My Group are looking at what a young animator starting out right now may go in to at the start of their career.
I looked in to 2D Music Videos as this is something I am very interested in this subject
Jamie Hewlett
I tried to get in contact with Jamie Hewlett via twitter first but didn't a response. It was unlikely that I would get a reply from this artist because they are too well known but I thought I would give it a try.
Gorillaz Music Video 'Feel Good Inc.'
Designed and Animated by Jamie Hewlett.
Eoghan Kidney
I also tried to contact Eoghan Kidney through tumblr (he doesn't give out his email or twitter account) as I liked the work he did for "Fight Like Apes" aside some of his other work, however I didn't get a reply.
On the other hand, having found this video, I decided to base parts of my 'BA1B Expressions in Animation' piece in this video.
Fight Like Apes - 'Tie Me Up With Jackets'
Animated By Eoghan Kidney.
Jeff Le Bars is a french animator and has created one of my favourite ever animations Carne, which was then used for Lonely the Braves 'Victory Line'. He replied to my email and said it was fine to ask him questions.
THE EMAIL
1) what inspired you to become an artist/animator?
I allways wanted to be a europeen comic book artist : "Bédéiste", from the french BD = Bandes Dessinées.
As a kid, I was a fan of BDs like Asterix, Lucky Luke, Tintin or later on Thorgal, etc... Pretty classic.
For me, cartoons and animation in general was just colourful and joyful entertainment for watching in front of the breakfast table in the morning.
But it was just for kids. I had a very poor culture in animation, I even had never seen a single disney movie, except the Lion King.
I enjoyed morning cartoons, but I didn't see myself in this industry (still don't ;)
But I discovered the "animatrix" that were created in between the first and the second matrix movies, and it opened a new world for me. I knew that was something I wanted to do one day, but I had no idea how to !
I first committed to "serious" studies after graduating highschool, like mathematics and social sciences, then english/spanish translation studies, to try and find a "serious" job that would ensure me a secure future. I really tried but it wasn't for me. I needed to create, in order to feel alive, no matter what lifestyle it would bring me. Maybe I lost a lot of time in those years of studies or maybe I needed the time to mature... I'll never know.
I then looked for several animation schools in France and tried a few competitive exams. I ended up in Emile Cohl school with the big help of my parents (because it is very expensive for a french school). There, I perfected my culture of graphic design in general. I still hesitated between BD and Animation, but I quickly realised animation was more satisfying 'cause I love studying movement and weight, and I just love music. I think it's really what BD lacks : Music. (Even if it has other unique qualities !)
And then, I was an animator !
2)how do you plan/research for your projects? You you use storyboards?
I've read that Carn was based lightly on a fairytale, is that something you look into a lot?
For ordered projects, I have lots of conversations with client to determine what will be the story/style, etc. Depends on what extent does the client already have a precise idea.
I then make graphic research for backgrounds and characters and scenic research in the form of a storyboard or directly an animatic.
It's a pretty common protocole.
For personal projects, I have to make everything from the start.
For Carn, It's true I was inspired by a fairy tale.
For Carn, It's true I was inspired by a fairy tale.
I also read many fairy tales on wolves in several books because I knew I wanted the same kind of story structure, with a sort of moral message at the center.
When you decide to create a story from scratch (at least for me) you can't think of anything else for a while. You really give yourself to it a 100%. It's a very difficult and tiring experience and it's a bit dangerous for your social life ;) You talk only of that to your friends. You're obsessed day and night with your characters and events...For Carn, I can't really remember if I came up
Jeff Le Bars Original Piece 'Carn'. 2013.
with the final story when working at my table,
when wandering in the park, or when dreaming in my bed !
And if the creating phase lasts too long, you yourself have evolved since you started the project, and your goal is evolving aswell !!
If all goes well, you just have to lay down on paper everything that's in your head, to see if it makes sense. People will try to influence or even destabilize you with new ideas and opinions. Even if it's good to discuss the project with others when storyboarding or making the animatic to get external advice and perspective, the key to moving forward remains to be firm with your ideas and stick with your core plan. Otherwise, you may end up NEVER making your film, spending all your time hesitating and swimming in an ocean of possibles forever. Or you may end up making a "flat" story, some kind of tasteless soup, making everybody happy but no one truely surprised.
It's a critical phase, the animatic is.
Then, when you're happy with it, production begans, and you work on rails 'till the end. Post production and editing are just for fun ;)
For my newest personal project, I was inspired by many books and conversations with my friends on patriarcal society and feminism, aswell as my own personal romantic experience.
I found it (and continue to find it) very very difficult to make a new personal film. In ordered projects, the client comes with money and an idea. You just have to work on it with him. On your personal project, you just have the idea and no money. You either have to convince other people to believe in your project and give you their money (we have an state organization for that in France called CNC) or you have to pay everything yourself. Both solutions are very hard to accomplish.
That's why it's been so long since I haven't made a new "film perso". Between time spent building request files to raise funds for personal projects and time spent earning money by working on orders, you don't get much time left for your personal life, let alone for personal work on top of that. Then add a few refusals and a few expenses (Parisian rent, moving, vacations, eating...) and you're back to square one two years later, with no more money in the bank, and a student lifestyle. That's the life I could have avoided by doing "serious" studies.
But let's not despair ! Hard work is always rewarded. And I don't see myself doing anything else in the world ;)
3) Who/what are your main influences as an artist?
I'm quite a fan of cinema in general (have to be !) : action movies aswell as "author" movies and indies ...
I'm very interested in modern day illustrators. I follow some of their work quite often on the internet and find it very inspiring.
And I read on various subjects. New discoveries, History, Ecology/Economy, Human sciences...
I still read BDs like Marjanne Satrapi and Riad Sattouf...
But my biggest influences are my friends and their tastes.
4) What software do you use to create your unique style?
I use a combination of Photoshop, 3DsMax, TVPaint, After Effects and Premiere Pro. I have somebody making the sound for me.
I no longer use paper. I know it's more romantic, but in our world of today, there is simply no time to make things in a traditional way...
5) do you work to a schedule and do you stick to it?
I have trouble planning ahead. No matter what time table I plan, I allways end up working very very hard on the last days of schedule...
But when a work rythm is found, production progresses well...
6)What made you chose being freelance over working in a company? Would you consider working for a company in the future?
I have already worked in 3 different Parisian companies, after I finished school. It's the "normal" way for a fresh graduate animator. It has been now three years and I want to experiment freelance working, because the environment is more satisfying. You can work wherever you like, with whomever you like, whenever you like. It's more suited to my lifestyle, as I want to have a lot of freedom and freetime to create personal projects.
I can't do all that in a company. But it has other advantages that i'll have to let go like :
-meeting a lot of different animators and benefit from their experience
-having a whole computer farm at your disposal, and talented technicians for ambitious projects like heavy 3D commercials.
-having kind of a job security and social advantages.
-having access to "big fish" projects with big clients and big TV channels, etc.
-having people handle clients and paperwork (which is pretty complicated in the profession, in France)
-Benefit from the company's prestige.
All that I have to give up and do everything myself. But it also means that I control my paycheck and I'm my own boss, which is releaving.
7) How many back ups of your work do you have before finishing the project?
Do you mean : do I save my data on another support ?
i have 2 back ups at the end of the project. One during.
8)How did Lonely the Brave contact you about using part of Carne for their song Victory Line?
Sony contacted me by e-mail. We chatted. They proposed a price. I said Yes on the condition that I still own the rights to the original film.
It's a very rewarding way to earn money. The job's already done. You just have to negociate ;)
Lonely the Brave's - 'Victory Line' Music Video, taken from
Jeff Le Bar's piece 'Carn'. 2014.
Group Work
We met up a couple of times to discuss what exactly we wanted to talk about in our presentation.
We met at The Playhouse twice and had a tutorial with Helen and decided the information we collected was mainly surrounding young animators starting out and the different directions that new animation graduates can go in.
We decided that;
Freelance/Music Videos
Youtube
Other career paths from an animation degree
Were what we wanted to explore so we got to work and decided where to put each piece of information in to the presentation and where they linked together in the best way.
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