Exit Interview Question Answers

1) My EQ is: What is the most important aspect of designing a character for an animated feature?  I picked my first answer, the 3P’s (Powers, Personality, and Physical Appearance), as my best answer.  The reason I chose this answer over the others is because it describes all the necessary traits of the character that bring the story to life in an animated feature.

2) My process for arriving at my answer was actually quite interesting.  It came from my favorite anime, Pokémon.  Before senior project even started, I was thinking of the classic Marvel and D.C. superheroes such as Batman and Spiderman (I had watched many superhero movies over the summer) and what Pokémon would best suit each hero.  I did not want to simply stick to the way a Pokémon looked or what powers they had that were closest to the hero’s.  To make a successful connection, I realized I would have to consider the powers, physical appearance, and personality of a Pokémon that would best match up with and benefit the superheroes in battle against the villains. Basically, combining my dad’s era of cartoons with my generation of cartoons inspired what I now call the “3P’s” of character design.

3) Coming up with my 3rd answer to my EQ proved to be a somewhat challenging process.  I had two answers already; the 3P’s and model sheets/concept art.
     I later recollected an animation class I had taken at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena when I was in the 6th grade. The instructor had us create a storyboard before we could begin the animation process on Adobe Flash.  Since storyboarding was an important process for animation, I decided to use it for my 3rd answer.

4) My first primary source was taking a class at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, which gave me great insight and knowledge of character design. My second source was the fabulous opportunity to speak with a true animator with Disney Animation Studios.  She explained in detail the “whys and reasons” many characters are depicted as they are.

5) At this time I do not have a product to share.