Animation Mentor:
What inspired you to learn character animation?
Elliott Roberts:
When I was a kid, I loved the Ray Harryhausen movies, especially Clash of the Titans. Those movies really planted the seed – I know I'm not alone here. But for the most influential, it's a toss up between Beauty and the Beast and Jurassic Park. I think when Beauty and the Beast came out in theaters, it was my first "you can do this for a living?" moment probably because there was so much press about it. It was such a huge deal. That movie was nominated for Best Feature Film that year! It really started this animation revival. Then Jurassic Park came out, and like most people in the industry now, I was just completely blown away. The idea that literally anything was possible to portray in film was just so inspirational. From then on, I was constantly daydreaming about making epic monster movies...
Animation Mentor:
What were the most important steps in your animation training?
Elliott Roberts:
Learning the basic process and taking things one step at a time. When I started animating, I thought that I could do it all at once and take on thousands of frames of animation by just jumping in and throwing it all together. Wow, was I wrong. Once I learned how to go in and take things one step at a time, and more importantly, plan my work, the process began to make so much more sense. Now, we animate at least 1,000 frames in a week at work and it isn't a complete mess because we plan it all out. It's amazing how scalable that process really is. No matter how much animation you have or how little time you have to do it, you will benefit tremendously from using even a small amount of that time to think ahead and plan it out.
Animation Mentor:
If you could do one thing differently on your journey to becoming an animator, what would it be?
Elliott Roberts:
Easy. I would have taken a time machine to the future when Animation Mentor existed and taken all these awesome classes! :)
I was really lucky to have been able to take classes taught by Pixar animators at the Academy of Art, but until that point, the path to becoming an animator was filled with so much guess work. Future animators-to-be (and a lot of present day animators!) are really lucky that Bobby, Shawn and Carlos have looked back on their school days and filled that giant black hole of misinformation with a school that puts everything you need in one place. I really wish Animation Mentor was around when I was in school!
Animation Mentor:
Where do you currently work and what are the projects you've worked on in the past? What role did you play in those projects?
Elliott Roberts:
I currently work at Double Fine Studios and just completed a ton of really fun animation work on Brütal Legend, which was just launched in October.
In the past, I've had the pleasure of working on such awesome projects as Ratatouille, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage (a ride at Disneyland!), Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest, and Iron Man.
Animation Mentor:
Who is your favorite character that you've animated and why?
Elliott Roberts:
Eddie Riggs from Brütal Legend. First, I'm a fan of Jack Black, and he easily has one of the best voices for animation. Second, I love the character design – Eddie has a lot of subtle things you could do with his face that really brought out the personality. And third, the project itself was just so unique and fun. The whole team is great, and it was really fun exploring how to make things appealing in a game where the audience can see your animation from any angle they choose!
Animation Mentor:
What was your first animation job?
Elliott Roberts:
My first full animation job was at Blue Sky Studios working on Robots. The first time I was ever paid to animate was a contract job I did for a flight safety company called, uniquely enough, Flight Safety. The job was recreating plane crashes so future pilots and flight engineers could learn from them. It definitely wasn't the most cheery job, that's for sure, but it paid the bills. Come to think of it now, I didn't get paid for that job at all! It was an internship! Oh well...yah, Blue Sky was my first job. :)
Animation Mentor:
Who would you consider your mentor to be in animation?
Elliott Roberts:
Oh wow, there are lots. I've had the great fortune of meeting and working with some of the most talented people in the world. I would have to say that the first person I would consider a true "mentor" would be Angus MacLane. He was my first real animation teacher at the Academy of Art, and really opened my eyes to so much. Of course, I could never answer a question like this without including Bobby Beck. That guy is like my animation guardian angel! Ha ha, seriously I don't know where I'd be without his help and guidance. His passion for animation and his overwhelming desire to help others learn have been such an inspiration for me.
Animation Mentor:
Describe a typical day at your current job.
Elliott Roberts:
There are no typical days at my current job. That's what I love about it! :) Like most animation jobs, it depends on what part of the cycle of the project we're currently in. That will really dictate how chaotic things are. Right now, things are pretty mellow because we just finished Brütal Legend and are gearing up for our next big project.
Animation Mentor:
What do you enjoy the most about teaching at Animation Mentor?
Elliott Roberts:
The students! I've met so many wonderful people teaching here. I love it when someone comes out of nowhere with absolutely no animation experience who starts to get it. That really makes me feel good. The community here is so positive and helpful, and it really is amazing meeting all these new and interesting people from all over the world. At this point, I feel like I could go literally anywhere in the world and find someone that I've met here!
Animation Mentor:
What is the most rewarding thing about having a career in animation?
Elliott Roberts:
Saying "I did that!"
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