Featured Mentor Steve Cady
Coquitlam, British Columbia
Senior Animator at Blue Castle Games
Animation Mentor:
What inspired you to learn character animation?
Steve Cady:
I fell into animation purely by accident. Having just registered for the illustration program at Sheridan College, I was touring the campus when I overheard some student talking about the animation program. Big studios like ILM and Disney would come to the school to recruit students. I was so excited about this that I quickly changed my course of study. But having said this, growing up I always had a passion for movies. It was a lifelong dream to work in the film industry, but not knowing how to attain this, I was thrilled to hear that Sheridan College could offer me the opportunity.
Animation Mentor:
What were the most important steps in your animation training?
Steve Cady:
I'm old school when it comes to the craft. I'm a big believer in learning the fundamentals the old fashion way: learn to draw, study the human body, and draw some more! I also believe that it is important to know how to look at things, how they move and why they move a certain way.
I was fortunate enough to learn traditional animation at Sheridan back in the days before the big explosion of 3D. The school worked us really hard with the basics, drawing and learning the “Disney way.” I feel the classical training made me a better animator.
Animation Mentor:
If you could do one thing differently on your journey to becoming an animator, what would it be?
Steve Cady:
If I had to do it differently, it would be not changing studios or relocating so often. During my 14 years, I have worked at 10 studios in 10 different cities! I was always looking for the next best thing instead of enjoying my time at the studio like I should have.
Animation Mentor:
Where do you currently work and what are the projects you've worked on in the past?
Steve Cady:
I presently work for a great gaming studio called Blue Castle Games in Vancouver, British Columbia. I am working on the highly anticipated sequel to Dead Rising, which will be released at the end of September. Prior to this, I`ve worked for many studios across North America and New Zealand from gaming to feature film. My most recent film projects include Avatar at Weta Digital, which was an amazing experience, I also worked on Watchmen in Toronto and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Rhythm & Hues. My role was to simply animate the many diverse characters in the film or game and mentor young animators on the team from time to time.
Animation Mentor:
Who is your favorite character that you've animated?
Steve Cady:
Aslan the lion, from the first Narnia movie, stands out to me as my favorite because I have never animated such a complex and beautiful model up to that point in my career. The model looked fantastic on the big screen. The rig was a pleasure to animate, we had a very talented group in the tech department at Rhythm & Hues that made our job easier and our animation look great. Our animation supervisor was Richie Baneham, who did a great job bringing the team together.
Animation Mentor:
What was your first animation job?
Steve Cady:
I started working as a freelance layout artist and character designer for Saturday morning cartoons at George Elliott Animation Studios during my second year at Sheridan. I learned so much from him, but I guess my first “official” animation job would be working for Electronic Arts in Vancouver after graduating from Sheridan College. I wanted to learn CG, and EA give me that opportunity.
Animation Mentor:
Who would you consider your mentor to be in animation?
Steve Cady:
That would have to be George Elliott back in Toronto. I have never met a person with so much discipline and passion for animation and life as a whole. He was a big advocate of healthy living. It was common to start the day with a little weight training and taking a break in the afternoon for a jog. I also had to cut down on my Big Macs and my tasty little cheeseburgers during my time with him. He wasn`t a fan of fast food.
Animation Mentor:
What do you enjoy the most about teaching at Animation Mentor?
Steve Cady:
I really enjoy sharing my personal experiences and mentoring young animators. I am thrilled to hear that a student of mine has succeeded. It`s also a great place to make new friends and stay current with industry needs.
Animation Mentor:
How is Animation Mentor different from other animation schools?
Steve Cady:
It`s a great place to learn how to animate. So many other schools teach you many different things in a short period of time. In many cases, the student that graduates who wants to animate professionally might not have the best animation reels because so much time is devoted to the different facets of the industry, like learning the software, modeling, rigging, etc.
Sadly, animation fundamentals are not focused on as much, but at Animation Mentor, all of your time is devoted to precisely that – learning animation and the solid understanding of the fundamentals. On top of that, you are mentored by people who are working in the industry. They are very talented individuals from the best studios out there. What more can you ask for?
Animation Mentor:
How do you stay current in animation?
Steve Cady:
I have a large network of friends in the industry which helps me keep in touch with what is going on. I love to play games and watch movies. I go online and check out many animation websites. I`m also looking at going back to school in the near future to expand my knowledge and develop other skills within the animation industry.
Animation Mentor:
What is the most rewarding part of having a career in animation?
Steve Cady:
What I find rewarding is the completion of a project: to see the final product in print, on the market or on the big screen. Also, when I hear from other people or through my children how their friends have enjoyed something I was a part of is very rewarding. I see the pride my children have and this is very rewarding.