Ward Kimball's Advice to an Aspiring Animator

Published: September 15, 2022 | 04:04

Ward Kimball, one of Walt Disney's senior animators, answered a request from a high school student who wanted to become an animator. His told the young man that he should graduate high school, then get a well rounded art education:

"To be ready for that jungle out there," he wrote, "you gotta be a jack-of-all-trades. By this I mean, you gotta know all the insides and outs of film making. And with animation in mind this means BASIC DRAWING, LIFE DRAWING, DESIGN, LETTERING, ARCHITECTURE, COLOR THORY, MATERIALS AND THEIR USE, PAINTING, MODELING, ART HISTORY, WORLD HISTORY, ANATOMY, HUMANITIES, FILM EDITING, SOUND CUTTING, RECORDING, STORY SKETCH."

Ward Kimball's Advice to an Aspiring Animator

"Animation is just not making things move, it is THINKING, THINKING, THINKING."

Ward Kimball (1914-2002) on Wikipedia

Source: gurneyjourney.blogspot.com

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3 Comments on Gurney Journey: Ward Kimball's Advice to an Aspiring Animator

on September 15, 2022 | 09:15 BCurriesaid :
"Hello James

So, the big question: How did history turn out? Without actually calling him up to ask, it looks like big-time success! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Finn seems to be the guy!

Regards"
Comment #1
on September 15, 2022 | 09:22 Steve Gilzowsaid :
"This was such a generous, comprehensive reply to the high school student. Wonder when the BS stamp was affixed in the upper left…"
Comment #2
on September 15, 2022 | 21:59 Steve Gilzowsaid :
"Thanks, BCurrie, for following up on Will Finn. Continuing that thread, I was intrigued to read that Finn — after working in animation for 40 years — wrote a blog piece titled “Why You Shouldn’t Want a Job in Animation.” I was curious to see what advice Finn was offering these many years after Ward Kimball offered his. Basically, Finn was making the crucial distinction between a job in animation and a career in animation. A job is tied to a particular employer. A career is a process of acquiring a portable, growing set of skills — grown while working at a changing range of jobs. "
Comment #3

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Ward Kimball's Advice to an Aspiring Animator

Ward Kimball's Advice to an Aspiring Animator

3 Comments on Gurney Journey: Ward Kimball's Advice to an Aspiring Animator

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