Featured Mentor: Mike Walling
AnimationMentor.com:
What was your journey in becoming an animator?
Mike Walling:
I got the animation bug while working at a screen printing shop. I had to re-draw this character for a job we were doing for a game company. I remember thinking to myself how cool it was drawing this. I think at that moment I was hooked forever! Pixar had just made Toy Story and a light bulb went off in my head.
I knew a friend at PDI and was lucky enough to get a job as a production assistant. I didn't care what job I was doing as long as I was working in an animation studio! I did the pa thing for about two years and then moved into a render wrangler position. The pay was bad and the stress of the job was intense but I got one huge benefit! I was able to use a work station on my own time to learn animation using the production characters. I basically came in early and stayed late for almost four years trying to learn how to animate. In a way it was like going to college only I was learning how an animated movie was put together from start to finish. In the end I wasn't able to get a job at PDI animating but I did leave there with a demo reel.
I left there for DNA Productions to work on the Jimmy Neutron movie. This is where I got my animation legs. I did the movie then went on to the television show for a year and a half before leaving to go to Blue Sky Studios to work on Robots. To me this is where I really started the rest of my career because I felt like the quality and the style of the animation there gave me an opportunity to really learn acting and how to work smart. The biggest impact that Blue Sky had on me was the people. They are absolutely the best friends I will ever have. I look forward to working with them all again but for now I'm working at Sony Imageworks as a senior animator on Surf's Up which I'm sure will force me to grow very much over the course of the production and make me just that much better.
I think that every studio provides unique working environments and challenges that forces you to be versatile and hopefully a better animator. I think that my journey has just begun and I can't imagine it ever ending. In the end I just want to look back and be proud of the things I learned and have fond memories of the people I was lucky enough to work with. The working on animated films part is just a huge bonus for me and I just can't imagine doing anything else.
AnimationMentor.com:
If you could do one thing differently on your journey to becoming an animator, what would it be?
Mike Walling:
This is a trick question right? Just kidding. I mean this from the bottom of my heart when I say that I wouldn't do anything differently. I really believe that everything that I have done since day one, good or bad has made me who I am today. I have learned from my mistakes and celebrated my successes. I'm just so lucky to have good friends and family to share it with, and I'm not done yet! If anything I just wish there was an AnimationMentor.com back when I got hooked! Ha ha...
AnimationMentor.com:
Who would you consider your mentor to be in animation?
Mike Walling:
Oh that's a great question. That would have to be Mike Thurmeier. He was my supervisor on Robots. I can't say enough good things about this guy. He made a big impact on me and his animation is some of the best in the industry. He was the first person to really introduce animation to me from a graphic perspective. He didn't want us to let the computer do too much of the in-betweening and made sure every frame looked appealing.
That was a turning point for me because I was focusing on the key poses and not so worried about the transitions. Once he pushed this on me the light bulb just went off in my head! This was just one example of how much he understands animation and how good his eye is. I just hope some day that my eye is half of what his is. That would be a good day! Ha ha…
AnimationMentor.com:
What is your favorite animated scene of all time?
Mike Walling:
I have two! The first scene is one that Mike Thurmeier did during Robots. It's the scene where Rodney's dad is talking to Rodney at the train station before Rodney leaves for the big city. The line is "You go to Robot city. You go meet Big Wield and show him your big ideas. And Rodney. Never, never give up". I love this scene because I think it really captures the emotion that every animator wants to create on screen. For me it goes to show you what you can come up with when you take the time to plan out your shot before diving in. This is one of the things I have to work at because I like to dig right in.
Mike is great at this kind of animation. I think some animators are good at creating very clean animation but can still lack that real emotion, and some animators are not as clean with the execution but put tons of emotion in the character. I think Mike is one of those guys that can do both very well.
My second shot would have to be that scene in Toy Story 2 that Doug Sweetland did. Ya know the one in chapter 25 where Woody steps out of the box and kinda taps his hat, looks over at Jessie and notices her. He then walks over with this huge strut and says "Say missy, you notice any trouble around these parts" Need I say more!? If Becky was talking about it she would simply say "Rock"! Ha ha ha!!! One of the things I love about this shot is the way that Doug pushes everything. The movements are nicely exaggerated and the poses are so extreme! This is the kind of animation that you just look at and want someone around so you can look over at them and say "Did you see that?" and then rewind it so you can go through it frame by frame. I'm amazed at how much life is in Woody in this scene, completely believable. It's funny. While I sit here writing this about twenty more shots popped into my head ranging from Chuck Jones to the early days of Disney. There are so many good ones!
What was your journey in becoming an animator?
Mike Walling:
I got the animation bug while working at a screen printing shop. I had to re-draw this character for a job we were doing for a game company. I remember thinking to myself how cool it was drawing this. I think at that moment I was hooked forever! Pixar had just made Toy Story and a light bulb went off in my head.
I knew a friend at PDI and was lucky enough to get a job as a production assistant. I didn't care what job I was doing as long as I was working in an animation studio! I did the pa thing for about two years and then moved into a render wrangler position. The pay was bad and the stress of the job was intense but I got one huge benefit! I was able to use a work station on my own time to learn animation using the production characters. I basically came in early and stayed late for almost four years trying to learn how to animate. In a way it was like going to college only I was learning how an animated movie was put together from start to finish. In the end I wasn't able to get a job at PDI animating but I did leave there with a demo reel.
I left there for DNA Productions to work on the Jimmy Neutron movie. This is where I got my animation legs. I did the movie then went on to the television show for a year and a half before leaving to go to Blue Sky Studios to work on Robots. To me this is where I really started the rest of my career because I felt like the quality and the style of the animation there gave me an opportunity to really learn acting and how to work smart. The biggest impact that Blue Sky had on me was the people. They are absolutely the best friends I will ever have. I look forward to working with them all again but for now I'm working at Sony Imageworks as a senior animator on Surf's Up which I'm sure will force me to grow very much over the course of the production and make me just that much better.
I think that every studio provides unique working environments and challenges that forces you to be versatile and hopefully a better animator. I think that my journey has just begun and I can't imagine it ever ending. In the end I just want to look back and be proud of the things I learned and have fond memories of the people I was lucky enough to work with. The working on animated films part is just a huge bonus for me and I just can't imagine doing anything else.
AnimationMentor.com:
If you could do one thing differently on your journey to becoming an animator, what would it be?
Mike Walling:
This is a trick question right? Just kidding. I mean this from the bottom of my heart when I say that I wouldn't do anything differently. I really believe that everything that I have done since day one, good or bad has made me who I am today. I have learned from my mistakes and celebrated my successes. I'm just so lucky to have good friends and family to share it with, and I'm not done yet! If anything I just wish there was an AnimationMentor.com back when I got hooked! Ha ha...
AnimationMentor.com:
Who would you consider your mentor to be in animation?
Mike Walling:
Oh that's a great question. That would have to be Mike Thurmeier. He was my supervisor on Robots. I can't say enough good things about this guy. He made a big impact on me and his animation is some of the best in the industry. He was the first person to really introduce animation to me from a graphic perspective. He didn't want us to let the computer do too much of the in-betweening and made sure every frame looked appealing.
That was a turning point for me because I was focusing on the key poses and not so worried about the transitions. Once he pushed this on me the light bulb just went off in my head! This was just one example of how much he understands animation and how good his eye is. I just hope some day that my eye is half of what his is. That would be a good day! Ha ha…
AnimationMentor.com:
What is your favorite animated scene of all time?
Mike Walling:
I have two! The first scene is one that Mike Thurmeier did during Robots. It's the scene where Rodney's dad is talking to Rodney at the train station before Rodney leaves for the big city. The line is "You go to Robot city. You go meet Big Wield and show him your big ideas. And Rodney. Never, never give up". I love this scene because I think it really captures the emotion that every animator wants to create on screen. For me it goes to show you what you can come up with when you take the time to plan out your shot before diving in. This is one of the things I have to work at because I like to dig right in.
Mike is great at this kind of animation. I think some animators are good at creating very clean animation but can still lack that real emotion, and some animators are not as clean with the execution but put tons of emotion in the character. I think Mike is one of those guys that can do both very well.
My second shot would have to be that scene in Toy Story 2 that Doug Sweetland did. Ya know the one in chapter 25 where Woody steps out of the box and kinda taps his hat, looks over at Jessie and notices her. He then walks over with this huge strut and says "Say missy, you notice any trouble around these parts" Need I say more!? If Becky was talking about it she would simply say "Rock"! Ha ha ha!!! One of the things I love about this shot is the way that Doug pushes everything. The movements are nicely exaggerated and the poses are so extreme! This is the kind of animation that you just look at and want someone around so you can look over at them and say "Did you see that?" and then rewind it so you can go through it frame by frame. I'm amazed at how much life is in Woody in this scene, completely believable. It's funny. While I sit here writing this about twenty more shots popped into my head ranging from Chuck Jones to the early days of Disney. There are so many good ones!