Brad Bird Quote

I found this quote from Brad Bird that relates to the dailies we show in our meetings. It was made during the start of Iron Giant production.

“As individual animators, we all have different strengths and weaknesses, but if we can interconnect all our strengths, we are collectively the greatest animators on earth. So I want you guys to speak up and drop your drawers. We’re going to look at your scenes in front of everybody. Everyone will get humiliated and encouraged together. If there is a solution, I want everybody to hear it, so everybody adds to their toolkit. I’m going to take my shot at what I think will improve the scene, but if you see something different, go head and disagree. I don’t know all the answers.”

Zen and The Project

“The Zen master taught him to focus on the pleasure and tiny nuances of breathing properly, attaching the string setting the arrow in the bow, drawing it back, and releasing it, rather than hitting the target. By focusing on these actions, Herrigel and fellow archery students were rewarded in two ways: they took more pleasure from doing each task, and since learned to master the nuances, they hit the target more consistently as well.”

Robert Sutton, notes on Zen and the Art of Archery: Eugen Herrigel

In our projects, if we can devote ourselves to incremental steps of the process-boards, lecia, layout, poses, colour script- rather than the broad target of getting the project done, we will increase our odds of completing the work successfully while enjoying the ride.

How You Draw Is How You Draw

Tim Burton on his drawing skill:
“We were out sketching at a farmers market in L.A. and I was really frustrated because the teachers [at CalArts and probably other unnamed animation academies]were like, ‘That’s not really the way you should draw. You should draw like this.’

“And I got so frustrated, it was like a weird drug experience. I just said ‘I don’t care. I can’t draw that way. I’m just going to draw whatever way I can.’ And it was kind of mind-blowing. I’ll never forget it and, from that moment, it changed for me. I didn’t worry about being the greatest draftsman or the greatest artist, I just decided to draw the best way I could.”

Negatives became positives for him.

From the Toronto Star.