Animation Mentor:
What inspired you to learn animation?
Fernanda Veloso:
I grew up watching Disney movies. Around the age of 10, I was completely obsessed with Beauty and the Beast. I would watch it, rewind it, watch it, and rewind it again. I can still lip-sync the entire movie to this day, from watching it so much, I memorized it by heart, hahahah! I guess I really identified emotionally with the characters. I used to try to draw them a lot, and put them in different situations from my imagination; I also kept buying books like "Art of Animation" or "The Making of an Animated Film", and read them over and over. I never really considered it more than a hobby though, until much later, when I was 20, I was in Law School, and it dawned on me that it would be hell for me to work with something I had no passion for. Passion is very important!
Animation Mentor:
What would be your ultimate dream job?
Fernanda Veloso:
I would love to work at a place where the characters' personality/soul, performance and story are the priorities when doing the work; to have the opportunity to create something that really connects with the audience and gives them a memorable emotional experience. The ultimate dream job, specifically, would be character animator at Pixar, for their consistency in prioritizing character and story on everything they do and have done in the past years. But at the same time, I do believe that the opportunities for doing great work are everywhere.
Animation Mentor:
How has your experience at Animation Mentor been so far?
Fernanda Veloso:
When I first signed up, all I wanted was to learn how to bring characters to life. I wanted so bad to develop my eyes and be able to tell what was wrong in my animations and what to do to fix it, but I just couldn't get it on my own. I never thought my experience here would go beyond that. Animation Mentor has put together such a vast number of resources (lectures, Q&A's, eCritiques) and the gathering of animation knowledge and goodies (students' work, forum, feedback, and mentor's examples), that now, I'm just amazed, the more I learn, the more there is to learn!
There's no shortage of new things to discover, I love that! This past year has been the most challenging and yet most rewarding I've ever had, thanks to this school! Animation Mentor has created the perfect environment where theory, practice and feedback come together and make sense; the more I study and practice and get feedback, the more I improve. It also has been great to be able to focus just on animation and study it with all the dedication I can put into it, without being burdened by all the other areas like modeling, rigging, etc. Character animation is such a deep and time-consuming subject, that it really requires all the work and focus one can put into it. But beyond how much I've improved on my animation skills (and it has been a LOT), I've met some really amazing, inspiring people, that makes all the difference in the educational experience.
Mentors, students, staff, and of course, the founders; everyone is so passionate and encouraging, everyone wants to keep learning and improving as much as they can, so it pushes the whole community forward in a way that is just amazing to see, while respecting everyone else's different stages, backgrounds, and time available to work on their animation. There is so much diversity, and yet a strong passion, respect and humbleness in common. That is VERY rare. I never thought there could be a place like this. It is a dream come true to be part of such a community. I think we will be seeing greater and bigger things coming from this school!
Animation Mentor:
What's one of the most important and/or interesting lessons you've learned while at Animation Mentor?
Fernanda Veloso:
There are so many things I learned at Animation Mentor. I would be writing pages and pages if I would really list my favorites. On animation, things like sincerity (not relying on cliche), clarity, simplicity, exaggeration, entertainment, have been golden lessons. But the most important lesson I learned is about attitude. Being open to feedback and new ideas, being focused and hardworking, always eager to improve and learn, being able to see my strengths and weaknesses, being positive and yet realistic. I have to say, I was very pessimistic before I joined Animation Mentor. I used to tell myself I was just being realistic, but what I was really doing was always focusing on the worst case scenario. I had no idea before how important it is to have a positive attitude to succeed in animation. My mentor this term, Chris Derochie, puts it well, There is no other area where attitude plays such a big part in shaping your career as in animation." Animators are essentially actors, but without the limiting aspect of having to "look the part". So, it's all dependent on attitude, basically; on if you can get into character and if you have the positive attitude to keep working on it until if feels right, because animation is HARD. There are better days, and there are worse days, when it seems it's harder to get where you want. Being able to overcome the hard times and worse days is essential to keep learning and improving, and that is mostly dependent on having a good emotional attitude. Making the best and getting the most out of any situation is an art form in itself. Animation Mentor has helped me see this and practice it, changing my overall outlook on things; and it affects not only my animation, but my whole life. I'm deeply thankful to Animation Mentor for that.
Animation Mentor:
Who is your favorite animator?
Fernanda Veloso:
Well, if I can only pick one, I think I'd say Glen Keane. His work has a lot of life and range to it. Ariel (from Little Mermaid) to me is one of the best animated girls out there, because she feels real; her emotions, her teenage intensity and wonder... and then there is Beast, who is a completely different character, but also very alive and emotionally real. Even being such an amazing animator, he is still humble and eager to keep learning and improving, truly inspirational!
Animation Mentor:
What is your favorite animated/CG scene of all time?
Fernanda Veloso:
I don't think I have a favorite... there are too many scenes I love! I love the plane scene in the Incredibles, right before the explosion, when Helen is screaming to Violet to make the big force field, it is all very hectic and has my adrenaline levels up to the roof every time I watch it, no matter how many times I watch it! That to me is amazing, how a scene can push emotional buttons every time with such intensity! I also love the scene where Ariel is arguing with her dad, Triton. The scene where Helen and Bob are arguing is also amazing to me too... and the Dash running sequence.... and the scene when Woody gets out of the box (Toy Story 2), so entertaining! There are so many more, but I'll keep the answer short, hehe.
Animation Mentor:
Anything else you want to say to your fellow and prospective students of Animation Mentor?
Fernanda Veloso:
There are so many resources and information to learn from Animation Mentor. It definitely is the best animation school out there. Take as much advantage of all there is as you can, you never know what is going to trigger those "light bulb" moments (those moments where all of a sudden some concept you were struggling to get or maybe thought you had it down, but really don't make total sense and you finally "get it.") Watch e-critiques of other students, read and participate on the forums, leave feedback for others (I cannot stress this one enough, I have had many light bulb moments while leaving feedback; trying to figure what wasn't working, and what could be done to fix it), explore and experiment with your shots (it is so much fun!), take notes on the Q&As and lectures, make friends! Make suggestions to the school if you think there's anything that could be better, the staff and support are by far the best and most responsive I've ever come across! They are eager to get feedback!!! Summing it up, participate and have fun as much as you can, this school is what you make of it! And I'd also like to say a HUGE thanks to everyone who has been working hard on the school, Bobby, Carlos and Shawn, all the staff, the mentors and the students, thank you so much for making this one of the most amazing and educational experiences I've ever had!
What inspired you to learn animation?
Fernanda Veloso:
I grew up watching Disney movies. Around the age of 10, I was completely obsessed with Beauty and the Beast. I would watch it, rewind it, watch it, and rewind it again. I can still lip-sync the entire movie to this day, from watching it so much, I memorized it by heart, hahahah! I guess I really identified emotionally with the characters. I used to try to draw them a lot, and put them in different situations from my imagination; I also kept buying books like "Art of Animation" or "The Making of an Animated Film", and read them over and over. I never really considered it more than a hobby though, until much later, when I was 20, I was in Law School, and it dawned on me that it would be hell for me to work with something I had no passion for. Passion is very important!
Animation Mentor:
What would be your ultimate dream job?
Fernanda Veloso:
I would love to work at a place where the characters' personality/soul, performance and story are the priorities when doing the work; to have the opportunity to create something that really connects with the audience and gives them a memorable emotional experience. The ultimate dream job, specifically, would be character animator at Pixar, for their consistency in prioritizing character and story on everything they do and have done in the past years. But at the same time, I do believe that the opportunities for doing great work are everywhere.
Animation Mentor:
How has your experience at Animation Mentor been so far?
Fernanda Veloso:
When I first signed up, all I wanted was to learn how to bring characters to life. I wanted so bad to develop my eyes and be able to tell what was wrong in my animations and what to do to fix it, but I just couldn't get it on my own. I never thought my experience here would go beyond that. Animation Mentor has put together such a vast number of resources (lectures, Q&A's, eCritiques) and the gathering of animation knowledge and goodies (students' work, forum, feedback, and mentor's examples), that now, I'm just amazed, the more I learn, the more there is to learn!
There's no shortage of new things to discover, I love that! This past year has been the most challenging and yet most rewarding I've ever had, thanks to this school! Animation Mentor has created the perfect environment where theory, practice and feedback come together and make sense; the more I study and practice and get feedback, the more I improve. It also has been great to be able to focus just on animation and study it with all the dedication I can put into it, without being burdened by all the other areas like modeling, rigging, etc. Character animation is such a deep and time-consuming subject, that it really requires all the work and focus one can put into it. But beyond how much I've improved on my animation skills (and it has been a LOT), I've met some really amazing, inspiring people, that makes all the difference in the educational experience.
Mentors, students, staff, and of course, the founders; everyone is so passionate and encouraging, everyone wants to keep learning and improving as much as they can, so it pushes the whole community forward in a way that is just amazing to see, while respecting everyone else's different stages, backgrounds, and time available to work on their animation. There is so much diversity, and yet a strong passion, respect and humbleness in common. That is VERY rare. I never thought there could be a place like this. It is a dream come true to be part of such a community. I think we will be seeing greater and bigger things coming from this school!
Animation Mentor:
What's one of the most important and/or interesting lessons you've learned while at Animation Mentor?
Fernanda Veloso:
There are so many things I learned at Animation Mentor. I would be writing pages and pages if I would really list my favorites. On animation, things like sincerity (not relying on cliche), clarity, simplicity, exaggeration, entertainment, have been golden lessons. But the most important lesson I learned is about attitude. Being open to feedback and new ideas, being focused and hardworking, always eager to improve and learn, being able to see my strengths and weaknesses, being positive and yet realistic. I have to say, I was very pessimistic before I joined Animation Mentor. I used to tell myself I was just being realistic, but what I was really doing was always focusing on the worst case scenario. I had no idea before how important it is to have a positive attitude to succeed in animation. My mentor this term, Chris Derochie, puts it well, There is no other area where attitude plays such a big part in shaping your career as in animation." Animators are essentially actors, but without the limiting aspect of having to "look the part". So, it's all dependent on attitude, basically; on if you can get into character and if you have the positive attitude to keep working on it until if feels right, because animation is HARD. There are better days, and there are worse days, when it seems it's harder to get where you want. Being able to overcome the hard times and worse days is essential to keep learning and improving, and that is mostly dependent on having a good emotional attitude. Making the best and getting the most out of any situation is an art form in itself. Animation Mentor has helped me see this and practice it, changing my overall outlook on things; and it affects not only my animation, but my whole life. I'm deeply thankful to Animation Mentor for that.
Animation Mentor:
Who is your favorite animator?
Fernanda Veloso:
Well, if I can only pick one, I think I'd say Glen Keane. His work has a lot of life and range to it. Ariel (from Little Mermaid) to me is one of the best animated girls out there, because she feels real; her emotions, her teenage intensity and wonder... and then there is Beast, who is a completely different character, but also very alive and emotionally real. Even being such an amazing animator, he is still humble and eager to keep learning and improving, truly inspirational!
Animation Mentor:
What is your favorite animated/CG scene of all time?
Fernanda Veloso:
I don't think I have a favorite... there are too many scenes I love! I love the plane scene in the Incredibles, right before the explosion, when Helen is screaming to Violet to make the big force field, it is all very hectic and has my adrenaline levels up to the roof every time I watch it, no matter how many times I watch it! That to me is amazing, how a scene can push emotional buttons every time with such intensity! I also love the scene where Ariel is arguing with her dad, Triton. The scene where Helen and Bob are arguing is also amazing to me too... and the Dash running sequence.... and the scene when Woody gets out of the box (Toy Story 2), so entertaining! There are so many more, but I'll keep the answer short, hehe.
Animation Mentor:
Anything else you want to say to your fellow and prospective students of Animation Mentor?
Fernanda Veloso:
There are so many resources and information to learn from Animation Mentor. It definitely is the best animation school out there. Take as much advantage of all there is as you can, you never know what is going to trigger those "light bulb" moments (those moments where all of a sudden some concept you were struggling to get or maybe thought you had it down, but really don't make total sense and you finally "get it.") Watch e-critiques of other students, read and participate on the forums, leave feedback for others (I cannot stress this one enough, I have had many light bulb moments while leaving feedback; trying to figure what wasn't working, and what could be done to fix it), explore and experiment with your shots (it is so much fun!), take notes on the Q&As and lectures, make friends! Make suggestions to the school if you think there's anything that could be better, the staff and support are by far the best and most responsive I've ever come across! They are eager to get feedback!!! Summing it up, participate and have fun as much as you can, this school is what you make of it! And I'd also like to say a HUGE thanks to everyone who has been working hard on the school, Bobby, Carlos and Shawn, all the staff, the mentors and the students, thank you so much for making this one of the most amazing and educational experiences I've ever had!