Q & A with Mark Pudleiner
How did you get started in animation? What, or who, inspired you?
When I was young, I always used to draw my own cartoons as well as copy drawings from books. When in high school, I would come home from school and work on my own comic strips - always drawing, being creative. My Dad encouraged me to keep drawing as he was an artist himself. He painted in oil and he had his own sign company. Some of my older sisters were very talented so growing up with this around me made it a positive creative environment.
If you hadn’t gone into animation, what do you think you might be doing today?
Well, my Dad had offered me 49% of his business at one point. But I knew I wanted to go forward in the arts rather than the sign business. But that was one direction. As time has gone by, thinking about another career, I may lean towards cooking…being a chef. I’m very much a novice, but I do love cooking when I get the chance.
Tell us about your first real job in the animation industry.
I was hired out of second year college to work on a TV special called Strawberry Shortcake meets the Berrykins. My job was to in-between clouds as they moved upward from the evil character’s lair. I made sure those clouds were the best in-betweened clouds ever. [Laughs] After that show, we went onto The Care Bear Movie. Instead of clouds, I was now animating bears.
What’s your favorite animated movie?
Bambi. The original circle of life. I love so much about this film. The art direction, the story, character designs and animation…beautiful work.
What was the most enjoyable animated project you ever worked on, and why?
There have been a few projects that have stood out. From animating Mulan, to working directly with Eric Goldberg on the “Rhapsody in Blue” segment in Fantasia 2000. There have been many positive moments but I would have to say working on my first Don Bluth film back in 1985, An American Tail, does stand out.
Being new in the industry and being surrounded each day with the quality of artists that were working in the studio really made the whole production this amazing period of time. The leaders of the studio were very open to share their knowledge with us young artists and it made for an extremely positive creative atmosphere.
What advice would you give to aspiring animators looking to grow their talent and career?
Do not be so proud to NOT show your work because you feel that it is not “good enough.” The sooner you learn to show your work and get feedback from people you respect, the quicker your learning curve will be. It is very easy to NOT show your work, to not let anyone see what you are doing until it is almost “perfect” or close to that. Letting people in sooner will let you hear comments or insights that could very well add to your work in a positive way. The earlier you can get any helpful notes and maybe use them will let you go forward making your work even stronger.
What is it about animation that has so resonated with audiences since it first began?
Maybe the style of animation -- it being a designed graphic art form that in many ways can take audiences back to simpler times of their youth. The animated design style is similar comics that people grew up reading, so there could be that connection. Also, the story telling of animation, creating likeable characters that are interesting and entertaining to watch, only adds to the appeal of animation.
Where do you see the future of animation heading, especially in terms of the techniques and technology behind the craft?
I do see a future where both 3D animation and classical 2D animation will continue to be pushed for different looks and styles. There has been continuous movement forward with the look of 3D animated films. More details with more depth, all adding to beautiful looking visuals as the audience gets immersed in the world that is created. I feel that this will continue, but with more independent animators being able to create their own films and pushing design. We have a certain “look” to the films of today that we accept as feature quality animated films. But with the independent artists out there, and with having the internet as a tool to showcase the work and get it in front of the audiences…as long as the characters are appealing and the story makes people want to follow along, then there could be some very exciting, different-looking films in the future.
How important is it for someone as successful and prolific as you to support student animators and animation through events like VisionFest?
Very important. I learned while I was a student that knowing someone in the industry and hearing what they had to say was very helpful. I find it very fulfilling to be able to pass on any thoughts or advice that may be helpful to artists with fewer experiences. I am still learning from other friends as I go forward. We are always learning. And by supporting and encouraging the growth of younger artists only helps with keeping this animation industry alive. It is needed.
What are you looking forward to most about VisionFest?
The chance to meet new artists and, if possible, be able to encourage them to keep their dreams alive. We need to keep pushing as artists to go forward into this amazing line of work.
