Animation Mentor:
What inspired you to become an animator?

Jed Diffenderfer:
When I was young enough to be playing under the pews during church (no not last year, dar har), one of my first memories EVER was watching my grandpa keep drawing the same little train on the bottom of each page of his bible –just a series of connected boxes with wheels.  I didn't know why he was doing it, but I thought it was cool watching him draw… until he flipped the pages and it friggin MOVED! WHAT?! Did my Grandpa just perform some kind of secret art-magic? The awesomeness of that moment inspired me to recreate that same flipbook of train animation on every hymnal in the church. It was great, until I was caught, and had to erase every frame of train animation I had drawn. So, my bible defacing, wizard-Grandfather was my first inspiration.  

Jed Diffenderfer:
I don't think I'll ever be done with that journey, but so far the only thing I would change would be to take better care of my health. The road to sucking less is never ending, and you can't walk it coughing up phlegm the whole way. I mean you CAN, but it's both annoying AND gross.

Jed Diffenderfer:
My first animation job was starting a flash animation studio with some friends during the dotcom boom. My first animation job where I wasn't hiring and paying myself though was at PDI/Dreamworks as a Story Artist after finishing school. I was Broke. 

Jed Diffenderfer:
Well, besides my Grandfather, I would definitely say Dave Burgess has been the Mr. Miyagi of my animation journey. I've had a lot of killer mentors, but Dave has taught me the most about animating for sure. He lives and breathes it like no other I've met, and in an instant with total clarity can help me find a better way to improve something. I remember the first time Dave visited our school.  It was in this auditorium, and all the presenters kept blibbity blabbin about animation and Dave was the one guy who got up, grabbed an easel and drew what he was talking about for everyone. I thought, whoa, that guy is like the Bruce Lee of animation, not because he would dragon kick me in the ribs and rip out my chest hair (sexy right?), but because he would always back up what he was saying by doing it. That's just one of many reasons I always felt like when I would go to Dave, I was being taught by a true master. Animaster!!!

Jed Diffenderfer:
The badass version of Po (Kung-Fu Panda) because it's like being a Kung-Fu nerd who can do whatever he wants no matter how dumb, and/or awesome it is. If he thinks he can hit a guy on the other side of the planet by pinky punching the ground…he probably can, and if he can't…yes he can!

Jed Diffenderfer:
I wish I had this when I was in school. I really just enjoy helping cool people work on their stories and story reels. It’s also good practice. Story is like basketball, it's not hard to learn to play, but that doesn't make you good. It's all practice, and Animation Mentor is a great place for both mentors and students to get that from each other. Working as a story guy is great, but being in the studio on the same projects for so long can also start to feel kind of in-bred. What I've enjoyed most about Animation Mentor is that each term I look forward to getting a fresh slew of story ideas thrown at me from so many students with totally fresh perspectives. Then I get to share my own experience to help them find all kinds of ways to make sure their visions of those ideas come off as strongly as they want them to. I'm a firm believer in kicking the tires often, so it's also great to have fresh heads calling me on any bullcrap I've accumulated along the way.  Together we find so many different solutions to new and old problems that arise, and that's the best part for me. That and you know, I don't really have any friends. My girlfriend doesn't even really like me. Pretty much only my Mom thinks I'm cool...I hope? Man, that would suck if not even my MOM thought I was cool. I better call her.

Jed Diffenderfer:
I really like the eCritique tool, not because I get to deface people's work, but because I can draw what I mean, instead of making people listen to my voice. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't have the allure and adventure of scribbling on a hymnal, but I always appreciate not having to erase what I drew.