Featured Student: Freddy Burgos
|
Freddy Burgos'
Avatar |
AnimationMentor.com:
What inspired you to learn animation?
Freddy Burgos:
It definitely started with the Star Wars movies. When I was younger I'd watch them time and time again. At the time, I wasn't really paying attention to the story much, it was all about those wonderful, fantastic worlds and the characters that inhabited them. They were these characters up on screen that you knew didn't exist, but there they were with character, attitude, and emotion. Everything after that, from Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin to Jurassic Park and The Lord of the Rings, just increased my passion for the art exponentially. It captured my imagination and I couldn't let it go.
AnimationMentor.com:
What would be your ultimate dream job?
Freddy Burgos:
My ultimate dream job would be to someday work on characters and leave lasting impressions on the people that are entertained by them, whether it's film, video games, etc. To get people to care for a character that you animated and helped create would be a dream come true for me.
AnimationMentor.com:
How has your experience at AnimationMentor.com been so far?
Freddy Burgos:
Animation Mentor has far surpassed any expectations I had for it. I've attended a degree-mill type school before and a traditional college, albeit in pursuit of a different career path than animation, but I understand how those environments can be. I can honestly say attending Animation Mentor has been the most positive experience I've had in an educational setting. I don't have any professional animation experience nor have I attended any classes regarding animation. I've started so far below the ladder that I didn't even realize there was even a ladder to climb! ;) I learned so much while at Animation Mentor it's staggering. I understand what I've been taught, will always remember it, and will do my best to improve.
The community is the best I've seen in both offline and online schools and is one of the best aspects of Animation Mentor. The people here take great pride in their school and for good reason! We are learning what we want to learn, getting awesome feedback from our mentors and classmates alike which help us to improve as animators, even getting great tech support when we need it. The AM community and the school as a whole are very supportive of everyone's pursuit of their goals.
AnimationMentor.com:
What's one of the most important and/or interesting lessons you've learned while at AnimationMentor.com?
Freddy Burgos:
If I had to choose only one, I'd have to go with posing. Strong posing is key in helping your audience understand in that instant, what the character is thinking, their mood, and purpose.
AnimationMentor.com:
Who is your favorite animator?
Freddy Burgos:
It's very difficult to choose just one animator among all the great ones out there, but if I had to choose one I'd have to say Glen Keane. There's just something in his work, the sketches and animation that inspire me to push harder. There's also this interview he did, I read it on the SplineDoctor's blog, but I think it was originally published in the "Storytelling through Animation" book by Mike Wellins. Glen Keane said he always reaches a plateau where he feels frustrated with the work he was doing. I really identified with that, because it was a stage I was going through at the time. I thought my work would never be good enough and was entirely frustrated. The next day I ran across this interview and realized that other animators go through this phase too. It was like a light at the end of the tunnel kind of thing for me.
AnimationMentor.com:
What is your favorite animated/CG scene of all time?
Freddy Burgos:
There are a bunch of animated scenes that I love but there are two scenes that come to mind as being my favorites. The first would be in Beauty and the Beast when they dance in that grand ballroom. From the entrance till the very end of that scene was beautifully done. Another scene similar to that one would be when Aladdin and Jasmine are on the magic carpet singing that song together. Both were beautifully done and will remain as my favorites for awhile to come.
AnimationMentor.com:
Anything else you want to say to your fellow and prospective students of AnimationMentor.com?
Freddy Burgos:
If you want to learn character animation, this is the place to be. We have an amazing opportunity to learn directly from people in the industry. Learn as much as you can and improve yourself with every chance you get. Hopefully we'll all get to work together at some point in our animation careers. It would be great to work with the same people you learned with! Community is key here at Animation Mentor, if you have time offer critiques to your classmates regardless whether they are a class or two ahead of you or behind you. Chances are it will be very much appreciated!
What inspired you to learn animation?
Freddy Burgos:
It definitely started with the Star Wars movies. When I was younger I'd watch them time and time again. At the time, I wasn't really paying attention to the story much, it was all about those wonderful, fantastic worlds and the characters that inhabited them. They were these characters up on screen that you knew didn't exist, but there they were with character, attitude, and emotion. Everything after that, from Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin to Jurassic Park and The Lord of the Rings, just increased my passion for the art exponentially. It captured my imagination and I couldn't let it go.
AnimationMentor.com:
What would be your ultimate dream job?
Freddy Burgos:
My ultimate dream job would be to someday work on characters and leave lasting impressions on the people that are entertained by them, whether it's film, video games, etc. To get people to care for a character that you animated and helped create would be a dream come true for me.
AnimationMentor.com:
How has your experience at AnimationMentor.com been so far?
Freddy Burgos:
Animation Mentor has far surpassed any expectations I had for it. I've attended a degree-mill type school before and a traditional college, albeit in pursuit of a different career path than animation, but I understand how those environments can be. I can honestly say attending Animation Mentor has been the most positive experience I've had in an educational setting. I don't have any professional animation experience nor have I attended any classes regarding animation. I've started so far below the ladder that I didn't even realize there was even a ladder to climb! ;) I learned so much while at Animation Mentor it's staggering. I understand what I've been taught, will always remember it, and will do my best to improve.
The community is the best I've seen in both offline and online schools and is one of the best aspects of Animation Mentor. The people here take great pride in their school and for good reason! We are learning what we want to learn, getting awesome feedback from our mentors and classmates alike which help us to improve as animators, even getting great tech support when we need it. The AM community and the school as a whole are very supportive of everyone's pursuit of their goals.
AnimationMentor.com:
What's one of the most important and/or interesting lessons you've learned while at AnimationMentor.com?
Freddy Burgos:
If I had to choose only one, I'd have to go with posing. Strong posing is key in helping your audience understand in that instant, what the character is thinking, their mood, and purpose.
AnimationMentor.com:
Who is your favorite animator?
Freddy Burgos:
It's very difficult to choose just one animator among all the great ones out there, but if I had to choose one I'd have to say Glen Keane. There's just something in his work, the sketches and animation that inspire me to push harder. There's also this interview he did, I read it on the SplineDoctor's blog, but I think it was originally published in the "Storytelling through Animation" book by Mike Wellins. Glen Keane said he always reaches a plateau where he feels frustrated with the work he was doing. I really identified with that, because it was a stage I was going through at the time. I thought my work would never be good enough and was entirely frustrated. The next day I ran across this interview and realized that other animators go through this phase too. It was like a light at the end of the tunnel kind of thing for me.
AnimationMentor.com:
What is your favorite animated/CG scene of all time?
Freddy Burgos:
There are a bunch of animated scenes that I love but there are two scenes that come to mind as being my favorites. The first would be in Beauty and the Beast when they dance in that grand ballroom. From the entrance till the very end of that scene was beautifully done. Another scene similar to that one would be when Aladdin and Jasmine are on the magic carpet singing that song together. Both were beautifully done and will remain as my favorites for awhile to come.
AnimationMentor.com:
Anything else you want to say to your fellow and prospective students of AnimationMentor.com?
Freddy Burgos:
If you want to learn character animation, this is the place to be. We have an amazing opportunity to learn directly from people in the industry. Learn as much as you can and improve yourself with every chance you get. Hopefully we'll all get to work together at some point in our animation careers. It would be great to work with the same people you learned with! Community is key here at Animation Mentor, if you have time offer critiques to your classmates regardless whether they are a class or two ahead of you or behind you. Chances are it will be very much appreciated!