Tag Archives: Don Bluth

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Betsy Baytos

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Betsy Baytos…..Illustrator/Animation Choreographer/Filmmaker & Eccentric Dance Historian.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Performed & created the ‘Betsy Bird’ & puppeteered on the Muppet Show…..trained over 250 clowns in a ‘character movement’ workshop for Ringling Bros. ‘Clown College Alumni’…..toured the country in a vaudeville/burlesque show ‘Baggy Pants & Co’ as the featured eccentric dance act.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Working as a Disney animator since 1976, then coming full circle as ‘animation choreographer’ for Disney’s ‘Princess and the Frog’…..Consulting for Cirque Du Soleil…..performing eccentric dance as the ‘Betsy Bird’ on the Muppet Show and performing physical comedy in the Broadway run of ‘Stardust’ in a featured eccentric dance act as ‘Maurice’, but most importantly, bringing this film, which I have researched & worked on for the past 20 years, ‘FUNNY FEET: The Art of Eccentric Dance’, to fruition for the next generation.
How did you become interested in animation?
I have always drawn and danced since I can remember. I discovered eccentric dance while working as an animator at Disney, then discovered Continue reading

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Ruben Chavez

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Ruben Chavez – Key Background Painter – Starz/Film Roman Freelance Background Painter – Disney TV
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Bellman/Room Service waiter for Hilton Hotels – Lots of crazy stories I could tell, but I won’t !  Repair and deliver electric motors for industrial businesses such as Farmer John’s .
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Hands down, Iron Giant and Cat’s Don’t Dance, other’s are The Simpsons Movie, Juniper Lee, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Lilo & Stitch 2, and most recently, Dan Vs.
How did you become interested in animation?
Comics and animation were my favorite interests since I was a child, I was constant;y drawing characters and scenes every chance I had, it was Continue reading

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Jacques Muller

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What is your name and your current occupation? 
My name is Jacques Muller. I am presently senior lecturer (Classical animation) at the School of Interactive Digital Media of Nanyang Polytechnic of Singapore.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Waiter for half a day in a Paris restaurant, with no prior experience (I spilled the drinks over 5 customers when I couldn’t keep my tray balanced)

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? 
Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Space Jam, Rescuers Down Under, Star Wars, the Illusionist.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I am from the Angouleme region in South West of France, one hour north of Bordeaux. I started at Continue reading

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Andrea Cammarata

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Hi! My name is Andrea Cammarata and i am a freelance illustrator.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Basically i have worked in my family’s restaurant before getting started with my actually occupation, nothing special.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
The Davincibles was certanly the greteast project where i’ve been take a part like character designer, it was cool to know some very skilled professionals guys!

How did you become interested in animation?
Eating coockies and Continue reading

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Justin Rasch

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS0o5oPwvdo&list=FLcC0ur62FUrRzIC5twgRfBA&index=4&feature=plpp_video

What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is justin rasch – and I am a character Animator in the Games and Film industry at the same time right now…ha!
I have a day job animating in Video Games and also work the Night shift on a Feature stopmotion Animated film at Shadow Machine in Hollywood Ca .

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
 hmmmm….I was a Tree climber-cutter as a Youngster. I was a sign painter or wandering artist as a teenager. I had my first son as a teen so I pretty much did anything available to make money. – usually busboy- dishwasher type stuff….any art based work i could get my hands on.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
PARANORMAN – From LAIKA- Hands down -The single most amazing artistic experience of my Life. A DREAM come True !!!!
I was part of an OLD school Miniature , Special FX , animated Film. It was like walking into Willy Wonkas Magic Factory Every single day.  I …… on the very hardest days of the production would part the curtain and walk into my set and feel the breath just escape my chest in pure little kid excitement and awe!!  WOW!! I am surrounded by this incredible ART and I get to the opportunity bring these amazing characters to Life…Goosebumps !!  LAIKA was a DREAM JOB in every way . The Animation Medium I love most is Stopmotion Animation…..so …. as far as studios LAIKA is The Number 1 studio out there. It has a very clear goal of telling awesome story’s at the highest animated quality in this Medium.  It is constantly PUSHING to do more with Puppets than has ever done before. That building so full of talent its sick.  While working on a LAIKA film everyone involved is given the support and opportunity to do the best work of our lives…..in fact…. its expected!!  So…Dailys and weeklies were PURE Jaw dropping awesomeness and a magic show every morning.  Every week or two I wouldl have my NEW BESTEST SHOT EVER!! As an animator that is As good as it gets!!……The film also was sooooo fun to work on…. JOY!! I also recently worked on a Spongebob Christmas special which was incredibly fun to be a part of.  It was a great honor to work on the Iconic character and the guys at Screen Novelties are the coolest  to work with in the BIZ….those guys are a Very special group of artist-animators and they kick arse on everything they are a part of.

How did you become interested in animation?
DON BLUTH Was a MASSIVE influence and Inspiration . I was always an artist and when I saw the {Secret of Nihm} and the {Dragons Lair- Space Ace}- Arcade classics. I was HYPNOTIZED…These awesome characters animating so fantastically. I am still Continue reading

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Kevin O’Neil

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Kevin O’Neil and currently a freelance special effects animator.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Being a bank courier, picking up bank checks from all the big banks in downtown Chicago, for Jet Courier services in Chicago, back in the 80’s. I worked at Midway and O’Hare airports in the middle of the night, 1 am to 5 am. Also before that, I taught guitar for 6 years, and played in a few bands in Chicago. I was a full time musician before going back to art school at age 28. So I don’t know if they were exactly crazy, just jobs.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
One of my favs was Iron Giant at Warner Feature, and Hercules and Mulan at Disney Feature. Working at Disney TV on The Tigger Movie was also a lot of fun, and working with Jun Falkenstein was a great experience. I was glad I got to work at Disney if even for a short time. Brad Bird at WB, John Musker and Ron Clements at Disney. Great people if you ask me. Proud to be a part of those films. The caliber of artists at these places is just great. Actually the caliber of artists at most of the studios is great, it’s just too bad a lot of the stuff we saw in the studios is art that never makes it to the screen.  I also worked at Warner’s Classics back in the 90’s as a character animator. We did a lot of commercials. I worked with Keith Baxter, Jeff Siergey, Spike Brandt & Tony Cervone. The place was fun and I got to draw Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. How could that not be great?  More recently I had a lot of fun on the Priest animated prologue for Genndy Tartakovsy. I did most of the effects on that except a couple of shots. It was fun because it wasn’t your normal efx, there was a lot of blood and guts and I got to blow things up. I finally saw an unedited clip of the whole thing online. I guess for the movie, it was tamed down.

How did you become interested in animation?
I guess just watching and growing up with the usual cartoons like everyone else. I leaned towards Warners. But I got into rather late, in my late 20’s. I was undecided in art school whether to pursue Continue reading