People who get into animation tend to be kids. We don't have to grow up. But also, animators are great observers, and there's this childlike wonder and interest in the world, the observation of little things that happen in life.
One thing I always heard from the begining when I talked about this being a movie - was that the rule is that animated movies don't work unless they're Disney movies for kids. Unless they're family movies.
It's amazing what they can do with animation nowadays. It's really beautiful. The 3D stuff is out of hand.
Well, I'd never done an animated movie before, which is why I was so excited about doing it. It was one of the little boxes as an actor that I wanted to tick off. I wanted to do an animated film. So, after my mum got over the fact that I was never going to play Shrek's sister, this was the nearest I was going to get!
My respect for animation has gone way up. It's a truckload of work. I have to sit with my animators the same way I'd sit with my actors and cast them.
The Simpsons was pretty experimental at the time, but it attracted a lot of sitcom writers that felt confined by the limitations of live-action sitcoms in the '80s.
While talking to Wardha, I realized that Disney is actually the surname of the man behind the studio, but one only identifies it with animation. Now I have a new dream. If I can achieve the same level of legend with the Nadiadwala name, that would be awesome.
Cartoonist Walt Disney has made the twentieth century's only important contribution to music. Disney has made use of music as language.
When business executives are making the artistic decisions and don't understand animation, things can go awry.
I've been able to work with some incredible voice talent, most of whom I grew up hearing in my favorite cartoons.
I can speak to my experience and say that CalArts worked out very well for me. After CalArts, I went to Cartoon Network, and then came to Disney.
I love Adult Swim. They give you so much artistic freedom.
An animator is an actor with a pencil.
Between 'Futurama' and 'Simpsons,' I'm able to work with the voices of Michael Jackson, Dustin Hoffman, and the cast of 'Star Trek.' It's great, you know; it's great to work with such talented people.
I decided I wanted to be a painter, and then that moved into wanting to be an animator. By adolescence, I just wanted it to be something that was important...something that would make a difference in people's lives or leave an imprint in history.
I don't do a lot of strategizing, career-wise. I was approached by Chris and Phil, the guys who did 'The Lego Movie.' They gave me my first job on 'Clone High.' We've been friends forever, and they asked me if I wanted to write something with them.
Oh yeah, I'm still employed at Pixar and I love it here.
My generation was a special generation. I was born in 1960 and in my childhood we were all big manga consumers that was the culture. We were brought up in manga. Manga evolved around what was being made to cater to kids. All children at that time read ridiculously thick manga books every week.
Look at related industries. Concept art for games and film. Animation. Lots of places to hone your skill as an artist and still earn a paycheck while you're waiting to kick the door down. If you're stubborn though, and you absolutely must draw comics because it's your life's dream (and I don't blame you...) you just better make sure you've got something special.
When 'Family Guy' came along, it was like a gift, and it expanded my fan base.
When I was a freshman in high school, I read a book about the making of Disney's 'Sleeping Beauty' called 'The Art of Animation.' It was this weird revelation for me, because I hadn't considered that people actually get paid to make cartoons.
The people you're turning to for advice are all people making Disney movies, so we had these amazing meetings where you'd see John Lasseter, and then next to him is Jen Lee, the director of Frozen. Next to her is Pete Docter, who's working on Inside Out.
I've always wanted to work for Walt Disney. That's what I thought I was going to do when I grew up.
Actually, no, but I am close to the people who are working on Chicken Little, and I'm very close to the people over at Pixar. I mean, as far as stories are concerned, almost everything we have could be told that way.
I met Mike Judge when I was working on my own cartoon for MTV; it did not air. But I got on with Mike and then did a few voices on 'Beavis and Butt-Head' because of it.
