Kevin O’Hara from Pixar Animation Studios gave a lecture at TNUA on October 31, sharing his experience in creating animation. He also screened some of the short animation clips he created to demonstrate and explain his art.
O’Hara was born in New York and greatly inspired by Mort Drucke’s and Jack Davis’ works in the MAD magazine. He later decided to devote himself to animation art after seeing the remake of Disney’s “The Jungle Book.”
After he graduated from the university, he studied under Milt Neil, the animator who is known for working on such Disney works as “Donald Duck” and “Dumbo.”
O’Hara worked with Don Bluth, Warner Bros., Ralph Bakshi, Turner Feature Animation, James Baxter, Dreamworks and Sony before joining Pixar in 2006.
At Pixar he has played a part in the production of many award-winning animation feature films, such as “Ratatouille,” “Wall-E,” and “Up.” He also works on short animation films. He is currently taking part in the production of a new animation film, “Brave,” which will be screened in 2012.
Known for his capability of character portraying, O’Hara said one of the most important things that enhance creativity is the working environment. At Pixar, O’Hara said, the company places strong emphasis on interactions between employees.
He said everyone has his or her own studio, which can be designed and decorated in whatever way he or she likes. Pixar also arranges training classes, such as drama, for its employees, who can also share their experiences and creativity with one another through various company-arranged activities.
Pixar has a lot of faith in its employees, allowing them to constantly experiment and explore new ways, O’Hara said, adding the Pixar team works by respecting and learning from one another.