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This month and moving forward Animation Mentor is putting the student highlight back into the hands of the students themselves. We let students create whatever they want – revealing themselves by sharing video, text and anything else they feel is appropriate. If you are currently an Animation Mentor student and you’d like to participate in this, send an email to newsletter (at) animationmentor.com and we’ll do our best to fit you in!
This month’s featured student is Rose Rushbrooke. Here is Rose interviewing Rose. Enjoy!
Rose Rushbrooke:
Have you jumped off a cliff lately?
Rose Rushbrooke:
Done something really weird and strange? Made your friends and family look at you sideways and talk amongst themselves? I'm a studio artist. I create fractal images and design art quilts. This is how I made my living for more than 20 years. Then I got a bug. And I jumped off a cliff.
Rose Rushbrooke:
Remember the first time you watched an animated cartoon?
Rose Rushbrooke:
I remember my first cartoon. My father worked in the West Indies. Coming back to England for a vacation, my family stopped in New York. At the hotel my parents switched on the TV and there, on the screen, in glorious black and white were moving cartoons. My brother and I were mesmerized. In 1962, when we returned to live in England, we got a black and white TV. The Daleks from Dr. Who would find us all sneaking peeks from behind the sofa. And yes, it was when William Hartnell played the part. From then on I wanted to live in America and be part of the movie world.
Rose Rushbrooke:
Did you hold your breath?
Rose Rushbrooke:
We held our breath for a week. When I was filling out the form I was horrified to find I was too old for the drop down box…would Animation Mentor accept my application? Remember the adrenalin rush when the congratulation letter came? No experience in Maya software, no experience in ANY 3-d software. No idea what an animation principle is. So I took a deep breath, jumped off the cliff and went to animation school.
Rose Rushbrooke:
What about the school?
Rose Rushbrooke:
Don’t think you are in for an easy ride. This is very hard work, sometimes frustrating, often hair-tearing crazy. The curriculum takes you step by step, building on the assignments before. My first mentor Sean McLaughlin, was new at the school so we learned together. I can’t wait to see his name on the credits of DreamWorks Bee Movie.
Rose Rushbrooke:
What about the assignments?
Rose Rushbrooke:
Sometimes the assignments seem so hard to do – will I ever get it? There have been some ghastly moments when I didn’t think I could go on. But I am not alone. Thank you Mike Bahurinsky for adopting me into your family – yes, I hear from his mother who is also a quilter. Thanks Dane Stogner, for being scary and so much fun. You make a ‘mature’ student’s life thoroughly enjoyable. I met Travis Highley at a Flash meeting before school even started so he will always be special. And thanks to the students who have entertained, badgered, commented, and generally interfered with my life. I will get it and I will go on.
Rose Rushbrooke:
Is there more than work?
Rose Rushbrooke:
Way more, so much more than doing your classes each week. There’s the forum, instant messenger, the chat room, the Q&A’s, the alumni tutors, office hours online. A squillion ways to connect with your colleagues – here is where you make your friends in the industry. None of us will forget our time together at Animation Mentor.
I started a thread in the forum for Life Drawing which goes up each semester. You should see the sketches we put up! And I did the same with a Weekly Music thread.
Plenty more than just work.
Rose Rushbrooke:
And what about the future?
Rose Rushbrooke:
Well what about the future – what do you think? Will I work at one of the major studios, a media company, in video games, a boutique studio, or freelancing? Who knows? But I do know many graduates of Animation Mentor have gone on to enviable jobs and really…we get paid for having the best time of our lives.
Rose Rushbrooke:
Excuse me, what did you say?
Rose Rushbrooke:
Now I find myself looking at the world with animator’s eyes. If you see me staring at someone walking it’s only because they move with such a cool little skip.
And don’t take me out for a meal and expect me to pay attention to you. Sorry, I am watching the girl over there with this weird way of flipping her hair. Goodness, look at the interesting way the waiter pours the wine!
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