About Bryan Engram

Bryan is the animation director at Reel FX Creative Studios' entertainment division in Dallas, Texas. In this role, Bryan is responsible for the oversight of modeling, rigging, and animation for the studio. Bryan joined Reel FX in 2003, and previously served as layout supervisor and animation supervisor with the studio. His credits include the feature films The Wild, Everyone's Hero, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Open Season 2. He also has worked on commercial projects for DreamWorks' Shrek the Third, Bee Movie, Madagascar 2, and Kung Fu Panda. Bryan received his BFA from the University of Texas at Arlington with an emphasis in Film.

Animation Mentor:
Why did you want to become an animator?

Bryan Engram:
Growing up in a household where my mother was a theater teacher/director, an appreciation for art, performance, and music was always encouraged. She put me on stage in her plays when I was 5-years-old. I had the opportunity to continue to act in plays and musicals through my first two years of college. At that time, I was struggling to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. My background had been in acting and performance, and I had always doodled and drawn some. That is when I began to notice behind the scenes specials for animated films and VFX for movies. I couldn't believe it. It finally dawned on me, "You mean, people get paid to animate characters in movies?" It seemed like the perfect fit for me to take the acting background and combine it with art. That is when I switched my major to film and began trying to teach myself animation. I got my first job as an unpaid render wrangler and I haven't stopped learning since.

Bryan Engram:
Looking back, I would have focused more on just doing character animation. Initially, I tried to teach myself modeling, rigging, texturing, lighting, etc. because that is what I thought you were supposed to do. I didn't realize I should only be focusing on animation in order to be hired as an animator. More time would have been better spent focusing on learning animation. There weren't many people I could talk to about my path, to be honest. I should have been a little bolder in seeking out professionals for advice. I would have saved myself a lot of time. With that said, everything I learned along the way has benefited me in some way. I tell my students, and I firmly believe, every experience you have prepares you for something else later in life. Somehow, some way every experience will prove itself helpful down the road.

Bryan Engram:
I'm not the first mentor to say this, and certainly not the last, but I wish something like Animation Mentor had been around when I was trying to learn animation. There are people like myself who grow up far away from the big art schools, and far away from the industry in general. Animation Mentor allows these people a chance to learn to do what they love, make connections, and pursue their dream. It casts a wide net and allows industries to grow in other parts of the world because the talent that comes from AM will eventually start studios where they are from. And frankly, the more people who are exposed to animation, the more competition there is, which will lead to better quality overall. Schools like Animation Mentor are nothing but good for this industry.

Bryan Engram:
The most important thing to remember is to never forget where you came from. Everyone starts somewhere, and so you should look at every experience as a chance to learn. Any job you get from now on (from an intern to being a director on a movie) you should look at it as if you are being paid to learn. Often people forget where they came from, where they started, and soon the ego takes over. Always realize that you can learn from anyone, and that animation is something that can never be mastered. That is what makes it so great. Stay humble, and never stop learning.