Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3 opened in Kiwi cinemas yesterday. How serendipitous, we say, because Andrew Gordon, an animation guru who started working for Pixar in 1997 and is now a senior animator, will be one of the 15 international creatives speaking and teaching at the upcoming Semi-Permanent design fest.
Gordon has been responsible for creating characters such as Edna Mole (The Incredibles) and Linguini (Ratatouille). And he was awarded ‘Outstanding Character Animation in an Animated Motion Picture’ by the Visual Effects Society for his work in Finding Nemo. He’s also one of the founders of Spline Doctors, a blog/podcast dedicated to animation education and he will lead a day-long masterclass for animators on Thursday 19 August at the Media Design School.
Idealog, the ugly sister of StopPress, had a bit of a chat with him, and he delivered a few wise words that are particularly appropriate for New Zealand businesses.
It’s always about the collection of people, and the leadership that shapes a company. John Lasseter and Ed Catmull have always been the figures that were inspiring and who let artistic freedom blossom and grow. I often wonder how creative companies turn into corporate places. The danger is always there, especially when you become big and successful. The trick is figuring out how not to rest on your laurels and stay scrappy.
Semi-Permanent is on 20-21 August at the Edge and you can get your tickets here.
