Animating cartoons is not always a graceful task. Just ask animation supervisor
Emily Cooper.
"The weirdest thing was working on shows like Pirate Express and Camp Lakebottom
where the humor is a bit more crude," says Cooper. "There were days where
I spent the whole day animating farts and burps and had to listen to the farting
and burping audio all day long!" Cooper supervises a team of animators who
work on shows like Jake and the Neverland Pirates, DC Superhero Girls, Cloudy
with a Chance of Meatballs and more.
"I organize and distribute scenes to my team and then once they have completed
their scenes, I review and either approve the scene or I send it back to the
artist with a revision for them to complete," she says.
"After the shots have been approved by me, then they go to the director
of the show to approve. I also make sure the team has everything they need
to complete their shots, even if it's me jumping on some of the shots to complete
them myself."
A career in animation can be demanding. Successful animators need a strong
work ethic, an ability to focus and a lot of patience.
"It's not always easy being creative," says Todd Ramsay. He co-owns an
animation studio that has done work on TV shows like Rocket Monkeys, Max &
Ruby, and Angry Birds. "It's really important to shut out all of the distractions
around you. Animation takes a lot of focus. Turn off your phone; don't check
social media when you're animating. You really have to get into a groove and
focus on the task at hand."
And remember: it's not all about you.
"Artists need to remember that they are not working on their own creations,
so they need to do as the director asks," says Cooper. "Which can be difficult
for artists, because they often take it as their art isn't good enough. Which
is never the case, their vision is just different from the director's or the
studio's."
But despite the stresses, the end results make it all worthwhile.
"It's a very rewarding job, especially when you see the finished product
on cable TV or Netflix and your name is in the credits," says Ramsay. "You
shouldn't decide to be an animator for the money. You have to be passionate
about working in this field or chances are you won't last long.
"When I was a kid, I drew all the time," says Ramsay. "As I got older I
was told that I could never make a living creating art. I get to draw all
day now; what's not to like?"