillset

What do you want to be when you grow up?

In Industry, a recruiter will ask you what you want to do, what your strengths and weaknesses are in the field of animation. You need to be able to state your primary and secondary skill sets and then back these up with proof through your portfolio and demo reel. There are many different places to play in the animation field and you need to pursue the area that you like the most. Your animated short is a calling card for work, so while it is desirable to make an entertaining story, it is crucial to show off your skill set and what you do well.

Before you write your story, think about where you want to work and what you want to do. Design a piece that will allow you to emphasize just that. It is too easy to get lost in the story you want to tell or the types of films you like to watch without considering if that piece will get you where you want to go.

In this section we will look at some of the more common positions and what they require. Then each of these has an example and one or two interviews from newly graduated animators and industry professionals. We also have a special section on working collaboratively that features interviews from Student Academy Award winners Avner Geller and Stevie Lewis who worked as a two-person team as well as an interview with Terry Moews who directed a larger team through the Disney Associates’ Production of the short Chalk. Both of these films include both traditional and computer animation.

• The Traditional Animator

  Flight of Fancy: An Interview with Casey Robin Neal

• The Stop Motion Animator

  Bottle: An Interview with Kirsten Lepore

• The Computer Animator

  Beware of Monster: An Interview with Meghan Stockham

• The 3D/CG Modeler

  Treasure: An Interview with Chelsea Bartlett

• The 3D/CG Lighting Artist or Technician

  Origins: An Interview with Robert Showalter

  Telling a Story with Light:An Interview with Bert Poole

• Working Collaboratively

  The Defective Detective: An Interview with Avner Geller and Stevie Lewis

  The Disney Summer Associates Program: An Interview with Terry Moews

• The Animator and the Composer: A Case Study

  The Collaboration: A Discussion between George Fleming and Stavros Hoplaros

The Traditional Animator

Traditional animation has several layers of diversification in animation positions. These positions include:

Visual Development:

• Story Artists: who focus on the visual development and storyboarding
• Layout Artists: who develop the background and staging for the animation
• Character Designers: artists who design the characters, set the model sheets, expressions and action poses

Animation:

• Supervising or Lead Animators: responsible for consistency in animation
• Animators: create the rough animation for a scene; set the key poses
• Rough InBetweeners: help the animator with the rough animation by filling in drawings between the keys
• Animating Assistant: an animator in training

Clean-Up Artists: who make sure all of the drawings are on model

• Assistant Animator: the top level of clean up that requires the most experience
• Breakdown Artist: the second level of clean up
• Inbetweener: lowest level of cleanup

Ink and Paint: artists who finalize the color for the film

Traditional animation is the process where every movement and facial expression needed in an animation is painstakingly drawn, then transferred to film or digital media. Up to 20,000 hand drawings or more may be needed for a 30-minute film.

The story, and making it focused and production ready, is the first step in the traditional animation process.

Storyboards are the visual script of the film. This is where the team of artists and animators create a series of drawings, which looks like a big comic strip, to work out how the story plays and communicates the idea, sets the shot sequences, staging and camera angles. These drawings are loose, quick renderings of what is in the project, but should also give a good representation. This is used as a visual reference in the process to assure that each member of the team understands the film and the storyboard provides a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout production keeping the project on track across various animators and departments. The sound people, for voice and background, will also use the storyboard as a guide.

Storyboards are placed over time with rough sound to create an animatic. An animatic is a blueprint or proof of the film that is made before production begins.

In the layout department, artists, working closely with the director, create the backgrounds and detail where the characters will be located in each of the shots.

Another reference for the traditional animators is model sheets. These show all of the possible expressions and poses for each character, along with how the entire character looks, including the clothing and hair from different angles—front, back, side and three-quarter views. These sheets detail the characters to maintain consistency in the production because several animators will be working on the project and likely drawing the same character in different scenes.

In production, animators draw the key frames or key poses of the characters. They are the artists that breathe life into a character by creating a series of static drawings. Often animators have specialties. Some are better at people or animals. Some are better at different types of movements or emotions. Because of this, in large productions, animators are often “cast” to produce specific scenes or characters. An animator may work on a scene alone or they may work with a team of rough inbetweeners and animating assistants. Animators set the key poses and rough inbetweeners fill in the refined movement between these poses. Most animators begin as animating assistants or rough inbetweeners. It is an excellent place to start to build practical animation skills.

Animators’ drawings are rough. They capture the weight, force and expression of the movement. Clean-up artists are responsible for refining the drawings and keeping the characters on model.

The final step in traditional animation is called ink and paint, when each individual frame is transferred to a clear film called a cel, a sheet of transparent cellulose acetate. The images are then colored and photographed for the final animated film. The cel is transparent because it will be photographed in layers when you add or composite the characters with the background cels. Cels are expensive. More and more, the ink and paint component of traditional animation is done in the computer. There are programs such as Toon Boom that can help automate this process.

Required skills

Artistic Skills:

• Strong drawing ability
• Good observational skills
• Close attention to detail
• Proficiency in perspective
• Strong application of composition, color and design
• Understanding of human and animal anatomy
• Understanding of facial movements and expressions
• Understanding of film language
• Mastery of the principles of animation
• Good timing
• Understanding of how body or mechanical parts move in relationship to each other
• Understanding of weight, mass and force in motion
• Acting experience
• Understanding storytelling and story structure

Technical skills:

• Proficiency in pencil test softwares
• Proficiency in Toon Boom or other 2D animation softwares
• Knowledge of paint programs such as Photoshop
• Knowledge of film editing softwares

Nontechnical skills:

• Good organizational skills

• Good communication skills
• Patience and tenacity
• Ability to work as a member of a team
• Ability to work from reference and maintain design specs in a character or a scene and produce accurate work
• Willingness to take critique and revise
• Desire to constantly make things better
• Ability to work with a minimum of supervision
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to deliver work on deadline

There are traditional animators who work as freelancers or independent producers. Because traditional animation is technology-light, it is possible with relatively low cost to set up your own animation table, shooting station and composite animation with minimal software in the computer.

When planning for a traditional animation project, you want to spend as much time on story and storyboarding as you do in production. The more you can understand what is essential to tell the story and what is unnecessary, the more efficient producing the film will be. Working on an independent traditionally animated short has some advantages over working independently in computer animation. You can have whatever you can draw in your film. If you need an additional character, or effects like water, these are relatively easy in traditional animation where in computer animation they add to your asset list. It is still better to keep the production small.

Casey Robin Neal lends some great advice to first-time traditional animators in her interview.

Flight of Fancy: An Interview with Casey Robin Neal (PDF)

The Stop Motion Animator

Before there were computers, stop motion animation was often referred to as 3D or table top animation because it was made by recording, frame by frame, the movements of physical 3D models and sets. Stop motion is also known as puppet animation, claymation, animatronics, paper animation, etc., because of the wide range of materials, armatures and rigs from which the models can be made. The movement of the characters and their features requires a huge amount of dedication because each movement needs to be incremental so that the motion appears believable in the final film. Animations by UK’s Aardman Studio (Wallace and Gromit), South Park Studios (inspired by paper cut out animation),  Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (the original) and Laika Studio’s Coraline, are all examples of stop motion animation.

Essentially, what happens in stop motion animation is that you record an image each time a feature of a character or asset of the scene moves. Most feature films run at 24 frames per second. This means that characters are moved and recorded 24 times for each second of a film. Then you bring all of the images into an editing application and string the stills together. Each of the images then becomes a frame in your stop motion movie. This is tedious work and one minute of film can often take entire week of shooting. In this process, too, if a light gets jarred or a camera nudged, then the entire shot has to be re-photographed.

The production phase of stop motion animation involves building sets, puppets or models, building armatures and rigging the models so the animators can move them. It also includes building and dressing the sets, setting cameras and lights (real ones) and making sure that only what is supposed to move, moves.

The models are usually simple and have large features that make them easy to manipulate. Each main character may have many heads, faces or appendages to allow for the easy manipulation of expressions and poses and to avoid the need to re-sculpt expressions over and over. To animate Jack Skeleton’s facial expressions and mouth movements in The Nightmare Before Christmas, the animator used hundreds of sculpted replacement heads. In addition, you may need to make a couple of duplicates of a character depending on the wear and tear on the model. The elements need to be durable enough to be tweaked over and over.

On big productions there is a range of separate “disciplines” or positions from directors, animators, model makers, set construction to photography, lighting and sound. However stop motion is also often used for short pieces like commercials and stings. In those cases the animator may do it all.

On the bigger productions, key animators work closely with the director to create the big character performances for the main characters. They set the standard for other animators to follow.  Key animators may be cast like actors for their particular strengths – comedy, drama, dialogue, high action, charm, etc., or for their ability to animate certain type of characters – men, women, children, animals, monsters, etc.

In preproduction they may also collaborate with model makers and riggers to make sure the puppets or models are appropriately constructed and rigged for the action indicated in the storyboards. Once in production, the key animators are allocated the toughest and most crucial scenes.  They are supported by animators and animation assistants. The animators in stop motion need to be part artist, part technician and that is a hard combination to find.

As in all animation jobs, there will be times where the stop motion animator will need to work under deadline pressure and last-minute revisions, and perform to high standards. This can become difficult since each of the moves requires a high attention to detail.

Required Skills include:

Artistic Skills:

• Good observational skills
• Close attention to details
• Working knowledge of a wide range of traditional media, including drawing, painting clay and armature building
• Background in sculpture and model making

• Proficiency in perspective
•  Strong application of composition, color and design
• Understanding of human and animal anatomy
• Understanding of facial movements and expressions
• Understanding of film language
• Good timing
• Understanding of how body or mechanical parts move in relationship to each other
• Understanding of weigh, mass and force in motion
• Acting experience
• Understanding storytelling and story structure

Technical skills

• Ability to work in a range of stop motion animation techniques
• Ability to clean up models and replace parts
• Operate relevant animation, lighting and camera equipment
• Knowledge of editing softwares

 Nontechnical skills

• The ability to stay focused and concentrate for long periods of time, sometimes in uncomfortable positions
• Lots of patience
• Good communication skills
• The ability to be part of a team

• Willingness to take critique and revise
• Desire to constantly make things better
• Ability to work with a minimum of supervision
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to deliver work on deadline

• Because stop motion frequently involves the use of many different types of materials, it is recommended that you are also aware of the health and safety regulations in the country of production

When planning for a stop motion animation, make sure you have the time, materials and support necessary to execute the film. Think about why this type of animation enhances the storytelling or entertainment value of your film. Spend a lot of time planning. Develop your editing skills and determine what you need to show and what is unnecessary.

Kirsten Lepore goes to some amazing feats to create her short, Bottle. Great use of editing makes this short read seamlessly and conserves some valuable production time. It is a strong example of a good use of stop motion. Creating this film in a real environment enhances the idea that these creatures could really exist. If it were computer generated or traditionally animated it would still be sweet, but it would lose some of its fascination and believability.

Learn more about this piece in her interview and don’t miss her “Making of” video.

Bottle: An Interview with Kirsten Lepore (PDF)

The Computer Animator

The computer animator is responsible for making the models move. They are the ones who breathe life into the characters, giving them personality and emotion.  Animators may be “cast” like actors because of special abilities for different types of characters or animation.  Some animators are more skilled with nuanced animation or characters with quiet emotions. Some are better at high action.

When working on a project, animators work with lead animators or area supervisors and refer to established characteristics to maintain continuity of characters between scenes. This is because in feature films, many animators work on the same character. In animation, work is reviewed in “dailies” that allow the directors and supervisors to give input and request revisions to maintain the continuity of the film.

Computer animation requires a combination of strong technical skills and strong artistic skills. Animators must have a good sense of timing, movement, weight, force and mass. They have to understand anatomy and how the body parts move in relationship to each other. They need a love of nuance. Animators move everything down to the eyelashes.

Animators must also have a gift for storytelling.  Every scene is a small story and in every scene, what happens drives the larger story. The animator must understand the large story and how his few seconds of animation supports it. For character animators, observational skills and acting talent are important.

The education for an animator does not end with graduation from a college or art program, because this is one career field under constant change. Computer animators must have a love of learning new software and new techniques. Software is constantly changing and most studios have proprietary software that must be learned. Don’t expect to be “trained.” Part of the job is to take the initiative to train yourself. This is a field for the dedicated: Reaching proficiency demands years of constant practice and critique. It has said that it takes at least seven years post graduation to become “really good.”

Computer animators sometimes freelance and work more independently, but the more common model is to work as part of a team. The best team member is one that is devoid of ego, who can communicate clearly, take critique and direction, make intelligent choices and revisions, and delivers work on time.

The computer animation industry is a very small place. Personal reputation and recommendations are invaluable. Be nice to everyone. Your career really starts the minute you decide you want to be an animator. When in school, if you are on a group project, pull your weight. The people around you are your future colleagues, co-workers and bosses.

Anyone interested in the field should understand that each project is a long process. It can easily take years for a studio or shop to produce a piece and the entire team needs to remain fully committed throughout the production time. Revision and criticism is constant, and the ability to willingly work with people from a variety of backgrounds is essential.

There are many places to work as an animator besides feature films.

The video game field is a multibillion dollar market where there is a constant demand for animators to assist with new games and approaches. A critical requirement for this field of work is a strong interest in the games and familiarity with both popular and lesser-known products and what makes them stand out from the others available to players.

Advertisers and their production studios are using animation more as the format becomes increasingly popular on television and the Internet. Animations in medical fields are on the rise. This is a field that requires an intense interest in science, but when mixed with art skills can yield a rewarding and challenging career. There also is a market for short pieces, usually less than 5 minutes long. These are popular in education, training, and children’s programming. There is also a need for these on the independent film festival circuits.
Required skills
Artistic skills:

• Good drawing skills
• Proficiency in perspective
• Strong application of composition, color and design
• Understanding of human and animal anatomy
• Understanding of facial movements and expressions
• Understanding of film language
• Mastery of the principles of animation
• Good timing
• Understanding of how body or mechanical parts move in relationship to each other.
• Understanding of weigh, mass and force in motion
• Acting experience
• Understanding storytelling and story structure

Technical skills:

• Proficiency in 3D animation softwares
• Proficiency in compositing softwares
• Knowledge of rendering softwares
• Ability to quickly research, learn and implement new softwares and techniques

Nontechnical skills:

• Ability to work as a member of a team
• Ability to work from reference and maintain design specs in a character or a scene
• Good communication skills
• Patience and tenacity
• Ability to sit for long hours at a computer
• Willingness to accept critique and revise
• Desire to constantly make things better
• Ability to work with a minimum of supervision
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to deliver work on deadline

When planning for a project that emphasizes animation
When planning a project that will show off your animation skills, think about minimizing other elements such as the number of props, environments or other moving objects so that you can focus on refining animation. Try to design a project that will show a range of different types of movements from nuanced emotion to broad action. Think about a few lines of dialogue. Lip sync is becoming a standard skill necessary for most character animators. As in all animation projects, it is better to have a smaller project that is of higher quality than a larger project that is mediocre. The computer animator is probably one of the more competitive and desired positions in the industry. There are a lot of good people out there. If you find your project is too big, take just one scene and make sure that it is well executed.

Meghan Stockham created an animation, Beware of Monster, to emphasize animation. In the following interview, she describes both her preproduction and some of her production processes to attain her goals.

Beware of Monster: An Interview with Meghan Stockham (PDF)

The 3D/CG Modeler

The main task of a modeler is to build three-dimensional computer assets, whether they are characters, props, environments or special effects.  Essentially, modelers create digital sculptures for a CG project. Modelers come from varied backgrounds including computer animation, sculpture, ceramics, industrial design and engineering.

Modelers work from closely with art directors to ensure that the models are in keeping with the artistic theme and visual style of the film or project.  They will work from designs, concept drawings, reference and sometimes maquettes to produce accurate translations of the reference.  Sometimes modelers will find their own reference or make their own maquettes.

 Modelers also frequently work with the animation director or supervisor to guarantee that a model satisfies the technical needs of the animators and make sure the model will function to meet the needs of the film. They must be acutely aware of what actions and extremes of action a model must perform in the film and construct the geometry accordingly. They need to be attuned to detail and accuracy.

Another artistic issue for the modeler is the level of complication or detail required for the model. For example, if the model is scheduled to be close to the camera during the animation, a higher level of detail will be required. If throughout the piece the model is in the background, then the modeler does not need to spend as much time to make it so perfect, and needs to shift their attention other pieces that need a higher level of refinement. This type of decision might sound simple, but burning too much time on refinements that are secondary to the story will take time away from more imperative artwork. 

Later down the pipeline, the model will be rigged by riggers so that animators can make it move. It will also be affected by surface and texture artists to add details not found in the model itself. So it is very important that modelers understand what will be required of their models later in production.

Required skills

Modelers must have:

• Both 2d and 3d sensibilities
• A wide range of artistic and aesthetic sensibilities
• An ability to think in 3D
• A strong knowledge of human and animal anatomy if working with character designs
• A strong knowledge of proportion
• A knowledge of how things are constructed and move in the real world
• Model building experience
• Sculpture experience
• The ability to follow a design reference accurately
• The ability to maintain a good sense of scale, form, mass, weight and volume
• The ability to create both geometric and complex organic models

 

Their models must:

• Be efficient
• Be  reliable
• Be to scale
• Be easy to rig
• Be easy to animate
• Be on model
• Reflect the style of the piece
• Have the level of detail required for the scene

 

Technical skills:

• Proficiency in 3D animation softwares
• A good understanding of both polygonal and NURBS modeling
• A good sense of the necessary geometry, subdivided surfaces and blend shapes that will allow a model to move accurately
• Ability to do UV mapping
• In some cases knowledge of normal mapping and how to manage different resolutions of a model is necessary
• The ability to generate clean and functional geometry

Nontechnical skills:

• Ability to work as a member of a team

• Ability to solve problems with others.

• Good communication skills
• Willingness to accept critique and revise
• Desire to constantly make things better
• Ability to work with a minimum of supervision
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to deliver work on deadline

When planning for a project that emphasizes modeling

If what you want to primarily do is modeling, then find or create a story that will allow you to make several very different objects or two or three very different environments. Limit yourself to one character and minimize the amount of animation so you can spend your time on the models. Try to include both moderately complex geometric and organic assets.  Try to develop a secondary but related skill set such as rigging, texturing or lighting.

In the following interview, Chelsea Bartlett shares her experience planning a project that would show off her modeling and texturing skills through her film, Treasure.

Treasure: An Interview with Chelsea Bartlett (PDF)

The 3D/CG Lighting Artists/Technicians

Lighting techs work closely with production designers combining technical skill with an aesthetic eye to match the design established for an animation. The lighting artist holds a particularly specialized position, often applying their expertise near the end of the animation production.

Lights do not exist in 3D animation. Instead, a lighter adds virtual lights that are created to simulate the light that we experience in the real world. Then, they can use various settings to illuminate the set, and apply the various effects to surfaces for the appropriate effect.

It is through light that the atmosphere of a scene is set. Lights add or reduce realism, and introduce tone and depth. They can intensify the drama in each scene and help establish a mood, location, what the weather is like, whether it is morning or night, etc. Lights set the composition and direct the eye.
Lighting in animation is a powerful element. It has the ability to make a scene come to life. But, used improperly, light can overpower the work, appear hard or flat, and destroy all the hard work.
The techs have a lot of tools available, but must keep in mind that the effects they contribute must both look good and they must be easy to render. Rendering is when the coded content of the animation is processed by computers into a final visual format.

The lighting tech does not just work on the end of the production. The animation might require some special effects that need to be researched by the lighting person before the animation can proceed, or they might be asked to develop some new approach for the project or a scene.

The background required for a lighting tech is similar to that of a cinematographer on a feature film. Their variables include light and shadow, depth of field, density, whether to use a filter, etc. They should have a background in areas like photography, theater, film and animation, even art history.

Required skills

Artistic skills:

• Strong observational skills
• Close attention to detail
• Strong sense of light and shadow
• Knowledge of color theory
• Basic understanding of composition and design
• Understanding storytelling and story structure

Technical skills

• Understanding of basic cinematography principles
• Proficiency in 3D animation programs
• Good understanding of various paint and animation softwares
• Expertise in various industry-standard rendering programs

Nontechnical skills

• Ability to work as a member of a team
• Ability to work from a design reference
• Good communication skills
• Willingness to accept critique and revise
• Desire to constantly make things better
• Ability to work with a minimum of supervision
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to deliver work on deadline

When planning an animation to emphasize lighting, choose a story that requires different environmental atmospheres, an interior and exterior lighting situation and where lighting can help tell the story.

Robert Showalter from Disney, created a film, origins, that tells a powerful story through light. A small robot travels to find his roots, only to discover that where that was, is where he needs to be. Light plays an amazing supporting actor to teach this character this lesson. Robert gives some valuable advice to young artists aspiring to be lighters.

Bert Poole shares some lighting situations from How to Train Your Dragon to explain the role that lighting plays to support story. He gives a detailed description of how a scene is lit at Dreamworks.

Origins: An Interview with Robert Showalter (PDF)

Telling a Story with Light: An Interview with Bert Poole (PDF)

Working in Collaboration

Animation projects are team efforts. Most feature films and 3D games have hundreds of people who help complete the project. Even on smaller projects it is rare that a single individual will do it all. Recruiters are always asking if potential employees have the skills to work in collaboration.
When most people think of collaboration, they think of meeting someone who is like-minded and/or who compliments their skill set to work on a project that is meaningful to both.  When people think of employment, they hope to have a position that is fulfilling and will offer them growth, but they don’t always see a job as a collaborative effort. In the animation industry, collaboration means that you have the ability to work on a team toward a common goal. It means that you make a commitment to a project and as part of that commitment you agree to both take direction and contribute suggestions. Collaboration is a process that is interactive and requires participation by all parties. 
But this does not mean that all parties are equal. On an animation project, many ideas are tried and discarded. And eventually area supervisors or directors make the decision about what is best for the film. It is important to be able to create, throw out and let go. Everything that is done is for the good of the project. This means what you are doing at any given time may or may not be personally rewarding. It is important to realize you’re part of a team and as the old adage goes, there is no “I” in TEAM. And you don’t get to pick your team members. You need to be able to work with very talented people from with varied backgrounds and personalities.
The problem is that rarely do we teach collaboration skills. Commonly, individuals are put into a group and given a task, job or project to complete.  But this is often done without preparation for group dynamics. What we are going to do here is try to provide some suggestions that make group work more successful.
Before we do that, I would like to introduce that idea that collaboration does not mean working in a group. Instead, collaboration is a philosophy or frame of mind. It is a mentality of openness, support of cooperation and of contribution.  It is an attitude that values the worth of the ideas of others. It is a proclivity to be helpful; to jump in when others need help and to stay out of the way when you’re not needed. It is a way of working that puts the good of the project above all else.
This is not to say that any of this is easy. With collaboration comes conflict. Conflict is good. Through conflict comes clarity. And usually through conflict the best ideas surface.
So let’s talk about conflict. If you are in industry, then employers will be looking for a good attitude toward collaboration. There will already be a conflict management plan in place.  In the event that you are unable to play nice with others, your contract, regardless of your talent, will probably not be renewed. So managing conflict and attitude is important. If you are beginning a new project with new people – like everything else – it is better if you take time to plan before you begin the project.
Here are some tips:

• Define why it is good to collaborate.
  • Cooperation between diverse perspectives gives us more and different idea possibilities.
  • A group brings more information and resources to the table than any single individual.
  • Working in a group means that you don’t have to be good at everything. Look for complimentary skill sets.
  • More work can be accomplished in less time with a division of labor.
• Get to know each other
  • Before you begin, do something fun that is not related to the project.  When conflicts arise, it is hard to leave them unresolved if you have a good experience somewhere in the background.
  • List your strengths and weaknesses. Include characteristics or other obligations that may help in the production process. For example, some people can’t function before 10 am. Others have to pick up their kids before 5 and can’t work again until 10 pm.
  • Myers-Briggs is a personality test. It gives some generalizations about how individuals operate in the world. Sometimes, if you have time, it is good for group members to take it so that you can learn your personal dynamics and consider how to operate with the members of your team.
  • Define your expectations for yourself and for others.  Knowing this upfront helps to alleviate conflicts and disappointments later.
• Agree on some working rules
  • Agree on a method for information distribution and file sharing
  • Talk about job distribution and workflow
  • Create a conflict management plan. When things get hot, what is your process for resolution?
• Create a production schedule
  • Define the projects deliverables
  • Set when and how each deliverable will be met
  • Set a schedule. Revise the schedule when you are falling behind. Rethink.
• Create a meeting plan.
  • If you are in the same location how, when and where will you meet to discuss the project? Under what conditions is a face to face interaction necessary?
  • Many projects are now produces across various companies, countries and venues. There are many ways to share files and communicate. What is your agreed upon strategy?
• Do your part
  • Follow through and meet expectations
  • If you can’t, don’t hide it, ask for help
• Always remember that the goal is the successful completion of the project. And in film the end goal is the entertainment of the audience.

Here are some things that let you know if you are being part of a creative team:

• You listen to and value the ideas of others
• You contribute your ideas
• You maintain an expectation that every problem is solvable
• You question assumption that others are treating simply as fact.
• You spend more time thinking up alternative ideas that don’t fly than you spend trying  to coerce others to follow your initial ideas
• You raise audience concerns that no one else seems to be voicing
• You are open to discussion, critique and review
• You make changes
• You support your colleagues and build them up
• You give credit more than you take credit

Working together has so many advantages. In the following interviews, Avner Geller and Stevie Lewis worked as a two person team to create the film The Defective Detective.  They talk about the development of the film and little bit about their working process.
Terry Moews serves as director for the Disney Associates Program’s productions. The Disney Associate’s Program is a summer internship where students gain instruction in their field of interest and then work collaboratively on a film. Terry talks about the dynamics of a larger team that made the short, Chalk.

Student director, George Fleming and student composer, Stavros Hoplaros describe their collaboration in creating sound for the in-progress short, “The Hoard”.

Defective Detective: An Interview with Avner Geller and Stevie Lewis (PDF)

The Disney Summer Associates Program: An Interview with Terry Moews (PDF)

Watch Defective Detective

The Animator and the Composer: A Case Study

Because the process of animation involves many stages of production, it is very important that students learn how to collaborate with each other. Some aspects of animation and filmmaking are beyond the scope of the individual artist’s ability (such as music, acting and often painting or design). Working with others allows the strength of the project to grow in numerous ways. By collaborating with other artists they can individually develop their own distinctive voice while working towards a common goal for the benefit of the project. Collaboration also teaches students who may be interested in directing and/or producing, the critical leadership skills necessary to manage a cohesive project.

In an effort to promote inter-departmental collaboration, CSULB professor Aubry Mintz (Animation/Illustration) worked with CSULB director of string studies Johannes Müller-Stosch and film score professor Perry LaMarca (see interview on book Chapter 12) to collaborate on scoring student animation films.

One of the first films to be scored was that of student director George Fleming’s movie “The Hoard” by student composer Stavros Hoplaros. Theyworked together in this for two semesters marrying both sound and picture to tell the story. Then the original score was recorded live by the California State University, Long Beach Symphony Orchestra,

Professor Mintz: This may have been one of the proudest moments of my teaching career, as I watched my student’s excitement and confidence grow as I listened to the music that was written specifically for his short film. The motivation of my student directors tripled once they received the scores and continued to work tirelessly for their second semester to work towards completion of their films. This successful experience traveled by word of mouth from student to student and now future filmmakers anticipate this collaboration. It has become an incentive for them to develop their ideas for films before their senior year. It has been a great tool for motivating students to stay focused on their projects.

The Collaboration: A Discussion between George Fleming and Stavros Hoplaros

What's a synopsis of the Hoard?
George:  My movie is currently a work in progress. The story is based off a short J.R.R. Tolkien poem where a knight slays a dragon to gain access to its treasure hoard. The knight and his ideals are virtuous at first, and his plan is to take back enough treasure so that he can live happily with his fiancé. As he is grabbing treasure, he finds a ring that reminds him of his fiancé’s eyes and plans to give it to her and propose. This leads to a stylized dream sequence where the knight imagines giving his fiancé the ring he found and she happily accepts.
Once the dream sequence ends, the knight decides to take modest amount of treasure and depart the cave. Just as he is approaches the exit of the cave, he encounters a previously undiscovered section of the cave that holds an even larger amount of treasure and is tempted by greed. The knight now presented with a conflict: does he go back to his fiancé with a smaller amount of treasure, or does he stay in the cave and keep the entire treasure to himself? In the end, he succumbs to his greed and decides to keep the treasure for himself, losing his humanity in the process. The film picks up several decades later where the gold has become dirty and grimy, and the knight has become a crazy old man. He now views himself as the king of the cave who rules over its treasure and sits on a golden throne so that can watch it at all times.
The knight finds the ring he was going to give to his fiancé while rummaging through his gold, and suddenly remembers his past self. Realizing that he has wasted his life, he breaks down and sobs in regret. At this moment, he has a heart attack and dies on the spot. After dying, the knight drops the ring and it rolls out of the cave where a peasant finds it. The peasant looks at the cave the ring rolled out of, and sees a faint twinkle of the hoard inside. As the peasant walks towards the cave, his young daughter who wants to play interrupts him. The peasant hugs his daughter and sees his wife holding his second daughter who smiles at him. The peasant smiles back at his wife, looks at the ring, and decides to abandon the cave to give the ring to her. Unlike the knight who became consumed by his greed, the peasant chooses his family over material wealth.

What were the specific things you were looking for when you first met with the composer?
George: Since my film was more serious in nature, it was important that the music needed to match that tone. A cartoony wacky soundtrack that is more typically found in animation would not fit with the story I was trying to tell. I was looking for music that illustrated what the characters are feeling, and the situations they were in.

To give Stavros a general idea of what I had in mind, I pieced together a rough scratch soundtrack composed of about 3 songs from World of Warcraft and Lord of the Rings, which contained clips of various video game and film soundtracks. These tracks had an epic nature and medieval sound that I wanted for the film.

I also sent Stavros my film in progress (part animated, part animatic), character model sheets and visual development depicting the look and feel of the movie. I also sent him research images I had collected about the time period the film took place in. The scratch track was just a suggestion, however, and I wanted the characters and the story to be the main source of inspiration. So I was open to new ideas and suggestions and I wanted Stavros to have full creative freedom when creating his idea of what the music should sound like.

Stavros: George came in with a clear vision of what he wanted and used a temp track to help me get an idea of his final vision. In my opinion, temp tracks can be used as directions for the composer, especially if the animator has limited musical knowledge. On the other hand, I believe that the animator should not be fully attached to his temp track because this may set up an expectation for the composer to create something too similar.

I think it is best for the director to keep an open mind and discuss ideas for the score with the composer so that both of them could come up with the best idea, perhaps a completely different idea, that would best support the movie. Fortunately, in this project we didn’t have to face that problem since George had a suitable temp track and at the same time was really open minded about my music.

George, How did you know Stavros understood your vision?
George: When Stavros met with me after watching the animatic, he was very enthusiastic about the project and told me about his ideas for the composition of the music. After hearing his ideas about the project, how he related to the characters and the conflicts they were presented with, and his excitement to compose the music, I knew we were on the same page.

How did you progress from a temp track to an original score? What musical techniques did you use to support the story? Were there specific themes (or leitmotifs) for each character? Please describe.
Stavros: As soon as George sent me his draft outline and description of Hoard, I conceptualized this film as a short story that emphasizes the battle ofinnocence and pureness vs. greediness and evil. In order to express this battle with music, we decided that I should concentrate on three important elements in this story (romance/love, greediness/evil & innocence/pureness). Consequently, my chief goal was to focus on the feelings that arise from the film rather than the characters themselves.

George:  I tried to describe to Stavros, as specific as I could, the feelings the characters were going through as well as the tone of each main section of the film.  For example, there is a scene where the knight is deciding if he should stay with the treasure or return to his fiancé.  His fiancé could provide him with love and they could live a modest and comfortable life and maybe start a family.   Or he could stay, keep the treasure for himself and live a luxurious life on his own terms. I wanted the tone to show anxiety and inner conflict and have it reach to a climax while he was making a decision. His inner conflict is that he truly loves his fiancé but we learn that he loves the treasure just as much...or maybe more.

Stavros: Then I would break down what George explained into musical terms. And this is how we were able to progress.

Here are some examples of how we communicated using specific parts in the film:

Dream Sequence

Timecode: 0:04 until 0:48

George:  We have a dream sequence where the knight imagines giving a ring to his love. I needed music that indicated that this was not reality but worked in with the rest of the soundtrack. I was looking for a soundtrack that reflected happiness, innocence, and feelings of anticipation of returning to a loved one.

Stavros: The first of these elements is the ring itself, which symbolizes romance and love at its first appearance. Later it is the anamnesis of the life that our main character sacrificed due to his greed. During the first appearance, I used four single woodwind instruments (flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon) that play a nostalgic short theme, which directs to the fact that the main character misses his fiancée. During the second appearance, I used only the first four notes of that theme in a different scale and orchestration exactly at the time our character realizes of what kind of life he had given up just to enjoy wealth and thus create a flash back effect for the viewer.   

Greed Sequence

Timecode: 0:50 until End

George: There is another moment in the film when the knight discovers another chamber that contains even more treasure. I was looking for music that reflects the knight’s building greed and feelings of overwhelming temptation. When the knight is forced make the choice of either returning to his loved one or staying with the treasure, I needed music that reflected his inner conflict, indecisiveness and his building anxiety.

Stavros: The second element of greed is mainly presented by a leitmotif. The greed is firstly presented when our main character decides to pursue more wealth rather than going back to his fiancée. A “dark” instrument, the double bassoon that is supported with a different orchestration, plays the leitmotif here. The piano plays quartal chords and the strings and timpani play tremolando in order to crate the necessary tension for that scene. In the second part of the film, it is shown that years have passed by. Here, I present the theme again played by double bassoon in different orchestration and pitch. The reason I chose to present the theme on higher pitch is to indirectly show that the time has passed. In addition, the bassoon plays the theme simultaneously both with the brass family so that the main theme is clearly audible in an even darker way and with the new short theme, played by the lower strings, that was proceeded and introduced the viewers the new scene

George and I went in to this project with passion and excitement. We both felt a strong sense of commitment on this animation film that made us want to do our best. I am really pleased with how it all came together.

What does a young animation director need to know when first meeting with a composer?
George: After you present your ideas of what kind of music you want for your film, I feel it is best to let the composer do what he/she does best and let them have fun with it. Be honest and clear with suggestions and find a middle ground if there are any disagreements.

Stavros: I strongly believe that the composer’s role is to support the drama and give life to the animator’s musical vision. However, it is important for the young animators to trust their composers and offer them as much as artistic freedom as they can in any given situation. I am really grateful that George honored me with his trust. He had a unique way to express his wishes or concerns in a very kind and respectful manner. We had frequent meetings at both of our departments at CSULB that helped configure our visions.

How did this collaboration make the film better?
George: Stavros’s score made the film come alive and adds a whole new dimension to the story. The music amplifies the emotions the characters are feeling a great deal. Although effective animation can convince the audience that a stack of drawings is alive, a talented composer’s soundtrack can take it to a whole other level.

What do you do if it's not working?
George:  If the music is not working for a scene, I feel it is extremely important to communicate with the composer and discuss why the composition isn’t working for the film. Offer clear, constructive criticism if the music doesn’t blend in with the film. It is also important to keep an open mind, be open to new ideas, and work out a compromise if your visions clash.

Stavros, How was it working with a live Orchestra?
Stavros: In my opinion the live orchestra is the ultimate tool for a composer. There are many possibilities that need to be used with care. The composer has all the major instruments – therefore every possible musical register and timbre at his disposal. In addition, the composer can discuss and describe in detail his desired result with the conductor as well as performers, if necessary.  One of the most important elements is the orchestration of the music. I consider this process to be a compositional art in itself. In a few words, the “right” use of orchestration is essential. Also working with our professors (Aubry Mintz and Perry LaMarca) to help advise us along with the CSULB conductor (Johannes Müller-Stosch) gave us the ability to move forward at each step with confidence 

George, if you don't have an orchestra provided for you next time, what did you learn that you could take away to create or hire for sound for the next animation you do?
George: I feel it is important to find someone who has a connection with the story that I am trying to tell and has as much passion for creating music as I have for directing films. If the composer has strong feelings for the film I am creating, the music will be even better and the film will become stronger because of it.