We get it, when it comes to animation we’ve all been stuck for inspiration before. Scrolling through Pinterest aimlessly can help, but having a few choice words of wisdom from some of the greats often gives us that creative boost to get on with it!
We know some who have framed their favourites or even permanently inked them on their skin if they’re really hardcore. But before you reach for the needlepoint or the tattoo gun, take a gander at some of our suggestions for the most inspiring quotes on animation.
“I made tons of films. I did animation for my friends' films. I animated scenes just for the fun of it. Most of my stuff was bad, but I had fun, and I tried everything I knew to get better.” - Pete Docter
Here’s one for those of you just starting out from writer, producer, director and animator Pete Docter. He’s worked on huge animated feature films including Monsters Inc, Up, Inside Out and Toy Story. We love it because it shows how important determination is at the beginning of an animator's career and reminds us to always remember to have fun in what we do.
“Animation is not the art of drawings that move but the art of movements that are drawn.” - Norman McLaren
The illusion of movement created through a sequence of images is one of the most valuable things that animation has over other art forms. Sometimes when we get bogged down in storyboarding, this quote reminds us to zoom out and consider the movement that is created when your individual drawings flow together. Draw for the movement, not just the sketch!
“Nothing's occurring in animation - you manufacture everything.” - Gore Verbinski
Another short one, this time from Gore Verbinski, director of Rango, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Ring and more. His filmography spans not just animation so this quote speaks to the sheer potential at your fingertips with the form when compared to more traditional live action feature length motion picture. You really can do anything when you animate - you not only have boundless possibility but if you want it you have to make it happen yourself. So go do it!
“A lot of the time in animation is spent getting the story right - that's something you can't rush.” - Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Jennifer Yuh Nelson is a director and storyboard artist most well-known for her work on the Kung Fu Panda series and Madagascar. This is one that we had firmly in our mind when we decided to write about how to create the perfect storyboard a few weeks ago. If you still need convincing of the importance of story...
“If you're sitting in your minivan, playing your computer animated films for your children in the back seat, is it the animation that's entertaining you as you drive and listen? No, it's the storytelling. That's why we put so much importance on story. No amount of great animation will save a bad story.” - John Lasseter
Remember your audience and what’s important to them! Once you have a strong story, use the tools at your disposal to tell that story in an engaging way that enriches your narrative. Big flashy visuals may seem like the most important piece of the puzzle, but keep your audience’s entertainment at the forefront of your process. John Lasseter is the chief creative officer of Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios and DisneyToon Studios.
“What I love most about animation is, it's a team sport, and everything we do is about pure imagination.” - Jeffrey Katzenberg
Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation definitely knows a thing or two about managing animators. He really taps into the mindset of the animation studio that comes together in a shared imaginative bond all in the name of creating something that would be impossible alone. We love this idea and it’s one that is explored further...
“I am an animator. I feel like I'm the manager of an animation cinema factory. I am not an executive. I'm rather like a foreman, like the boss of a team of craftsmen. That is the spirit of how I work.” - Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki is often called the Walt Disney of Japan. He co-founded the huge Studio Ghibli film and animation studio and is an incredibly talented director, producer, writer and animator. He really emphasises the artisanal aspects of being an animator and how these craftsmen come together to create something that is a true blend of their talent and efforts.
“Doing animation is closer to pretending than anything else you get to do. It's much more like when you're a kid putting on a character." - Diedrich Bader
Diedrich Bader is a voice actor for a range of animated series such as Batman and The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. He’s coming from a slightly different perspective than us here in the studio and we love the way he interprets animation in his work with this quote really emphasising the imaginative aspects of animation.
“I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained.” - Walt Disney
This one goes hand in hand with the storytelling quotes, the experience of the audience needs to be at the front of your mind at all times. You have to make the entertainment happen with your story, anything else that you can squeeze into your animation without disrupting this is bonus! Part of the genius of Walt Disney was this very ability to construct a fantastic story which is then complemented by depth of character, memorable music and quality technical animation.
That’s just about all for this week! If you have a favourite quote that you’d like to share or maybe you’re a fountain of animation knowledge yourself - leave us a comment in the section below and maybe, we’ll call on you for part 2 one day!
We’ll leave you with one last quote, this time from Fudge’s very own Creative Director, Dan Weaver from our interview with him last week:
"Animation is imagination."
