Hey folks!
We’ve got another installment of re:Fresh Faces for you this week, talking to Michelle Tripp, who’s currently the Animation Director for Stoked.
It’s Michelle’s job to coordinate a team of over twenty animators working to bring the staff of the Surfer’s Paradise resort to life. First, she breaks up each episode into sections and assigns them to the individual animator best suited for the scene. Some might specialize in action sequences or have a real knack for animating a character’s acting. After that, Michelle does three passes of retakes, check for things like continuity error and making sure all of the characters’ movements are believable.
“I just love seeing things move!” Michelle told me. “It’s an interesting process.” Unlike productions created using traditional animation, Flash animation allows the Elliott Animation team to do the entire production in-house, which means Michelle has the chance to see everything along the way. She also sets a high bar for herself and her team. “We’re always trying to achieve more,” she explained, describing Stoked’s quality of animation as being closer to that of a feature film than what most people expect from a television series. For anyone interested in getting into the field, Michelle offered this advice. “Be open to criticism. Always be a learner.”
Thanks again to Michelle for taking us behind the scenes and giving us the scoop on her job! If you’re curious about the process behind your favourite shows, drop us a line in the comments with your questions.
Stay fresh,
Brendan
First let me just say that these fresh faces are very educational and informing. but I have several questions that I hope can be answered.
1. What kind of training would you suggest for somebody that is considering being a flash animator as a career? (high school and college training)
2. How does somebody get a job at Fresh? Do you offer internships of any kind?
I really hope you can answer these questions. Again, love these Fresh faces and all your shows!!!
Hello James,
I’d suggest studying and training as a traditional animator. There are several collages in Canada with well developed programs including Algonquin and Sheridan.
As a high school student looking to get into animation school, be a sponge! Draw as much as you can whenever you can. Having a solid foundation in drawing before you apply to collages is incredibly helpful. Also, see if you can get tours to the colleges your looking into. They can provide you with a ton of information.
Hope this helps!
Michelle
Thank you so much, all of this is incredibly helpful! I had never heard of Sheridan, but I looked it up and looks AWESOME!!!
I have been drawing a lot, and can tell I’m getting better!
Thank you again!
I still want to know, but you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. Does Fresh/Elliot Animation offer summer internships? (before you ask, yes I am asking for next summer)