Want some career advice and insider industry tips from the artists, animators and creative team at Pixar? You got it. Want to get a job in animation? Follow the advice of these animation bigwigs from “Cars 2” – and go for gold!
LEARN THE BASICS
“Cars 2” Director John Lasseter says: “The advice I give to all potential animators is the same: Study the basics and grow from there. You have to learn to draw, even if you want to get into computer animation, so learn basic design principles, learn basic animation principles and learn basic film grammar for starters. These basics are so vitally important because your tools will change throughout your career, but you’ll always fall back on the basics. Technology never makes a movie; it’s what you do with it that does. Software will always change and evolve. I use my basic art foundations every day of my career and I can’t stress enough how you should never short-change the basics.”
EDUCATION IS KEY
“Cars 2” Supervising Animator Shawn Krause says: “I was lucky enough to go to CalArts and that certainly helped me get into Pixar, but there are many other ways to get into the industry. Art school obviously helps, but it’s a good idea to start learning about art and animation as early as possible. I grew up watching a lot of the classic animation that Disney and Warner Brothers made and I studied the work of animators like Frank Thomas from a young age. If you want to get ahead, study as much as you can. It’s also a good idea to study things like anatomy so you know how the body moves. You should also try your hand at different styles of animation and art. It’s always good to have as many skills as possible because you never know what you’re going to be asked to pull out of the bag when you’re working.”
ARM YOURSELF WITH KNOWLEDGE
Story Supervisor Nathan Stanton says: “I never stopped drawing as a kid. I literally never stopped and I sincerely believe that my drive and passion is what got me here today. If you want to be a filmmaker and you want to get into Pixar, arm yourself with as much knowledge of film and animation as you can. Keep on top of new technologies and new software, but know the basics and keep at it.”
ENTHUSIASM WILL TAKE YOU FAR
“Cars 2” Producer Denise Ream says: “There’s one thing we always look for in a potential Pixar employee: enthusiasm. There’s a huge amount of enthusiasm and passion at Pixar and I want to work with people who love animation. If you want to do live-action movies you should be making live-action movies. I want to hear that you are eager to work on animated films and that you’ve strived to learn as much as you can about them. I came to Pixar because I love animation and that’s exactly what we want to see in all of our employees. Having a passion for what you want to do is really key to getting far in this industry. The founder of the company is passionate about animation and so should you be. Let the passion shine through.”
PUT IN THE EFFORT
“Cars 2” Animator June Brownbill says: “You don’t have to be a California native to work at Pixar, or even an American citizen, but you do have to put in a lot of effort. I’m from England and Pixar is a very long way from home for me, but I couldn’t be happier. To work here is a dream come true. It’s something I’ve always wanted and it’s something I’ve always [Read more…]
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