Looking Outside Animation

April 10, 2009

Ask just about any animator which director was responsible for the 1955 cartoon above and they’ll probably be able to tell you.

Ask that same animator to name the 2001-2003 United States Poet Laureate pictured right and you’ll probably get a blank stare.

The point here isn’t about how much poetry animators are reading. The point is that animation professionals live and think pretty exclusively within the world of animation.

Most inspiration in animation comes from other animation. If you visited 10 different studios, you would see the same books, the same DVD collections, and the same blogs bookmarked at just about every studio. Certainly these things build helpful knowledge of the techniques and history of our trade. But it seems that all too often animators are copying the latest trend or the same time-honored classic. TV shows, features, even independent films are copies of copies of copies until everything that was good about the original is completely absent.

To inject our creations with originality, we need to seek inspiration outside the history and current trends in animation.

Mike Rauch

Don't get me wrong, Bob. I think taking influence from animation past is essential, unavoidable even. But, like you say, I think it's critical that our influences don't stop there. That we let other influences in to increase the richness and progressiveness of our work.

Bob Flynn

Hey Mike. Interesting post. I have to say as an animator, I am definitely guilty of drawing influences from animation past for sure, but I like to think my experience as an illustrator and comic artist impact my process as well. The music I listen too, my experiences. I have yet to make a truly personal film. I get most of my ideas out in comics because it's the medium that comes most naturally to me. Definitely food for thought. I'm all for pushing the medium, that's for sure!

I've been looking at your blog (congrats on starting one up). Lots of great thinking. Your reel is great, too. Especially digging the characters/dialogue/overall approach in your Q&A teaser.

I'll be checking back!

David Levy

How true. But, then again, most working in animation have no intention of advancing the art. They just want to animate fart jokes, princesses, and space battles. But, anyone that will make an impact beyond this stuff has to drink from more diverse water. An appreciation of the best of animation's past is a must, but if that's all one draws from it is like a dog chasing its tail.

Mike

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! Stephen takes the prize.

stephen

it's billy collins. he's pretty good. nice post. I agree.

Looking Outside Animation

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