Robert Anderson

I am Robert Anderson. My current occupation is Producer. I can’t tell you where and on what as I will have to shoot you all.

I have always loved animation. As a child my Grandfather would sit with me to watch Bugs Bunny on Saturdays. I never thought I would be able to have a career in it. My drawing abilities really suck.

I grew up in a small town called Hopewell Cape. The home of the world’s largest flower pots… Fascinating I know… I had a great time growing up there but as a teen ager it really sucked. I suspect that would have been the same anywhere. At 19 I moved to the bustling metropolis of Ottawa Ontario with doe eyed excitement of doing something cool in film. I know, I should have gone to Toronto but it was too big for my small town brain to handle. I was looking in the paper for a job and a studio called Crawley Films was looking for what they called Opaquers. I had no idea what that was but the company had “Film” in its name. I think that was 1986?

I do a lot of information juggling as I like to call it. As a producer I love to be in the thick of things. I typically won’t have an office and am much happier surrounded by everyone else working on the project. This helps me see what is happening in real time both as far as the project as well as the people. Hundreds of emails… I hate talking on the phone but I end up on calls for a couple of hours a day. More if there is an off site team. I like Skype more because I like to see who I am talking to. There tends to be a lot of mini meetings on my projects. I don’t like to draw folks away from their work for very long but I like the Scrum idea of short meetings with small teams to make sure everyone is on the same page. Of course the meetings are short for the teams but I have to be there for all of them. Then it is off to doing the usual production reports and more emails. makes for long days but hey, it isn’t really work if you like it.

I am a lover of process and how all the different bits of a production fit together. Almost Alchemical in my mind. I get really excited when things work the way you had hoped.

I really hate being the guy that has to fire someone. I was told once that I care too much. That may be true but that is who I am. Letting people go is not part of my nature so when I have to do, and I have, It hurts. I never let it affect the decision mind you. It is the regret that is hardest.

That is a loaded question. I will try to fire blanks. I think it is when people try to play games to get their way. That can be frustrating. Disingenuous behaviour really gets under my skin and sadly I have seen it a lot over the years. I know how the game is played I just don’t like playing it.

Final Cut Pro suite, Adobe Suite, Avid, Microsoft word, Maya, and a host of other little bits scattered all over the place.

I got to work with Jan Pinkava (Geri’s Game and others)on a short at the Ottawa Animation Festival. It was the first ever animated piece done during the festival.

Well, I am known for being brutally honest so here you go.  My Father killed himself when I was 14. That hit me pretty hard and it took quite a few years to come to terms with it all. I think it is why I feel the need to be as honest as I can about everything I do be it work or general life.

I have a few hobbies. I am trying to learn action script so I can program my own flash games. I have done a ton of editing over the years and I have a passion for that. I like to grab open source footage and recut it to music.

I still play Dungeons and Dragons. Have been since 78.

Never EVER give up if this is what you want to do. No matter how hard you think it is, and this is my optimistic existentialist view of the world, it can always get worse. Don’t ever be afraid to be wrong or make a mistake. That is how we learn. And for crying out loud when an old fart like me tells you how to do something listen for goodness sake! I love you all.

I am kidding really. No I really do think I love you all.