Animator Interview with Mentor Wayne Gilbert

Head of Character Animation at Vanarts in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Animation Mentor:

What inspired you to learn character animation?

Wayne Gilbert:

Popeye was my inspiration. In grade six I answered the question, ‘What do you want to be if/when you grow up?’ The answer – an animator, and I had no idea what that meant.


Animation Mentor:

What were the most important steps in your animation training?

Wayne Gilbert:

I attended Sheridan College at a time when Jim Macaulay was teaching and I was in a class with some of today’s best animators.


Animation Mentor:

If you could do one thing differently on your journey to becoming an animator what would it be?

Wayne Gilbert:

I wish that I had asked certain classmates for help and sought guidance from specific teachers more often (I was shy). Clear guidance makes learning much easier and re-doing animation would have taken on a different meaning, a positive and focused meaning. Proper input is extremely important, so try to find people who can give constructive input and push you to develop a critical eye.


Animation Mentor:

Where do you currently work and what are the projects you've worked on in the past?

Wayne Gilbert:

Vanarts College asked me to be the Head of Character Animation and re-design the program. It’s been both challenging and fun, confusing and rewarding. Teaching is tough, but, man, do I learn a lot.

I’ve worked on seven half-hour TV specials in a variety of roles: assistant animating, animating, as a background illustrator, and I even had the opportunity to be the head of the Background Department at Nelvana on Rock and Rule, a Canadian animated film. I’ve also worked on many commercials, have taught at Sheridan College, helped to set up Disney Canada, but before I settled in, I accepted an offer at ILM as the Animation Area Supervisor (Management) on productions such as Jurassic Park 2, Men in Black, Mars Attacks and The Mummy. I moved into the role of Sr. Lead Animator and worked on The Mummy 2, Star Wars 2, a bit of The Hulk, the E.T. re-release and many ILM commercials. I’ve made five short films, with LET GO being my favourite. I was Sr. Animation and Cinematics Director on Skate 1 and Skate 2 for EA Black Box – I’m getting old, but I feel young.


Animation Mentor:

Who is your favorite character that you've animated?

Wayne Gilbert:

Coot from my short film LET GO. I was in control, and I identify with him. Well, I had a lot of fun animating the Pillsbury Doughboy too. Also, a Watto character in the Cinematics for Bounty Hunter, and the Hulk.


Animation Mentor:

What was your first animation job?

Wayne Gilbert:

I was an assistant animator on Witch’s Night Out for Leach Rankin Studios. We worked directly on acetate with rapidograph pens – imagine flipping acetate! I also worked in the background department for Witch’s Night Out.


Animation Mentor:

Who would you consider your mentor to be in animation?

Wayne Gilbert:

One mentor doesn’t come to mind but many have played important roles in my learning. Jim Macaulay, Charlie Bonifacio, and a few others at ILM.


Animation Mentor:

What do you enjoy the most about teaching at Animation Mentor?

Wayne Gilbert:

I love the people who keep Animation Mentor alive; Mentor Supervisor Cathleen Hodgson and the crew, the student animators and the weekly lectures – everything, I guess. I enjoy the challenge of finding new ways to explain how to make animation sing, discovering the cause of why something isn’t working, which reveals how to fix it. Often, the part that draws attention as not moving properly isn’t the cause. It’s fun trying to explain how to avoid problems with thorough planning.


Animation Mentor:

How is Animation Mentor different?

Wayne Gilbert:

Animation Mentor is different because we have a team helping us, and there is only one focus – character animation.

Animation Mentor:

What is the most rewarding part of having a career in animation?

Wayne Gilbert:

Communicating with and entertaining the audience is rewarding. Finishing off a shot or short film that you can say, “yeah, that’s what I want,” is very rewarding. Having a director say, “nailed it.” Even got knucks from an executive producer for editing an opening cinematic – that was weird but rewarding. I’ll refer again to LET GO because I had an amazing group of people helping me and it was extremely rewarding to have others join in the passion for a project. The message of LET GO has reached many people around the world through international non-profit groups from law enforcement to religious organizations and community outreach such as Marin Abused Women’s Services. I was asked for permission to use the film to help prepare inmates on death row at San Quentin. Guess there are many rewarding moments, so I can’t pin down only one.


Animation Mentor:

How do you stay current as an animator?

Wayne Gilbert:

I have an 8-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter, so I can’t miss any animated films. I work with people who are fanatics about animation and the history of animation. I have a few short films in development and a novel/feature finished and ready for print and pre-production. I’d love to finish a follow-up book to Simplified Drawing for Planning Animation…soon.

Thanks for being here everyone.