Animator Shawn Krause spent 26 influential years at Pixar Animation Studios, working on classics like Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug’s Life, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles. He also lead the animation team on Cars 2, Inside Out, and Up, which opened the Canne Film Festival, won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, and was nominated for Best Picture. Shawn is now creative director for Spire Studios, where he is developing Trouble, an animated feature with Danny McBride.
What you will learn:
- What it was like starting his career at Pixar and working with the company as it evolved and refined its computer animation style. [0:00-9:10]
- Shawn’s opinion on the necessity for aspiring animators to know traditional draftsman skills and the advantages of mixing old and new techniques. [9:10-13:26]
- Why he has focused on character throughout school and professionally, and how fantastic the working environment was at Pixar. What it was like animating Inside Out, turning emotions into movie characters. [13:26-21:09]
- Shawn’s perspective on director/writer input during the animation process, when animators make characters resemble the voice actors portraying that character, and what it was like working on Pixar’s most recent film, Soul. How the animation team at Pixar has grown over the years and how he incorporated a logo from his father’s locksmith company into the movie Inside Out. [21:09-30:52]
- Whether formal education is necessary for aspiring animators, what inspired him during his formative years, why he made the choice to move on from Pixar after 26 years to work as Creative Director at Spire Studios, and what future projects Shawn is excited about, including an animated feature called Trouble with Danny McBride. [30:52-41:22]
Resources:
- Shawn Krause’s: IMDb, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram
- Transcript of Episode
- Youtube Interview