MANILA – The recent adobo Main Course 2015 at the Mind Museum drew a full house of people coming from different disciplines, ranging from production houses, advertising agencies, students, and even independent artists who came to learn more from an animation master last June 22.
While having many tertiary-level participants made for an unusually young audience for speaker Armand Serrano, it didn’t faze the experienced teacher, who went on to share the foundation of his practice in the visual arts. It turned out to be a remarkable whole-day workshop for all, as the man behind the much-loved Walt Disney Animation movie, Big Hero 6, unraveled the secrets of a visual engineer.
Starting with his foundations for good visuals, using a three-sided pyramid to illustrate the total idea, he explained that ideas sit at the base because it’s the most important element. Nowadays, people tend to focus on the technique used rather than the idea behind the art work. Design comes in second, then the technique. During execution, you will also come across three cornerstones: perspective, composition and tonal values.
Serrano, who has been in the animation industry for more than two decades, shared that it’s important that you play your cards right, keep your reputation intact and remember to build good relationships. It’s a small world for animation artists, and stories take years to finish. Treating people right and knowing how to properly conduct yourself can take you places.
Armand firmly stands by Walt Disney’s belief that in order to make great work, it must have a compelling story, believable worlds and appealing characters. He fleshed this out as he discussed the Visual Development Survival Kit for the workshop participants, pointing out how to identify needs versus wants—and prioritizing the client’s wants—and investing in dynamic research using the internet, giving history and fleshing out the environment to make it believable, but not spelling everything out visually for the audience.
Emphasizing that it’s still essential to think inside the box and exhaust all the available resources first before seeking what’s outside, Serrano still believes in the simple approach, saying starting out big sometimes creates more confusion.
Believing in the mustard seed approach to building a career, Serrano encouraged his audience to take calculated risks when seeking animation work, especially when it can help build experience and a network of contacts. “It doesn’t matter if you come from a big studio. Don’t minimize the project, it can bloom into something big,” he said.
adobo Main Course is presented by The Mind Museum, Executive Decisions, Thirty Six-O, Wacom, Krispy Kreme, Uncle Cheffy, Philippine Daily Inquirer and The Philippine Star.
