I've been in this crazy animation biz for a couple of decades now. I went on a very nontraditional path to end up working with a lot of different studios, on a wide variety of projects, and doing a multitude of jobs, which led me to finally becoming an independent producer.
So, any of you who are starting a similar journey stuck along the path or lost in the weeds, please ask me anything!
And If I don't have an answer, I can point you in the right direction to find it.
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::Raises had:: How many licks does it take.to.reach the center of a Tootsie Pop?
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Bob Harper Hey Bob! Thanks for doing this AMA. Did you intend to pursue animation or did animation find you? I ask because I intended to write live action scripts that after developing further, I found these to be a better fit for animation. And go figure...I loved the medium already. Thanks!
P.S. I actually read Bullwinkle's bib in his voice in my head.
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Elaine Haygood The world will never know!
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How do animation screenplays differ from non-animation screenplays?
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Leonardo Ramirez I fell into animation. I'm originally from Dallas, TX, and I moved out to Los Angeles 25 years ago with the intention of turning my self-published comic into a movie.
I had dreams of being the next Spielberg but didn't have the support system or funds back in the day back in Texas. So, I did everything from Standup comedy, magic, street performing, and professional wrestling and ended up drawing comics and cartoons.
When I got to Los Angeles and found that becoming the next Spielberg with no connections or work to show, I decided I would enroll in some film classes and meet people to work with. But life had other plans for me. I quickly got a job as a storyboard revisionist at a small studio and started a family. Then I figured I wouldn't have time to go to sets and direct, so I concentrated on teaching myself animation since I could do that at home.
I learned Flash animation and got sucked into the first dotcom boom and crash, but I landed at Cartoon Network and worked and sold shows at a variety of companies for the next couple of decades.
It was a couple of years ago that I launched my own company with Dave Coulier, Uncle Joey from Full House, to create our own animated content for kids.
Now I am in the early stages of starting a film company to make live-action and animated films for the entire family, thus coming full circle to my dreams of being the next Spielberg!
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Thanks for having an AMA, Bob Harper. What do you think is the easiest Animation style to work with (2D, 3D, etc.)?
And did you see "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle" in theaters? I did. :)
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Rutger Oosterhoff In general, not much. Often times you will need more descriptive text for animated screenplays, so the 1 minute per page rule of thumb isn't always accurate. Maybe a 1 & 1/2 page for 1-minute formula may work better.
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Bob Harper That's a great origin story. And it's the hardships in life that sometimes thrust us into making the decisions in the fire and putting our dream on a shelf only to find them again. May everything you put your hand to be blessed. All the best to you!
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Thanks Bob!
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Maurice Vaughan I would say 2D puppet-style animation using software like Adobe Animate and Toon Boom Harmony is the easiest way to do character animation, while traditional hand-drawn animation requires the most skill, time, and talent to pull off effectively.
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Thanks for the answer, Bob Harper. 2D puppet-style Animation like this: www.bing.com/images/search?q=2D+puppet-style+animation&FORM=QBIR
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Maurice Vaughan Yes - there are a lot of software options to achieve this technique.
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Ok, cool, Bob Harper. I like 2D puppet-style Animation. If I write another Animation script, it'll probably be that style.