What is your name and your current occupation?
Vannick Douglas. I’m a Flash and 3D animator, Cartoonist, and Wed Designer
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Marine Corps, lol. From 2000 to 2004, I was enlisted and it was a crazy time as I was still coming of age.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
The two I’m currently apart of, Lead animator and creative Director of Little Luis and 3D animation Intern at Prevalent Inc. These two jobs gave me the opportunity to showcase my abilities as an animator from the moment I moved to LA.
How did you become interested in animation?
The movie”Who Framed Roger Rabbit” was my inspiration. I’ve been drawing since the age of seven.
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
New Orleans, Louisiana. While being raised in the South, I grew up without guidance. I wanted to explore a career in art since its the only thing I know, but I had no idea how I would get money for school. Joining the
military not only helped pay for my education at the Art Institute of Phoenix, they also gave me the guidance I needed.
What’s a typical day like for you with regards to your job?
Completely wired into my Wacom Cintiq and Macbook Pro, lol.
What part of your job do you like best? Why?
The Completion of a project. To spend hours after hours going frame by frame on a project and to see the end results is truly a milestone. Its like building a rocket ship and watching it soar threw the sky.
What part of your job do you like least? Why?
SInce I work digitally, the worst is when my work gets corrupted. I’m extremely careful to backup everything but they are some occasions when a file you spend all day on gets corrupted and the last backup was hours ago. There’s no empty feeling when animation you’ve crafted beautifully gets lost forever.
What kind of technology do you work with on a daily basis?
The Heardware is Macbook Pro 17″ with a Wacom Cintiq 21UX. I render with a desktop Gateway with Tri Core Processor. My software, in the order I use the most, Adobe Flash, Maya, Photoshop, AFter Effects, and Illustrator.
What is the most difficult part for you about being in the business?
Uncertainty. Animation can either hit or miss. It blows when
you spend countless of hours on an animation to only see it get 100 views on YouTube. That’s why it’s important to keep pumping out animation. I tell myself everyday when I wake up “If you aint seen what I’m capable of, then I’m going to keep producing until you do and keep producing because its what I love to do.” Plus its important to stay ahead of the competition. The art schools are cranking out grads with degrees in animation when only a handful are finding jobs. As an animator in the field that dont want to be replace by a grad before their time, it’s important to keep sharp on your craft and be the best animator you can possibly be.
In your travels, have you had any brushes with animation greatness?
A few, I’ve seen Bruce Smith (Disney Animator) at Siggraph showing a group of people a scene he worked on in “The Princess and the Frog.” Other than that, I’ve got the opportunity to see other great animators at the CTN expo last year.
Describe a tough situation you had in life.
Growing up in the South. I was raised in a Single Mother household with no idea of what to do with my life as far as art was concern. I didn’t find out about Art schools until after I was in the military. Another tough situation was leaving my family (and later down the line, my girlfriend in Phoenix, AZ) to move away to chase my dreams.
Any side projects or you’re working on or hobbies you’d like to share details of?
Sure. In my spare time, I write and draw spreads for my web comic called Bad Buddy Comics. Its like Garfield, but with dogs and whenever I’m not overloaded with work, I spend most of my free time working on making it something to enjoy.
Any unusual talents or hobbies like tying a cherry stem with your tongue or metallurgy?
Nothing unusual. When I’m not animating, I’m lifting weights, skateboarding, playing video games, and familiarizing myself with LA.
Is there any advice you can give for an aspiring animation student or artist trying to break into the business?
For those that have already invested into the business, stay focus. I animate everyday, Wake up hungry, and keep learning. The moment to slow down is the moment you yourself a reason to fail. For those that are thinking about getting into the animation field, do lots of research about the animation industry before you make a decision. Dont pursue animation just because you think its a fun career, the Animation Industry is a tough filed due to the fact that the competition is fierce. Pursue animation because you have a passion for making cartoons and you love to draw.
http://www.vannickartz.com/
http://www.badbuddy-comics.
http://vannickartz.deviantart.
