What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Bruno Chekerdimian Barreto, I’m working at Mariana Caltabiano Criações .
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
During the high school I used to help my father on his work carrying furniture and other little services. He is a woodworker. Â I don’t know why he asked me to help him if I was, and still I am, so thin and weak.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I’m very proud to have worked on the first season of “As aventuras de Gui e Estopa” (in english “The adventures of Gui and Estopa”). I had a great opportunity to do a lot of things on it. I wrote some episodes, did some storyboards, helped to develop the digital clean up, worked composing the scenes and other many things. On the second season I added to my “to do list” the digital paintings for that scenes where shows something very detailed or should use a different visual language. But my big challenge happened during the production of our first animated feature. I did all the 3D stereoscopic composition of all animated scenes and I did all the digital paintings of “Brasil Animado”, the first Brazillian movie in 3D (stereoscopic).
How did you become interested in animation?
My mom is a fine artist, she always inspired me to draw, to paint and be creative. I grew up watching cartoons and featured films that have inspired me a lot like Spongebob, Chowder, The fairly Oddparents, Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Powerpuff Girls, Fosther’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Justice League (and the old version, the super friends) X-Men Evolution, films from Pixar, Disney, Dreamworks and Blue sky.
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m from Brazil. I don’t believe in coincidences, I believe that Lord has helped me to get a job in animation here in Brazil that’s so hard to find it. The husband of a friend of family introduced me to my current boss. I went to my first meeting carrying a lot of drawings to show all my skills. From that day I had to waited one year to start working officially. My first job position was flash game design for the site Iguinho.com.br. Six months later I started working on the composition of one episode that my boss wrote to be shown in the theaters as IG’s advertising. After that my boss got investments to produce an animated series. This was the opportunity I got to put in practice my writing and storyboarding skills that I’ve been learning watching cartoons and seeing the blogs of many artists.
What’s a typical day like for you with regards to your job?
Each day is different from the others, there are days that I spend all time doing digital clean up of the scenes, I supervise the digital clean up of the other artists, I do the lip sync, I draw storyboards or I do a digital painting. The order of my responsibilities changes depending on the priorities. Many times my boss ask me to do something that is not related to the animation, like do graphic design of something else.
What part of your job do you like best? Why?
I like to write and draw storyboards. It’s the time that I can use all my efforts to tell a story and create different ways to tell it. When I’m planing a scene I get imagining all the possibilities to execute that scene and how I could do to value the story. It’s that kind of job that my imagination doesn’t have limits!
What part of your job do you like least? Why?
I don’t like to spend time doing mechanical work, like exporting files or something that doesn’t demand creativity. When I’m doing that I get thinking that I could be drawing or doing something that will really use my potential. Also, I think that kind of mechanical work doesn’t bring challenges and it doesn’t help me to improve as artist.
What is the most difficult part for you about being in the business?
I think here in Brazil the most difficult part is the size of our animation industry. Here, 70% of all animation work is done for advertising. And here in Brazil there aren’t animation colleges like CalArts that teaches the animation process, and there aren’t many professionals that really love what they do. Many professionals like to procrastinate and keep they knowledge for themselves. I’m privileged for working with great professionals that do the opposite and are my inspiration!
What kind of technology do you work with on a daily basis?
My sketch book, my pencils and pens, a computer, a wacom tablet, Adobe Photoshop, Toon Boom Animate, Toon Boom Storyboard Pro, Adobe illustrator. These tools are very important to me!
In your travels, have you had any brushes with animation greatness?
Wow, I went to CTN two times, in 2010 and 2012, I realized a dream of meeting many artists that I’ve been following on the Internet. The list is huge: Sherm Cohen, Donnachada Daly, Olivier Tossan, Mike Collins, Jez Tuya, Gillian Reid, Mattew Timms, Benoit Therriault , Jessika Von, Cale Atkinson, Mike Morris, Justin Rodrigues, Ricardo de los Angeles, Heath MacPherson, Betsy Bauer, Natalie Hall, Elena and Olivia Ceballos, Chris Kennett, Chris Turnham, Kevin Dart, Drake Brodahl, Frank Hansen, Ghostbot’s guys, Jeremy Bernstein, Liana Hee, Louie del Carmen, Martin Hsu, Michael Amos, Natasha Allegri, Pendleton Ward, Chogrin Munhoz, Ovi Nedelcu, Pascal Campion, Sean Galloway, Bobby Chiu, Kei Acedera, Zaruhi Galstian, Genndy Tartakovsky, Tom Warburton, Ernie Gilbert, Gabe Swarr, Kaite Rice, Tara Billinger and Gordon Hammon. In 2012 my friend Maxwell. A. Oginni from London decided to stopped by in São Paulo to visit me and other brilliant artist from here, Bernardo França. There are many other artists that I want to meet in the future!
Describe a tough situation you had in life.
I think me and my family have faced many tough situations, but I think they aren’t revealing enough to be mentioned here for some reasons. I am so blessed because God has guided us through those situations in a way that I just can count the lessons that I learned with them. As it’s written in Mathew 6:30 “Each day has enough trouble of its own.” God knows everything, I believe He is with my in all kinds of situation!
Any side projects or you’re working on or hobbies you’d like to share details of?
I like to draw as much as I can and post it on my blog as personal artwork. Last year I had the opportunity to contribute to Tiki Machine’s book, “Illustrated Legends of The Old West.” Also, I’ve created a page on Facebook to challenge everyone to keep drawing, It”s called “I Challenge You”.
Any unusual talents or hobbies like tying a cherry stem with your tongue or metallurgy?
I don’t have any superpower or ability… I like to collect blogs, to draw, to play video games. I like to make people laugh.
Is there any advice you can give for an aspiring animation student or artist trying to break into the business?
Dream and believe in your dreams! Do things! If you don’t do anything, nobody will do it for you! Draw as much as you can, for fun. Don’t worry if you don’t draw like the others. Draw as you like to draw!
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