Animator Interview

There is no textbook example for a career change, especially when you transition from a diploma in mechatronics to a masters degree in animation !
Vivek Das, our next pathbreaker, Animator at ReDefine (Barcelona, Spain), works on VFX for Live-action TV shows and movies to create believable character performances.
Vivek talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about his love for animation and his work on different formats such as gaming, CG Tv shows, and on animation films (Disney's "Little Mermaid" & " Love and Monsters")
For students, hard work and craft skills can take you to a certain place in your career. But to succeed in life, you need to be a people's person !!
Vivek,Your background? I was born in Guwahati, Assam. And due to my father's job, I grew up in several parts of Assam and Tripura. I was not the brightest student in my class. I was quite average in my studies.
As a kid, I remember my father used to draw portraits after work and I would sit next to him and draw.
For a long time, I had no clue what I wanted to do and I had no ambition as such. My realization about my career came when I was in 2nd year of my Diploma in Mechatronics Engineering. I found out about animation and I got to know I could make a career out of that. I was attracted to the idea of creating something that always fascinated me.
What did you do for graduation/post graduation? I have a Masters in Animation and a Diploma in Mechatronics Engineering.
What were some of the influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional and cool career? Well, I would say I am really lucky to get amazing mentors and a super supportive family. They always encourage and push me to keep doing what I am doing. But the person that had been a key influencer in my life was my first animation mentor, the late Hariharnath Vellala Dattatreya. He believed in me and was convinced that I will have a future in animation. He taught me a lot about the industry and gave me some fundamental values which I believe help me every day.
I am also truly grateful to all the people ( my mentors, my supervisor, and leads, etc.) who really helped me where I am today and are always guiding me.
Since my father is an Engineer, I initially thought I could be one too. I started researching different streams and I came across Mechatronics engineering which was quite unique its a blend of Mechanical and Electronics. And also for some reason, I didn't want to study 11th and 12th standard. That's why I chose a Diploma in Mechatronics Engineering.
My realization about my career came when I was in 2nd year of my Diploma in Mechatronics Engineering. I found out about animation and I got to know I could make a career out of that. I was attracted to the idea of creating something that always fascinated me. Once I got into it, I never looked back.
How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path On the other hand, the admission process for my master's was quite elaborate. I had to give a test and interview. I also had to show my portfolio ( my artwork) to be selected.
During my master's, I did two amazing internships. One was in a studio where they work on CG TV series and another on a movie. Those experiences gave me an insight into the industry.
After graduation, I started my career as an Animator in Games, which is an amazing blend of art and technology. I have learned a lot at my first job.
In the gaming company, I learn a lot about the technology involved in making a game.
I wanted to explore more and go out of the country and learn what the industry is like abroad. So I kept working on my portfolio and kept applying for a job aboard. I think I have applied to almost all the companies I could find on the Internet. And with time, my perseverance paid off. I got a job as an Animator in a studio in Malaysia, where I got a chance to work on multiple CG TV shows. That was quite an experience. In CG TV shows, the deadlines are really tight most of the time because of budgets. So, you churn out a lot of footage (we have to animate a lot of shots) per day. So you have to be really efficient. After a few years, I got an opportunity to work in VFX Movies in Australia.
The difference between CG and VFX is really simple. In CG everything you see on your screen is computer generated. But in VFX, some elements are created on a computer and some elements are shot with a camera, which we generally call Live-Action.
So when I got a chance to work as an Animator in VFX (Which was always a dream for me) I jumped on it. I have never in my wildest imagination thought I would see my name on the big screen.
And I got my first credit in a Hollywood movie " Love and Monsters". It's available on Netflix, you can check it out.
And "spoilers alert", if you see a big creature in a swimming pool, I animated that creature in some of those shots.
But then the world came to a grinding halt. The covid pandemic hit and I came to India. But I was fortunate I got a chance to work with a studio in India from home of course where I worked as an Animator for quite a few different kinds of things like Previs ( Generally a previs is like a very rough video, it's a great tool used by directors and producers to help realize how the whole movie looks before it is shot on location). We worked closely with Unreal Engine.
After working in that studio, I moved back to VFX and moved to London where I worked as an Animator on Disney's "The Little Mermaid". It was a huge opportunity for me because I had the chance to work with so many talented artists and learn from their expertise. Since then, I have been working in VFX.
How did you get your first break? During my master's, one of my mentors from my college ( who went and joined a gaming company ) approached me to come and work for him. So unofficially we can say I had a "Campus placement".
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them? As a fresher, it is sometimes hard to get into the industry as most companies need people who have some prior experience.
For me, breaking into the VFX industry was quite challenging. I was really looking for a chance, but fell short somewhere. I would like to believe I persevered, by working on my craft and talking to people from the industry, and continuously applying for a job everywhere in the world. I was fortunate that someone took a chance on me and referred me to a VFX company. That was the one opportunity I have been working for.
But challenges never end, once you are in the industry you need to survive. It's a very competitive industry. As an artist, we have to be ready to keep reinventing ourselves. Every project is different and every time the technology evolves, we need to adapt to it quickly or else we will be left behind.
Where do you work now? Tell us about your current role I work at a company called DNEG ReDefine in Barcelona, Spain.
We here at Redefine mostly work on the VFX for Live-action TV shows and Movies.
I work as an animator, my primary task is to create believable character performances. Sometimes you have really clear directives from the director or client, and you can follow them and do your work accordingly. But sometimes you might need to understand the thought process of the client or director and deliver the correct performance that he/she needs. This can be challenging because in production you also have a limited time to do your work.
Unfortunately, I cannot talk more about what project I am currently working on right now. All I can say is I am animating some really cool stuff and I hope you guys will enjoy it when it comes out.
What skills are needed for your role? How did you acquire the skills? I personally believe we are always learning and honing our skills, especially in our field where everything is changing every day, thanks to technology. But being a team player and managing your time properly would help too.
In production we have deadlines. We need to keep that in mind and do our work to the best of our abilities and deliver on time.
The skills required to sustain yourself or succeed in the Industry requires a lot of time and dedication. It's a never-ending process and getting complacent is not an option. So I always try to work on my craft even after work and try to keep myself up to date with the latest tools as much as possible.
What's a typical day like? Animation is a time-consuming process. It involves a lot of looking for references, planning a shot, and making sure you deliver a believable performance. But it might look like it's an office where everyone is sitting in front of a computer and clicking buttons and having lots of fun while doing that.
What is it you love about this job? Animation is something I love to do day in and day out. I enjoy the fact that I get to create something new on a regular basis. Every day is different and the uncertain nature of the work really intrigues me. I also like the chaos of all the moving pieces of a project that comes together and becomes magic.
And the satisfaction of seeing your work and ideas as a finished product on any screen (it can be a big screen or a small screen ) is surreal.
How does your work benefit society? Art in general is a reflection of society and culture. And movies, tv shows, and games are an integral part of our daily life nowadays. It gives me immense joy that I am a small contributor as well.
Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you! Last year, I had an opportunity to work as an Animator on Disney's The Little Mermaid.
Since my childhood, I have watched a lot of Disney's classic movies. I used to love watching them. I never thought that one day I would be a part of it and see my name on the credit list.
Your advice to students based on your experience? With time, I am realizing that hard work and craft skills can take you to a certain place. But to succeed you need to be a people person, you can't fake it.
You might sometimes face some hardships in your career. The only way you can get over it is by going through it. Focus on getting really good at your skills and while you are at it help others who might need it.
So please try to be nice and positive towards people and keep up the good work.
Future Plans? I would like to continue animating and be a part of amazing projects.

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