Here is my newest feature, "sinamation asks".
As promised I'll interview Animators around the world,
and the first one is:
Ray Chase - Raymation.net
Lead Animator at ReelFX and
Mentor at Animation Mentor.
In General:
Sin: What's your
name?
RC: Ray Chase
Sin: How are
you?
RC: I am just
fine!
Sin: What's the time?
RC: 4:45 pm
Sin: Where are
you right now?
RC: I am at
work
Sin: How's the
weather?
RC: sunny and
hot
Job:
Sin: What is
your current job, and which company are you working for?
RC: I am
currently a lead animator at ReelFX in Dallas Texas
Sin: Did you
learn and fight hard for your job, or did your love and fascination bring you
to your job?
RC: It took a
lot of work and a lot of preserve-rance to finally have a reel good enough to catch the
eye of a studio. It took about 6 years
for me to be good enough to land my first job.
Animation:
Sin: Why do you
animate?
RC: I love to
bring characters to life. There is
nothing I would rather be doing than what I do now.
Sin: Did you
like the art classes back in school, were you good at it?
RC: Unfortunately I didn't have a lot of art classes when I was in school at least
not a lot of fine art. I was in several
film and video classes and the computer classes I took where more concerned
with us learning the software than the art of using it.
Do you
sketch/ draw a lot?
RC: I do not
sketch or draw as much as I used to.
Sin: If you had
the choice for the next 3 big animated movies, would they be drawn or CG?
RC: I think
it depends on the story. To me a film
like Lilo and Stitch would lose its charm if it was in 3D. Conversely I don't think Toy Story would have
been as magical in 2D. The choice of
hand drawn or CG should come down to which best services the story.
Sin: You have a
big opportunity for the next movie: 1) leading animator/ director or 2) you get
in front of the camera as the main actor. What would you choose? And why?
RC: I would
stick with animating. It's what I know
and love. Plus I don't think I could
ever watch myself act in a film....ever.
Sin: What is
your first advice for beginners/ students?
RC: Learn the
basics. The principles of animation are
the foundation of animation. If you
don't take the time to learn them up front, the road ahead will be rough. Also, if being an animator is what you truly
want...never give up...keep trying and learning.
Sin: What is
your advice for pros?
RC: I would
say....keep pushing the art form. Keep
trying to make it better and better.
Sin: Do your
friends/ parents/ etc. know what you are doing at work? What do they think about
it, what are their comments on your work and which feedback do you get from
them? How important is feedback from non-pros for your work?
RC: My family
and friends know what I do and are pretty excited about different projects I
have been involved in. I don't generally
get any feedback from them as I usually don't show them much until the project
is over and done.
Sin: What is
your favourite program/ application/ tool?
RC: I use
Maya everyday...so I would have to say Maya.
Sin: Best
animated movie/ short:
RC: I don't
know about best....but I have favorites.
The Incredibles, Tangled,
Aladdin, Nemo, Kung Fu Panda, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and many
many more.....
Sin: Best
life-action movie/ short:
RC: Again I
have favorites..... The Empire Strikes Back, Raider of the Lost Ark, The Dark
Knight, Pirate of the Caribbean: CotBP, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Back to the
Future, Who framed Roger Rabbit and many more that I know I'm forgetting.
Sin: Do you like
today's animated movies more or do you prefer the old-school stuff?
RC: I
generally like the animated films of today and the old school ones as well.
Sin: Do you hear
music while you're animating?
RC: I only
listening to music if I'm animating a scene that has no dialogue.
Sin: What was
your favourite project/ movie/ game you worked on?
RC: There are
a few. The Jimmy Neutron movie was my
first gig and I still remember how excited I was working on it. I enjoyed working with Po on Kung Fu Panada:
Secrets of the Furious Five. And it was
an honor and privilege to work on the Looney Tunes shorts with classics
characters Daffy, Elmer, Road Runner and Coyote.
Sin: If your
life would be made a film, what would be the title and who should be the actor?
RC: Since one
word titles are the rage......”Chase” starring Robert Downey Jr as me.
Sin: Where will
be animation in 50 years?
RC: Hard to
say. Animation might be all holograms
that get beamed into our brains.
Technology moves so fast it's hard to say.
End
Sin: What's the
time now?
RC: 5:11pm
Sin: Any
question(s) you want to ask me?
RC: I can't
think of any :)
Thanks Ray for this great interview,
watch his superb Ice Age Christmas reel, I love it:
