Q&A with CGI Animator

LJC: How did you become an animator? Was it a lifelong goal, or were you surprised to find yourself with a career in animation?

V. Truitner: I have always loved animation but it wasn't a lifelong goal. I wanted to be an illustrator and that was what I got my degree in. However, I took animation courses on the side, had a great time with them, and realized that it could turn into a better career than that of illustration—so I wound up gearing my portfolio more towards animation. Once out of school, the first studio to offer me an internship was Pixar—and suddenly I found myself doing 3D computer animation. So yes, I guess you could say it was all a bit surprising at first.

What project are you currently working on, and where can we find your past work?

I'm helping a small new animation studio get started, working on experimental short films. It's a nice change of pace from the big studio grind and there's a lot more creative freedom. As for past work, I spent a year at Pixar on the upcoming Toy Story 2. However, I left that project early to work on The Iron Giant.

Who have been your greatest influences as an artist and storyteller, and what are your top five favourite animated films of all time?

There's too many to list them all, but I can mention a few. Among artists and illustrators who really tell the story through pictures, I'm very partial to 19th century artists like Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, and the Pre-Raphaelites. Among animators, I would have to say Ray Harryhausen, Phil Tippett and Glen Keane.

As for animated films, in no particular order: The Little Mermaid is what really first made me think about becoming an animator, so it's a sentimental favorite. Toy Story is another. There are some old classics like Bambi and Fantasia that I'm rather partial to. And then of course there's The Iron Giant.

Who has been your favorite director to work with thus far?

Brad Bird, without a doubt. Of course, it's still early in my career so I haven't worked with a lot of directors, but I really can't say enough about Brad.

Is there a director or writer you are dying to work with, and/or do you have a dream project that you would love to be on?

Besides working on Brad's next film? I'm most interested in developing more of my own animation projects. And I'm always interested in working on films that look like they have something new to offer. The Iron Giant was one of those, and I'm betting Brad's next film will be as well.

What exactly does your job as an animator entail, and which sequences of The Iron Giant do you personally work on, or oversee?

I was one of the animators of the Giant. The sequence that I animated was basically where everything goes wrong—the Giant's military program kicks in when Hogarth aims the toy laser gun at him, he nearly kills Hogarth as a result, and eventually runs away in distress. I also animated various other shots throughout the film. Scenes people might remember are when he picks up the huge boulder and says "rock," stands up and Hogarth says "wow," and when he comes off the Cosmic Burger billboard after seeing his meal get towed away. I think they decided I was good at animating the Giant showing "angst" since I was often cast for those types of scenes.

How did The Iron Giant differ from other projects you have worked on, and what were the most exciting differences that make this particular project stand out in your mind?

The Iron Giant was unique in the fact that I was animating a CG character, but working mostly with traditional animators. We were trying to achieve a near-perfect blending of hand drawn and CGI animation, and hopefully we succeeded.

What were your greatest challenges, and what do you feel were your greatest triumphs on The Iron Giant?

Making a 50-foot tall robot with a trap-jaw mouth an expressive and sympathetic character was definitely a challenge. Also challenging was making a weightless virtual model on a computer look and feel like it really WAS a 50-foot robot, with all of the weight a character like that would have.

Was there anything in particular you learned, working on The Iron Giant, that you value highly? And how will you take that knowledge into your next project, or do you believe your experiences on The Iron Giant will prove unique?

I learned a ton on The Iron Giant—about animation, performance, storytelling, and working with the other artists—and wouldn't trade the experience for anything. Being involved with the film was certainly unique, but I think that everything I learned can also be applied to my later work.

What was your first impression of the completed film?

I was blown away. I knew the whole story of course, but was amazed at how well it worked in the final version. And audience response was phenomenal.

Has The Iron Giant changed the way you view your work, and how do you think this film may change American animation as a whole, in terms of quantum leaps, or even simply influencing future animators?

I certainly believe that I'm a better animator for having worked on it. As for if The Iron Giant will change American animation, I had my hopes, but the film was so poorly publicized that it may take a while for it to have an impact. However, The Iron Giant is much better known in the animation community, and I've already heard about aspiring animators who said the film really affected them. I think the film's influence will slowly build in the future as more and more people discover it.

The blending of computer generated images (CGI) with traditional hand-drawn animation in The Iron Giant is almost seamless--how do you feel about the computer as a tool, and how do you answer those who see it as moving away from the traditional art of animation? Or do you believe that in the decade since The Little Mermaid and Roller Coaster Rabbit, and the age of films like Toy Story, that the use of computers in animation is no longer an issue?

Since nearly all of my professional animation experience involves computers, I would have to say that I've come to regard the computer as just another tool. The most important thing is bringing the character to life and telling the story well. I think that there will always be a market for hand drawn animation, since it has certain qualities that a computer just can't match. But computers in animation are here to stay, and I don't think it should be a worrisome issue for people. The bottom line is, the artists are still creating the art—for all its technological capabilities, a computer can't really be an artist any more than a pencil can.

Who is your favourite character in The Iron Giant?

I'm biased, but I would have to say the Giant of course. This big robot really has a soul. What kid wouldn't want to have him as a friend?

What do you believe is the most important theme or message in The Iron Giant?

I'd rather leave that up to the viewers to decide, but I'd say the theme of choosing to be a savior rather than a destroyer (since we are all capable of both) is a pretty good message.

If you could choose just one scene of The Iron Giant to showcase the best aspects of the film to the American public, which scene would it be?

I really can't say—the film should be seen as a whole. But if I had to, the first scene that comes to mind is probably the scene in the barn, when Hogarth shows the Giant his favorite comic books and tells the Giant about Superman.

The PG rating of The Iron Giant is much debated--some feel that all animated films should be suitable for children of all ages and believe that it is irresponsible of animated productions to NOT be suitable for the under sevens, while others applaud Bird's decision to aim for an older audience in order to keep the dramatic pacing and intensity of the film.

As an animator, what are your views on the subject, and how would you like to see American mainstream attitudes toward the art of animation grow and change? Do you believe The Iron Giant was hurt by the MPAA rating, or that it will set a valuable precedent in terms of broadening the scope and effectiveness of animation as a storytelling medium and art form in the United States?

I think this whole debate about The Iron Giant being PG is a crock—it's the biggest non-issue I've ever seen. Perhaps I'm jaded, but I can't remember a single thing in the film that is truly objectionable. Children can turn on a TV at any time of day and see/hear far worse—or better yet, just listen to their parents talk. As for the argument that animated films must be "suitable for all ages," I don't recall the recent ANTZ and The Prince of Egypt (both animated films with PG ratings) getting similar flak. There seems to be a double standard going on with The Iron Giant.

As an animator, I just want people to see our craft as being another form of filmmaking and storytelling for a change, instead of thinking that what we do must be "suitable for all ages." The U.S. is actually very backwards in that regard as opposed to many other countries. As for whether The Iron Giant's box office was hurt by the PG rating, not significantly— obviously what really hurt it was the lack of advertising. Anyway, I think that keeping the integrity of the story and the precedent it sets for animation is far more valuable in the long run.
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