R.I.P. Mike Mitchell

Mike did the first edition cover for his friend's famous novel.

I got a text this afternoon informing me of Mike Mitchell's passing, and I forwarded the news to some of you, because I've always felt like CalArts is a second family and everyone should be in the loop with these things.

I was just talking to Nate and we both agreed that he led an amazing life - very full. I'm not sure what the memorial arrangements will be like, but I would guess that it would feel like a celebration of his life, rather than something more somber. I mean, let's face it, he lived a very long life!

I learned a lot from Mike. Even though he could be polarizing with his views (who isn't though, right?), he helped me creatively in ways no one could ever measure. He and Corny together railed on mainstream animation and rejected the medium as mere 'cartoon.' He berated 'the industry,' but I, for one, think it was only in the same way Bill Cosby berated the black community for using the n word - he berated mainstream animation only because he loved the medium so much and thought it could be even better.

What can I say, this man was amazing. He barely slept because he was always working, he led four or five-hour life drawing sessions at CalArts. "That's the stuff" he'd say, when you do something he likes. He'll hang that up on the wall and encourage a flurry of first and second year competition. Shadows, shape, form, color...at times it wasn't even about looking at the model anymore as it is using him/her as a launchpad for your own individual interpretation.

Mike hung out with the likes of J.D. Salinger and Ray Bradbury. I can't even begin to imagine filling in the rest of his story before I met him as an old man. There's so much to the guy. He had both his followers and detractors. And he made it personal with his students. I recall a time when he learned I was taking Corny's class my second year instead of his (which was against the curriculum) and chewed me out for it. He cared that much. (Or was that insulted - either way, he was passionate.)

I have to admit, he was sometimes 'cliquey.' Mike at times played the favoritism card and his followers (often referred to as Mitchellites) were often accused of being arrogant (I can personally say, yes, sometimes they can be, but they're also very sweet people. And, let's not forget we're all on the same team guys). Despite this, no one can deny his brain was on fire. It was white hot. He encouraged being 'loose' and 'open' in the artistic sense like no other instructor I've encountered.

Mike's influence opened the flood gates for the new talent that's in the animation industry today, and we have yet to feel the full effects of it. On top of that, he was a lovely man and someone who I am thankful I got to spend some time with and soak up his wisdom.

Long live Mike Mitchell.

-v

Baby-Snatching Goblins Sailing the Seven Seas Filming a Documentary

My Designs are Worn by the Children of America...

...Or at least these child models for the LAIKA store.
In case some of you were wondering what my 'Buffalo Spaceman' and 'Moths' designs were for back in the June 4th entry, LAIKA's media department had asked me to submit some designs for their store. These are the results. Apparently, my whimsical sensibilities fit best with the 'little'nes.' I dig it.

Random Page of Thumbnails...

Austin's giving me a hard time about too many words on my blog. Click to enlarge...you will see things you wouldn't see with the naked eye! (only because I don't draw clear enough - I'm a bad story artist :(

Head of an Ass, Heart of a Boob

I came into the industry with the wrong head. I came in with the head of an ass (donkey or butthead, you decide - same idea).

By most standards, I've experienced early success in trying to break into feature film animation - I basically got to work right away while most have to toil for a long time in jobs that are more-or-less degrading before moving onto video games, commercials, television animation, and then finally feature film. So I skipped having to draw lamb cutlets for grocery ads or doing bad charcoal portraits at Venice Beach (although that sounds kind of fun). Because of this, I thought I was hot stuff.

Towards the end of the Pixar internship, Pixar got to decide who they wanted to hire out of the batch they had that summer. Being nervous about not getting the job, I kept in touch with Blue Sky, who would love to jump on anything that had anything to do with Pixar, since Pixar was and still is regarded as the "team to beat" as far as quality feature animation goes. Pixar did not pick me to be on their team, but Blue Sky did, so they flew me out to New York on a red eye (this was before they knew Pixar didn't choose me, so they felt they needed to act fast). Since this whole process of studios courting artists was new to me, I thought this was a special thing and I, honestly, felt probably more special than I really was.

Blue Sky was impressed with my friendly attitude, portfolio, and student film during the "tour" (which, in reality, was an interview), but when it came time to actually getting work done, I carried on that feeling of self-importance too long, and that, in the end, was a detriment to my performance. I voiced my opinion moreso than presented solid, visual solutions with my work. I had less-than-healthy thoughts about my superiors as a way to lash back at the feeling that they weren't using me enough. I was secretly a jerk. A passive-aggressive know-it-all.

'Horton Hears a Who' was my first film, but when Story wrapped and people were getting rolled off onto 'Ice Age 3,' management decided not to renew my contract. The reason for this, they told me, was because they didn't feel I could pump out the necessary number of approved storyboards per month. They had lost confidence in me.

This served as a powerful lesson for me, because although they 'laid me off' (I think I got fired, although I was lucky enough to still be on good terms with Blue Sky and the friends I made there), the whole ordeal was a wake up call for me. People put an investment in you. The work environment is, for sure, not ideal for you to serve your own self-interests as an artist, but they do set it up for you to do your best work as a professional, because it's in their interest to have artists do their best work for them. In any situation, there's a huge chance to grow. The trick is to see that chance and run with it. -v

You Are Your Habits

I want to point out today a key value that animation students tend to overlook: the value of good habits. It's not just about getting into CalArts. It's not just about getting into the Producer's Show. And it's certainly not just about having the right friends. It's all and none of these things.

What I learned from CalArts, the part before it, and the part after it (so far) is that you have a certain amount of time to show people what you're all about, and you do this by habituation. You consistently treat people fairly, you consistently put out good work, you consistently try to learn and help in a team, and so on.

I think the biggest "in" to getting work is putting yourself in a position where you can be trusted, both as a person and as a producer of valuable creative work. Before CalArts, I went to Corny's life drawing workshops on Sundays. (Corny is a teacher at CalArts who was on the portfolio review board). Corny saw my work and recognized I had "what it took" and was definitely looking for my portfolio when the time came.

This workshop is also where I found out about CSSSA, the summer program at CalArts that uses many of the same teachers. This is where I met some important friends (including the likes of Austin, Adrian Molina, Alex Hirsch and more) and learned what CalArts is all about. And this is also where I got a chance to initially show the potential of my work. I made a splash when I was there.

And while I was actually at CalArts as a student, I did my homework to the best quality I could on a consistent basis, I went to life drawing class and also did good work there (and occasionally work that suprised myself - which you need to do from time to time), and essentially developed a good reputation for being both a hard worker and a talented draftsman.

And the list goes on with this sort of thing.

So it wasn't the end of the world that I didn't get the attention of companies at first, or didn't get into the Producer's Show. Enough people have gained trust in me, seen where I've been, where I am now, and where I'd probably go in the future.

When you're in a four year program like CalArts, you have four years to make a splash, four tries to make an effective little film, several semesters to show your habits. And you are your habits.

Just like people over time know what to expect from a trusted place to get, say, a good burger, and recommend a place like In-n-Out because they consistently had a good experience, you develop trust by being consistent. So students, for your sake and ours, consistently put your art out there, and consistently show what you're all about, all the time.

-v

A Picture of My Blog on My Blog

What a mind freak!

Rejected...Over and Over Again

I've had my share of rejection when it comes to a career in animation. I got rejected once getting into CalArts, but tried again and got in. I never got a film in the Producer's Show - CalArt's annual showcase for industry execs. I didn't get any callbacks for any of my portfolios until my senior year. I got rejected for a story internship position at Pixar, before I tried again. And when I finally did the internship, I wasn't chosen to stay. Then I worked at Blue Sky and got fired. After that, I did a bunch of odd jobs that spanned from doing commercial work, moping around the house, chasing small children... until my current gig now as a story artist at LAIKA.

If I look at the pattern, I should be worried, since every good thing has an end. But I should also not be too worried, since every bad thing also has an end. Like the universe, your career expands and contracts.

I can jump into all kinds of theories on what I did right and what I did wrong. But right now, I just wanted to use that re-cap as an example of what one should expect. Just when the dead of winter seems like it would never end, a weed sprouts from the snow.

-v