Monday, April 14, 2014

WALT DISNEY FAMILY MUSEUM HOSTS WOMEN IN ANIMATION PANEL: Luminaries in the industry showcase how to succeed and thrive in the fun and challenging world of television and feature film animation

The ILM theatre was a buzz on Saturday March 15th as animation veterans Jenny Lerew, Brenda Chapman, Claire Keane and Lorelay Bove regaled the packed house with stories of their work on films like The Lion King, Frozen, The Prince of Egypt, Tangled and Peabody and Sherman.


Audience members at the Women in Animation panel.

Presented by the Walt Disney Family Museum in conjunction with their latest exhibit, MAGIC, COLOR, FLAIR: the world of Mary Blair, WDFM’s public programs manager Mary Beth Culler and exhibition curator, animation director, and author John Canemaker introduced the Women in Animation panel.

Jenny Lerew, director of the hit 90s television show Animaniacs, author of The Art of Brave and most recently, storyboard artist for Peabody and Sherman, moderated the event for the over 200 animators and animation fans in attendance.

DISCOVERING ANIMATION: CALARTS AND BEYOND

Lerew kicked off the talk by answering a question she is often asked, usually by men, “Why aren’t there more women in animation?”

“It's a good question,” said Lerew. “I can tell you why this woman is in animation. Like all of us, I loved cartoons and I also grew up as an artist, I loved to draw." However, animation was not on her radar, until she learned about California Institute of the Arts, or CalArts, in high school.

In fact, Lerew first learned about Brenda Chapman through CalArts in 1987 after seeing her student film A Birthday. The film, about an old woman remembering her birthday as a little girl, made quite an impression on Lerew, and helped encourage her to tell her own stories.

"Now there are hundreds of places you can go and it's on everyone's radar,” said Lerew.

Brenda Chapman learned about CalArts from a friend of a family friend who worked at Disney Feature Animation. At the time story was not even offered as a course, so students learned from the upperclassmen. In 1987 she earned a spot as a trainee at Disney, where she was frankly told  “they were happy to have you. We needed a woman that's why you're here. And you have six months to prove yourself.”
Brenda Chapman, Claire Keane, John Canemaker, Jenny Lerew and Lorelay Bove at the event.

Prove herself she did, working as a story artist on Beauty and the Beast and
The Lion King at Disney, and later becoming the first woman to direct an animated film for DreamWorks' The Prince of Egypt.

Lorelay Bove, another CalArts grad, recalled being enthralled by the film Fantasia at age eight, a film, she discovered, that was not as beloved by her fellow classmates.

“Everyone at school hated it, but I loved it,” recalled Bove. Along with Disney films, she also experience art by spending time in her father’s art studio, where he worked as an abstract painter.
From a young age she knew she wanted to work at Disney, something that most people she knew in her native Spain did not understand.  After moving to the states with her family, her father found out about CalArts. She applied, was not accepted, but did not let that deter her. She studied at another college for three years, reapplied to CalArts, was accepted, and later served as an intern at both Pixar and Disney.

Bove then took a job as a visual development (Viz Dev) artist at Disney, working on The Princess and the Frog, Wreck-It-Ralph and this fall’s upcoming super hero adventure Big Hero Six.

Claire Keane took a different path, attending graphic design school and creating a storybook as her thesis.

"What I loved the most was all the research,” said Keane.

She loved creating developmental drawings, but did not believe that there was a way for her to create what she wanted for film. That was, until a conversation with her father, animator Glen Keane, changed her mind.

“Claire, that exists,” said Keane, laughing as she recalled her father’s words. “We have visual development artists at Disney.”

His advice inspired Keane to apply to Disney, where she worked as a Viz Dev artist on both Tangled and Frozen before leaving to work on her children’s book that will be released in 2015.

CREATING A FILM: ONE DRAWING AT A TIME

Each of the panelists along with moderator Lerew shared some of their favorite studio work, and a few of their personal projects, enabling the audience to glimpse a behind the scenes look at what goes into making a film.

“I can only work from what I know,” said Keane. “Anytime I start drawing something I don't have an emotional connection to I can't draw it. My hand just draws in circles.”

In order to create that emotional connection between herself and Rapunzel from Tangled, Keane stayed home one weekend documenting everything that she did, while at the same time imagining all of the activities Rapunzel would engage in if she were unable to leave her own home.

“Maybe she had an imaginative imagination,” said Keane. “What would her paintings look like in the dark. Happiness? Fear of the outside world? Chores? Make her bed, make candles, brush her hair. Fascination with birds -- they fly, they don't get eaten by monsters, they return.”
Claire Keane discusses her artistic process while at Disney.

The practice allowed her to get into Rapunzel’s head and see the world the way that the character would.

Lerew showed her boards and animatic from a scene of Peabody and Sherman, the first scene to be animated for the film. In the scene, Sherman reluctantly tells Mr. Peabody of an altercation he experienced at school. Lerew showed both the storyboards, as well as the final animation of the scene, to highlight the similarities

and differences between what goes into the boards and the final product.

Bove showed backgrounds from Sugar Rush, the racing game that serves as a turning point in last year’s hit film Wreck-It-Ralph. Her designs were inspired by Spanish homes that “looked like candy.” In fact, research is one of the best parts of the job.

“[We] went to a candy convention in Germany that was three stories tall. The Comic Con of candy,” said Bove.

Chapman showed boards from Beauty and the Beast where Belle nurses the Beast’s wounds, as well as the scene from Brave where Queen Elinore and Princess Merida clash and Merida slices through the family tapestry.

“This is the crux of the movie, it sets the scene,” explained Chapman of the scene from Brave.
Mom is trying to do her best, and the daughter is trying to exert her independence, according to Chapman, and both are right and wrong.

“Most fairytales involve moms or stepmoms that are either horrible or dead. I wanted to show a family,” said Chapman.

QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE

The panelists also took time to answer questions from the audience, ranging from what studios look for in a portfolio, and both Keane and Bove agreed that it was better to show your best work than a ton of everything.

 “Put in the best work that represents you,” said Keane. “Focus on the character or environment and make that image say what you want it to say.”

The panelists also addressed what it is like seeing your creation as merchandise.

“For the most part it’s very positive,” said Chapman. “If I can make one little kid forget their problems at home, then I’ve done my job.”

Chapman also addressed the darker side of merchandising, recalling the now famous incident of the change in Merida’s design from Pixar heroine to the more traditional Disney princess look.

“The ‘princessing’ of Merida was not good, I put up a stink about that,” said Chapman.

They also addressed the lack of female representation in film, and what creators can do to rectify the situation.

The key, said Keane, is to have “someone who is grounded in reality. No more clichés – that’s any character in animation, not just women.”

Chapman, and the other women on the panel, are living proof that animation will continue to inspire.  Now when she goes to lecture at CalArts, 52% of the women are students.

“Just do it,” said Chapman. “First, learn how to work in the studio system. Then, learn how to make your mark.”
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Special thanks to the Walt Disney Family Museum for planning the event and providing the photographs, ILM for hosting, Jenny Lerew, Brenda Chapman, Lorelay Bove and Claire Keane for discussing their work and life through animation and John Canemaker for curating the WDFM exhibit.

And you can see more of the artists’ works on their websites:


John Canemaker
http://www.johncanemaker.com/

Brenda Chapman
http://brenda-chapman.com/

Lorelay Bove
http://lorelaybove.blogspot.com/
 

Claire Keane
http://claireonacloud.com/


Jenny Lerew
http://blackwingdiaries.blogspot.com/


And visit the Walt Disney Family Museum to see their latest exhibit:
MAGIC, COLOR, FLAIR: the world of Mary Blair through September 7, 2014

For information on Women in Animation San Francisco and animation events happening around the San Francisco Bay Area:


Visit our Website:

www.womeninanimationsf.blogspot .com

Join our Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/wiasf


And follow us on Twitter:
@WIASanFrancisco

Friday, April 4, 2014

Intern Fridays: Disney Intern Nicole Ridgwell

Intern Fridays features interviews with former Interns at animation, film, and video game studios. Today we bring you Nicole Ridgwell, former intern at Walt Disney Animation Studios.  Enjoy and stay tuned for future Intern Friday Interviews!

What is your current job title and where do you work?

I’m finishing my last year at Academy of Art University studying animation. I also teach music lessons and play in a band called Sioux City Kid. 

What does your job entail?

I teach private violin lessons and preschool music classes, and I teach a program called Music Together where kids and their families participate in group classes. I just finished a pacific northwest tour with my band, where I sing and play violin.

What inspired you to become an animator and a musician?

I’ve always loved art and music. My family lived in a trailer without electricity when I was a kid, so I spent most of my time painting and playing violin. In high school I got involved in theatre, music and art. I became inspired after seeing how deeply my philosophies were influenced by what I watched. Once I graduated I spent about a year as a professional musician playing in bands and teaching. The lifestyle was really fun but I knew I wanted something more; I wanted to leave my mark on the world. I realized that animation combines everything I love together; painting, drawing, music, acting, and collaboration. A good animator can make people laugh, make them cry, and can change the way they see the world. I applied to Academy of Art University and moved to San Francisco, and have been here ever since.

Where did you study?

I’ll be finishing my BFA in animation this winter at Academy of Art University. I also took classes at Animation Mentor and The Animation Collaborative in Emeryville.

Why did you choose to apply to Walt Disney Animation Studios for the internship?

As a kid, I was hugely inspired by Disney films. My family had no TV but our neighbors had almost every animated film on a giant shelf in their living room. I remember lying on their rug watching Aladdin on repeat, then running outside to pretend we were flying on a magic carpet. Disney films nurtured my imagination. The first three years I lived in San Francisco I worked as an actress at The Cinderella Company, playing Disney princesses at kid’s events. It was an incredible experience, seeing how much Disney inspires kids and affects their worldviews. Ever since then I think working for Disney has hovered in the back of my mind.

What did you submit for your portfolio and how did you prepare for the submission?

I submitted my demo reel, letters of recommendation, resume, cover letter, and drawings online in Disney’s careers section. I prepared by asking teachers that I respected to write letters of recommendation as early as possible, and I made sure my portfolio had only my strongest drawings. I included gesture drawings, animal drawings, and a few illustrations. Same thing with my demo reel- I only included my best work. I included a two person dialogue, single person dialogue, pantomime, and a body mechanics sequence.

What do you believe separated you from others who were also applying for the internship?

I was shocked when I got the call; I’m still not entirely sure why they picked my reel over all the others. Our mentors at Disney mentioned to us that they picked Reece (the other intern) because his reel was hilarious and made them laugh, and they picked mine because they felt my acting was genuine. I think the best thing to separate yourself from other candidates is to animate shots that are personal to you. I don’t choose shots based on what studios want to see, I choose shots based on what I want to animate. I think that’s what makes my reel unique. 

What was the interview process like for the Disney internship?

There actually wasn’t any interview process. I was animating in lab at Academy when I got a call from Matt telling me the internship was mine if I wanted it. The next day I started planning my trip to LA! 

What department did you intern in and what specific tasks did you accomplish as an intern?

I was one of two CG animation interns in an eleven person group composed of visdev, story, modeling, rigging, texturing, TD, production, and animation interns.  Disney had a giant room devoted to talent development on the first floor of the building where we worked. As a summer intern group, we made a minute and a half short film from scratch- all the way from story through lighting and sound. While technically my only job was to animate, all the interns were very involved in the whole film-making process. In addition to the film we also worked on outside projects with our mentors.

What was the best and most unexpected thing you encountered as an intern for Disney?

The culture. I had never worked at an animation studio before, and coming from a background as a musician and actor, I was expecting it to be a high stress environment. But while everyone does work hard, it is one of the most fun places I’ve ever been. Everyone is so friendly, helpful, and kind. My mentor Michael went completely above and beyond his duty, often visiting me multiple times a day to give feedback, and sending me music playlists to listen to while I worked. I felt welcomed and included from the moment I stepped into the building and looked up at Mary Blair’s art hanging all over the walls.

How did the internship prepare you for your current career?

I definitely have a lot more speed and confidence in my school assignments than I did before I went to Disney. I think the biggest thing that changed about my work is appeal. I really learned there that you can’t let the rig dictate what shapes you make. I also learned a lot about how to work with a team and hit deadlines.

What is your opinion on paid versus unpaid internships?

I believe internships should be paid. It’s a tough question because I know any chance to get your foot in the door is a rare opportunity these days. I am lucky enough that I’ve never been in a position where I had to work without getting paid.

What advice do you have for aspiring artists who want to intern at a studio or game company?

Be yourself! Make sure your work is unique to you and your interests. Work hard and don’t give up. It’s a competitive industry but don’t believe it when they say that your reel doesn’t get seen if you send it cold. I sent my reel to Disney cold and it still got chosen. If you are going to an art school, make sure you go beyond their curriculum in your studies. Take outside classes and motivate yourself to learn as much as you can. 

Thank you so much for interviewing me, it’s been an honor!

Thank you Nicole for the interview! You can view Nicole's work at her website:


And at Vimeo/Twitter:

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