PHOTO DIARY

I'm an animator at LAIKA/house, the commercial division of LAIKA. I animate characters for computer generated (CG) and stop motion commercials. I work with a small crew of people led by a director to create a performance from a computer character or stop-motion puppet that will come across as alive, engaging, and entertaining.

In the morning I have “dailies,” a meeting with the director where we discuss my progress from the day before and talk about options for improvement. We have crew meetings when a new project starts to talk about the details-the design of the character, the mood, message and performance, the schedule and who is doing what task. During lunchtime I usually have time to go to the gym, run an errand, or go home and take the dog out. Sometimes the studio will have screenings or special trainings during lunchtime. Yet there are times, because of a deadline, that I have to eat at my desk to get everything done in time. If I am working on a CG commercial, like for M&M's, I'm pretty much at a computer all day, or if I am working on a stop-motion commercial, I'll be on the stage animating behind a black curtain manipulating a puppet 24 times for every second of screen time.

My first attempt at college was as a psychology major. When I realized I really wasn't sure what I wanted to do I took a few years off to think about it, working several jobs to save money for more college. I decided to return to school at a community college because I could get a reasonably priced general education while narrowing down what I liked and disliked. I went back as a “mass communications” major because I liked movies, media and the arts. While at the community college I got practical, hands-on experience with TV and film equipment. I had always sculpted in my free time and paid close attention to the animation I'd seen on TV like Sesame Street, Clash of the Titans and Land of the Lost (the TV show). One day, when I had the video equipment with me at home, I found myself making a little clay man walk across my kitchen table. From then on I was HOOKED! I felt like I had made a little lump of clay come alive! After that I narrowed my focus to pursue animation specifically. I transferred to Emerson College in Boston, but because there weren't many fleshed-out animation programs offered in colleges in 1988, I pursued a film degree. I got approval from my professors to make short animated films. My training comes mostly from experience-from practicing and taking chances, getting helpful books and asking questions when I've crossed paths with experts along the way. I've taken jobs just to work with people whose work I admire. I worked for free at the only animation studio in town because I didn't have any experience and I absolutely HAD to work there! It paid off because they hired me a month later. The people I work with become my friends and we keep in touch when they move on. I'm connected to a great network of people who do what I do and have found many job opportunities that way. In fact, I don't think I've ever worked at a place where there weren't a few friends working there already!

I think it's cool to play with inanimate objects and give them personality. Even though the actual animating part can be very repetitious and tedious, every day is different. I like to use my creativity and work with talented people I admire. I even sometimes enjoy the excitement of the deadlines-they keep things fresh. Every day there is problem to solve and usually it's fun. I guess the bottom line is that I would be doing this in my free time so I'm grateful to have found a job and a company that allow me to do something I love and get paid for it! I am most proud when my animation makes someone laugh out loud. Or gasp, or sigh. I am proud that my job doesn't usually feel like work, but more like summer camp. I am proud not to work in a cubicle and that I can wear jeans and sneakers to work and not a suit. I'm happy that I've been able to get work and continue working in a really competitive artistic field. Growing up I wasn't necessarily encouraged to pursue an artistic path, so I've had to find my own way. I'm also proud that at the end of my day, hopefully, there is a little bit of life somewhere where there once wasn't.

Doing more of what I've been doing-practicing my craft and hopefully getting better and better. Possibly helping out on a feature film. I'm like a dog with a tennis ball. I never tire of animating!