Grzegorz Dalek
Sosnowiec, Silesia

Can you tell us few things about you?

My name is Grzegorz Dalek (yes, yes, exactly like those aliens from the Dr. Who TV series) and I'm 24. I live in a city called Sosnowiec. Currently I'm working as a graphic designer at a game company called Infinite Dreams. I started the Animation Mentor program in Fall 2008 so I'm halfway done.

When did you become interested in character animation?

Before joining Animation Mentor, I wasn't certain what I wanted to do in my "grown-up" life. Since elementary school, I loved to draw funny doodles all over my notebooks instead of paying attention in class. I was even doing some flipbooks on the margins. But this wasn't anything serious in my opinion. That's why I chose to go to a technical high school. I really enjoyed the robotics then and decided I wanted to become an engineer.

While I was at the high school, a few of my friends started making Star Wars fan films and I joined them and that's when my whole CG adventure began. So, without any knowledge about 3D or filmmaking and armed with an old VHS camera and a lot of determination we began working on this project. After that, my friend Pawel and I attempted to make our own CG short film, but when it came to making the animation we were stuck. Then high school was over and it was time to make a decision on what I would be doing with my life.

Considering my previous technical education, I enrolled to Gliwice's Institute of Technology as a mechanics major. But deep inside I knew it wasn't fun at all. I was still drawing funny things all the time instead of learning. I decided to become a fine art major at the university. This wasn't a case of "we'll teach you how to make awesome concept arts from the Star Wars movies" but more like "we'll teach you how to become an "artist." During my studies, I often visited the CG Talk forum and watched inspiring shorts that people were making.

I found some info on the Animation Mentor courses, and at that point I knew that it was for me. Unfortunately, gathering all the money for the course was difficult for me. My parents aren't really wealthy, and they also didn't approve of my goal of becoming a character animator, so I knew had to get the money myself. I had a lot of jobs, from cleaning, working at a factory, advertisement agencies, to making children's book illustrations. It was only a single drop in the ocean, but I was trying to save some money for the course. Then about 18 months ago I found my current job and was finally able to join the program.

How have the animation courses affected your life?

My life now strongly revolves around learning animation at AM. I can tell that the animation profession is amazing. Of course there are hard moments, but being able to work with the help of mentors, who are professional animators, and having a lot of inspiring and motivating friends at Animation Mentor is making those hard things easier to overcome. As you start understanding the foundations and technical aspect of making animation it becomes pure fun. I love being able to see how lifeless puppets come to life, and doing things I've imagined them to do. Right now, I'm torn between Animation Mentor assignments and working full time. So that means I have to sacrifice my social life. Learning character animation is fun, but hard work so it needs a lot of commitment. I'm really impressed how my friends and my wonderful fiancé are patient and understanding about it. Thank you!

What contributed to your decision to go to an online animation school?

I always wanted to learn the craft of animation, but here in my country we don't have anywhere to do so. Initially, the idea of joining an online animation school was a little bit odd, because online teaching isn't very popular over here in Poland. But I can already tell it was totally worth it.

What is the most important thing for you while working on your animation?

I think it is to keep being inspired all the time. I try to watch as much animation as I can. It doesn't matter if it's a feature animation, TV cartoons or other Animation Mentor student work. It's important to watch how other animators approach the same topics and learn from them. It also helps with getting ideas for your own animations. The second important thing is to be honest to yourself. If you're not happy with your work, just try to learn from your mistakes and correct them.

What are your favorite animated/CG scenes ?

This is a really tough question and it's hard to pick my favorites. The first one that comes to mind is the piano scene from Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, when Victor sees Victoria for the first time. There is a deep connection between both characters during this subtle scene. I love how we can relate to the shy quality of Victoria and the embarrassment of Victor who doesn't really know how to react while he gets caught playing piano, because I guess most of us experienced that kind of situation in our lives. Great stuff ! My second one is the short called Pib and Pog, from Aardman Animation Studios where Pib and Pog are fighting about a shell, Pib's arms pop off, and he turns to the camera very surprised about it. It always makes me laugh.

What is the most valuable thing about Animation Mentor?

I think it's the community aspect of it. I've met a ton of great, talented and inspiring friends through Animation Mentor. And with some of them, I'm communicating every day, and I'm sure we'll be staying in touch long after Animation Mentor ends. Overall, it's great to be part of a community of people very similar to you, with the same goals and passion about learning character animation. You can check out other people's work for inspiration, get some comments and tips from others, and it improves the whole animation learning process very much. All the people on Animation Mentor are really passionate, encouraging and helpful. It's like one big family.

What advice would you provide to a new Animation Mentor student?

I guess it's to be open to meet new people. When I was fresh to the course I was really shy, because it was all new for me. It's essential to try to interact with other students, try to get to know them better. And if you're having any problems, don't be afraid to ask. And the last thing: be strong. There are times when your animation isn't looking exactly how you want it (honestly it's most of the time), but you have to fight with it and make it look perfect. Just be honest with yourself and brave enough to make big changes. Happy Animating!