Famous US animation artist Casey Coffey conducted a one-week workshop at TNUA last month to let students understand the art and process of creating animation works.
The students, apart from being introduced to character design, story analysis, storyboard writing and animation production, were each given a chance to independently create a 10-second short animation clip.
Mr. Coffey said after 15 years in the animation industry, he would choose to begin his career a small company, rather than a big one, if he had a chance to rewind his life. He explained that he joined Disney at the age of 25 and started as an assistant animation artist for about six years.
He cited his participation in the animation film “Tarzan” as an example. It was project involving 70 animators, plus more than 40 assistants. Each animator was responsible for the overall composition and the assistants were asked to make minor adjustments to the scenes. The division of labor was so fine that one could learn very little, he said.
In 2003, Mr. Coffey joined another production company, which brought big changes to his work. At Disney, he would only need to finish three to four seconds of animation a week, but at the small company, he would be required to complete 30 seconds every day.
This was a big challenge, but the satisfaction of completing an entire animation sequence alone made him realize that he had become a true animator, Coffey said. At Disney, every employee is assigned a single tiny part only, but small workshops’ bosses rely on animators who know and do everything, the artist added.
Mr. Coffey said his solid training in conventional animation art enhanced his imagination and creativity once he started trying his hands at computerized animation. In 2006, he started making the TV animation series, “The Simpsons.”