MAXI DIAZ Animation blog
Today we have with us Michael, an animator who grew up in his professional career thanks to hard work and his strong commitment to all project in which he was involved. A great example to follow for new generations!
1.Tell us brief fly about your professional background up to this day.
Well, my career began a long time ago, in 2003 2003 where after finishing a course in one of the few 3D academies that existed at that time in Andalusia, where I learned to work more as generalist than an animator. Then I worked in a small studio in Malaga where I did info architecture and ones on a while, pilot episodes for animated TV series. Later I went to Zaragoza to work in another small studio, Chicago Soft, but in this case to work as an animator. The projects, a TV series with very little budget and in my case it was an excuse to take the professional opportunity to become an animator. When the project was over, I returned to Malaga to work in Animum animation school. I worked hard for 2 2 years and I improved my level of animation a lot, , because I had the possibility of working as a tester of contents and exercises of an animation specialization course. At this time I participated in the short film Cuerdas, by Pedro Solís and the short film Mr. . Barrientos, by Kike Florido. During that time I decided to go to Barcelona to work on 2 Tadeo Jones video games and combining that with some other freelance work , such as the Space Racers animated TV series..
After these and other projects, Lightbox Animation Studios contacted me to work in Atrapa la Bandera, where I had to alternate TA tasks with the animation work. Since that time I only worked as animator in animated feature films such as DEEP, Tadeo Jones 2, T.S.E.Oz, Pets 2 and currently Minions 2.
2.Did you work in any other field before animation? Did it help you in anyway in your professional career?
Yes, as I commented in the previous answer, I also worked in architecture, as a camp monitor in the summers and as a badminton coach as well, another of my passions. I think so, everything I did add something to my career in some way and above all, when you have to work in the most precarious places within the animation industry, it helps you to assess each step that you take in your career to be more constructive.
3.Before working as animator . what drew your attention to this field?
Well, since my childhood I have always been passionate about watching animation movies. My father liked “cartoons” too so animation movies not only was something of my childhood, because when I grow up in my profession I never stopped watching animation movies, like my father. When I grew up I ask myself questions about, how cartoons were done, etc… and when I found the answer to the questions I started dreaming about being able to do something similar. Aforetime without the Internet find some information about the animation world was very hard. Today, luckily , I have to say that I enjoy working in animation.
4.How did you first land a job in the industry? What was the key to make it inside?
In my case, it happens as an evolution in my career, but I think the real change happened when I started to work in the long feature film Capture the Flag. The key was to convince someone with my work, in this case you Maxi, because you already knew my work in Animum, in the short film Cuerdas, and in the Tadeo Jones game, and after this, my opportunity arises. You offered me the TD/TA position in Capture the Flag and I accepted because it supposed for me the opportunity to animate an animation shot once in a while. From that movie, I started to work as an animator. The key was: Work and try to be a little better every day in everything I did, improve my work, take care of my contacts and always be willing to help my colleagues if necessary.
5.If you had to start froms cratch in this profession how would you go about it?
Without a doubt, I would have focused my studies oriented to graphic arts, fine arts, interpretation, etc… But, at the time and in the city where I grew up there weren’t those kinds of schools. For sure that I would have moved to Madrid or Barcelona looking for the proper school to learn exactly I wanted.
6.What’s the most important thing your work has contributed to your personal life?
Well, for better or worse, my work is my way of life, it has given me the opportunity to know many places and to meet wonderful people. After great efforts on a film, game or project in general, always see the result of all this effort is the best reward for me.
7.What would you change in the animation industry if you had the ability to?
For me, the first thing is the lack of stability, until my arrival in Paris, I didn’t find studios with quality animation productions that could have the possibility of maintaining their teams between production and production. And it’s a pity… Also today the patterns of the films are very similar between them and except a movie once in a while it’s very difficult to see one movie with a history that surprises you. I guess it's time to think about that , while maintaining the idea to create profitable products at the same time.
8.What’s the project you’re the most proud of to have worked on?
The answer is difficult for me, since each project in each moment was an important step forward in my career. Capture the flag was the movie in which I could see my name in the credit titles for the first time. In Tadeo jones 2 I think all the team did a very serious job, and for me, it means the possibility of having more responsibility because I worked as Animation Lead. It was something that completely fills me today. Pets 2 meant for me a great leap in terms of quality and I had the opportunity to work in a worldwide animation project. Now in Minions 2, I have the possibility to animate the Minions, one of the last icons of the animation created in recent times. It’s awesome! But I won't forget Cuerdas, the short film that won a lot of awards and pleasing so many people, or Mr. Barrientos, directed by one of my first students, who as a good student was capable to get better of his “teacher”, a job was done with great love.
9.What was the most discouraging moment in your professional career? What helped you overcome it?
In general, I didn’t have bad times in my career, I had several complicated moments, as everyone supposes. One of them was when I almost finishing the first Tadeo video game because there were economic problems. I was in Barcelona at that time, far away from my home in Malaga and seeing that the money didn’t arrive, I didn’t want to leave the project because it was almost finished, I had a great fall in my motivation. In addition, several personal problems were added to the situation, but at the end, I reached an agreement with the company to finish the project from Malaga. There was little work to do to finish the project and finally, the economic problems were solved. But ones that most help to lift the mood are family and friends. There are many projects and animation studies, and intentional or not, the problems arise always. Obviously, it affects you, but friends and family always support you and help you to maintain your head up.
10.What part of the working process do you enjoy the most? What part do you enjoy the less?
When I start working in one shot I enjoy the first moment in which you can add new ideas, something that you think will contribute to improving the shot, a small gesture or little detail, or a great acting choice. I enjoy a lot when I see that my supervisors or directors accept my ideas or even puss it forward. To reach it make me carry on other problems in my shot with more optimism.
What I don’t like in my job… well it's something that until I arrived at Illumination didn’t happen to me, and it's the waiting time. Sometimes I can spend more than a day waiting for feedback or a briefing for my shot. Having nothing to do is as bad as rushing or overtime work.
11.Do you have any personal projects? Could you tell us about any?
I've had several ideas in my mind, but sincerely with a lot of work to do in the studio, I finish the day almost without the energy to be able to do something right. If I start something in the future, I will probably do it without combining it with work in order to be able to dedicate the necessary energy at the project. And there isn’t anything to tell, but I’m sure that if I start with something the cats will appear in it 🙂
12.What advice would you give to someone who wishes to get in to this industry?
It’s a job that requires that you like a lot whatever you are going to do in this world. You may like the animation work but not animate the characters in particular, because within the animation world there are many fields to cover, you have to see which ones are best for you and motivates you the most. Above all, you will have to dedicate a large part of your free time to improve your skills and working on your own to reach the best version of yourself and to do that you need to be highly motivated and have a lot of patience. You have to accept the feedback as the best way to grow up and put into practice everything your mentors teach you because is the only way to improve.
Well! I hope you liked the interview and his answers was a great inspiration for you and help to guide your professional career. It only remains to thank Michael for allowing us to steal some of his time. Thanks for sharing your experiences Michael!!!!
