Exclusive Interview with Andrew Gordon.

Following his sell-out master class in London last week, Pixar's Andrew Gordon took time out to answer a few of our questions on what inspires him, what it takes to be a top animator, and how to get into the industry.

What made you want to become an Animator?

I got into animation in quite a roundabout way. It all really started with playing video games. I used to play Sierra’s online games, and seeing those stories led me to explore computer animation. From there I discovered the Amiga which was an old Commodore computer that was great for computer animation. I was so in love with the idea of creating imagery, but I really wanted to bring characters to life, so I started looking at character animation. The work of Pixar, the capabilities of the Amiga computers and some of the student CG work that I saw really inspired me. I just had to go back to school in order to learn how to breathe life into characters.

Is there a piece of animation that continues to inspire you?

Toy Story blew me away, but also the Pixar shorts, Miyazaki’s films and short films like The Man Who Planted Trees. There’s not really one piece, more a body for work.

Do you have a favourite character and why?

One of my favourite characters has to be Bugs Bunny. He’s a New Yorker, from Brooklyn and has this great sensibility and real attitude. He would dress up in drag and all kinds of things, and is just so funny, classic and timeless.

It wasn’t until I was actually an animator myself that I came to really appreciate the work of Disney and classic animation. Growing up the character that left a huge impression on me was E.T. He was alive to me, and that was down to puppetry. E.T still resonates with me, I was the same age as the character of Elliot when I saw the movie and it had a huge impact on me. I knew that somehow I wanted to do what they were doing, I just needed to figure out how I could do it.

What qualities do you think people need to succeed in the animation industry?

They need to have good ideas and be able to execute those ideas. They also need to have good acting sensibilities. The good ideas are the most important thing, the ability to come up with fresh characters and movements. You see a lot of the same stuff over and over.

Something that strikes me as interesting is something that is funny or has been done in a way that I haven’t seen before.

I’m also inspired by a lot of student work; they never stop amazing me with their ideas and methods.

The animation course at Escape Studios is taught by Jeff Pratt who came from working in the animation industry. What value do you see in having an industry professional teach animation?

I think it’s important to have industry professionals teaching animation, because aside from the animation craft, the production experience is so crucial.

I also think that it is important for people who are still in the industry to teach.

Is that why you did the masterclass?

I do the master classes because it’s my way of sharing, to give something back. I didn’t get the opportunity to learn the way I wanted to, from professionals, and I became quite disheartened with the education system. People want to learn and I don’t feel like I am giving away any big trade secrets. I’m sharing what I’ve learnt and am passing that knowledge down, like other animators and artists have done for hundreds of years. Which is exactly how it should be.

I’m not saying that I am a master; I think the word masterclass is just a way of describing a class taught by a professional.

You worked on Edna in The Incredibles, how much input did you have in her character?

Brad Bird had a particular sensibility that he wanted for Edna, and he heavily directed the way we developed her character but I did have quite a lot of input. Edna was really a joint effort; there were a bunch of us developing her.

We do talk a lot when we are working, shooting ideas around. The thing is, there are some really talented people at Pixar and when you talk to them you can’t help but be inspired, and that in turn, makes your own work better. It’s like standing on the shoulders of giants.

What advice would you give to a budding Animator?

Realise that you have to pay your dues. It’s like that classic story of a Hollywood actor who is an overnight success; well it took him ten years to become that overnight success! It’s the same in this industry. You really have to work your way up and focus on what you want to do. If you want to be a character animator, study that seriously. There is a certain merit in being a generalist and a need for those artists but it’s really hard to be good at everything, and as you progress I think you should specialise.

What is the best advice that you have been given?

I often think about the mentor I had at Warner Brothers. I don’t think it was a particular piece of advice, more the example he set with his professionalism overall and how he approached his work. I learnt a lot by just watching him. He was so focused and professional and I think that is really important. The hours that he worked and his dedication, and the fact that he was so ‘on the ball’ made me realise that I really had to step up my game.