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3DTotal: First of all thanks for taking the time to talk to 3DTotal, Jeff. The Escape website mentions that you have one of the “coolest” CVs around, but before talking about your current position
can you tell us what prompted your move from engineering at NASA to computer animation and why after
a period at Pixar you decided to teach?
Jeff – Animation: Although NASA is an amazing organisation, it has the rigid structure and heavy regulations you would expect from a government organisation. After eight years there, I realised I needed more creative freedom in order to be stimulated and passionate about my job. Pixar was a welcome and exciting change – and I was there for nearly ten years – but I knew I wanted to teach ever since I was in
art school. I thought I would give it a try and found I really enjoyed it more than production work.
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3DTotal: I can imagine why having an expansive career can benefit someone who takes up teaching, but what is it about the job that always attracted you and why London and Escape?
Jeff: It’s the enthusiasm, excitement and energy of the students that really excites me. It makes me look forward to coming into work every day. I came to London because my partner was transferred here and it felt like an amazing opportunity to experience London. Escape was an easy choice. They are a vibrant company with a great forward-thinking outlook- all of the tutors have a wealth of experience and a unique understanding of what is required in the CG industry.
3DTotal: What benefits do you feel a studio such as yours offer students compared to a university course in a similar field?
Jeff: The courses at Escape are condensed and to-the-point. We teach mostly the “ins” and “outs” of using the software, as well as the fundamental knowledge that you need when trying to get a job in the industry. The pursuit of a university degree takes much longer, costs more and has to cover many more subjects that don’t necessarily apply to the industry.
3DTotal: How do you feel software development has helped animators since your days on Toy Story?
Jeff: Software has definitely improved in the last 14 years. Besides becoming faster and more powerful, it is also far more user-friendly which has allowed very creative people (who, before, wouldn’t touch a computer) to contribute to and greatly advance the quality of projects that are out there today.
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3DTotal: Do you believe that more “user friendly” software has made the role of animating easier, or has simply made it more accessible to more people?
Jeff: The improvements in animation software has only made the tools better. It’s taken out some of the drudgery and made animation accessible to more people, which has in turn helped to elevate the overall level of animation. You no longer have to be an amazing draftsman in order to be able to animate. People with outstanding acting and storytelling abilities are now able to participate, which ends up improving all animation by raising the bar in those areas.
3DTotal: From your teaching experiences over the years, what would you say are the elements that make a successful animator and what do you believe are the key attributes that Escape Studios can offer an ambitious novice?
Jeff: The elements that make up a successful animator are – first and foremost – passion for the art, but also acting, storytelling, the art of observation, composition, drawing skills and a general love of film.
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3DTotal: With regard to acting and storytelling, what is your opinion of films that attempt to replicate real people and emotions in a purely CG manner? Do you feel this is a valid exercise or something that
should be the reserve of real actors?
Jeff: If you are talking about motion capture or performance capture as it’s sometimes referred to, it’s a medium in its own right and definitely has its place. The look and feel of it is as different from key frame character animation as computer animation is to traditional hand drawn animation or stop motion animation. Each of them has its place. Motion capture is becoming better and better and I’m sure will continue to improve and be more widely used in the future, but I don’t think it will ever replace
live actors or key frame computer animation.
3DTotal: If there is anyone out there interested in enrolling on a course at Escape, but is unsure about
the training and cost, what would you say to them?
Jeff: It’s simple; all of our courses have been developed to make you successful, whether you’re in the classroom or studying online. The classroom courses are quite intense and get you from A to B in six weeks. The online Maya Core course offers a more affordable and flexible version of our classroom course; you can study at your own pace, in your own time, from wherever you are in the world. Escape Studios has a wealth of expertise in the form of its tutors and staff. Having worked in the industry for over 15 years I know what an invaluable advantage it is for someone to show you how complexities are overcome in an easy-to-learn way. Lots of students come to us straight out of university because they don’t have the required skills to get into the industry and we offer something that most universities
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