I constantly tell myself that we can only assume responsibility for our own actions, that my job is to do my best to live up to my sense of values and create and try to maintain an environment we all can be proud of. The world I expected to inhabit as an adult was a world of generosity of spirit, powered by more than the profit motive.
In my view, we all have a right to be successful, but only if we’re providing something genuine and worthwhile, only if we treat everyone fairly. This is the core of Max the Mutt’s business model, and this is what we try our best to do. I believe in the power of integrity. I believe that all of us together can do meaningful work and earn a good living, and have some fun along the way. So far, the power of these beliefs has taken a couple of classes in a studio and turned them into an excellent school. Let’s see where the next decade takes us….We’ll give it our best shot, you can count on that.
The animation world keeps changing. I’ve been watching this since nineteen ninety. Because I’m not an animation professional- I got into this because I could teach life drawing, movement, and anatomy- my view point is from the outside. I’m not the goldfish in the bowl. I’m outside the bowl. I’ve watched everyone jump from classical to 2d computer to 3D. I’ve watched as all the layout jobs suddenly went abroad…and watched as they returned. I’ve watched the ebb and flow of big studio jobs.
But I was young when people said painting was dead, and I’ve lived to see developed representational painting skills become what the market place wants! Maybe that’s why I believe in following your passion, following your heart no matter what the current market is, but making sure that you develop solid knowledge and skills and aren’t too narrow in your focus. For myself, I finally decided that I didn’t want to grow old and look back and have regrets. I simply had to have the courage to do what I needed to do – paint. It was more important to me than being rich or famous. There are no guarantees in this life, not for any profession. I followed my heart and I watched friends who chose more conventional paths for the wrong reasons struggle with boredom and misery and give it all up after a while to pursue goals closer to their natures and needs. I remember Robert Beverly Hale’s comment that New York was full of neurotic people whose problem was that they couldn’t accept the fact that they were artists!
So what’s the answer? Knowledge is power. if you plan to follow a difficult path, be sure you’re ready to work very hard. Have the depth of passion that will keep you striving, learning, growing forever. Know your field. Be current. try new things. (Right now mobile uploads are earning $ for designers and animators.)
The more I see, the more convinced I am that we owe our students a broad based general education, and enough skills to potentially find new paths in a quickly changing world. For one thing, they need the basic skills to make their own animated shorts. The software is certainly moving in that direction. This industry will continue to change during the working lives of our current students: the continuing development of software and the growth of the web are already impacting the marketplace, and, in my opinion will release creative energy and enable young animators to earn a living in new ways.
Right now the “scene” is changing: many animation jobs are going to countries that have lower paid work forces. At the same time the demand for “product” is so great that China and India can’t fill it! I keep getting emails wanting to know if we have features, shorts or series for sale! Does that mean that if the means for a small group here to create product at low cost exists, there’s a market out there? I would suggest that this may be the case.
We’re going through another “passage.” I see software getting easier to use, less expensive, distribution on the verge of becoming accessible to smaller companies or individuals. The business models have to change, and they will. In the near future, our graduates may be using their skills to form small groups that struggle at first, but will eventually be producing animation at a cost that will make their films attractive to a huge world market.
But lets start at the beginning: passion, drive, intelligence, lots of hard work and imagination, a can-do attitude, an ability to endure calculated risk. There is always some risk in life. There’s no adventure without it. We just want that risk to be manageable, calculated risk.
I keep remembering “My Dog Tulip,” and “The Illusionist,” both recently produced and animated in Europe and North America. They are visually beautiful films, paperless classical animation….
Max the Mutt remains committed to a broad based, general animation education. Knowledge is power. A narrow knowledge base doesn’t give you enough possibilities. Might our graduates seek or need further specialization or development after they graduate? Its certainly a possibility! There’s no way we can teach everything in 4 years. We aim to create the foundation so that graduates are positioned to go after more specific and developed skills if they want them.
We’ve decided to do two things in the future: first, develop on site evening workshops to teach advanced level skills; second, launch Max the Mutt Productions, a separate company, to develop (among other things) e- learning courses for professional development. Our goal is excellence at a fair cost, and a system that makes the animation specialists teaching these courses on line part owners. Our business model remains fair play, a win/win scenario where we provide the best we are capable of, charge a fair price, and share the profits.
Once people have had basic education, E- learning is viable, more affordable and flexible: it can be done while individuals are employed.
Alot to think about….please offer your reactions, comments and suggestions!
