Nov 30, 2019

31 tips on how to become a better artist and animator from "Klaus" Animator

In the run-up to the release of Sergio Pablos's Klaus earlier this month, Sam Cabanac set himself a task. Every day for a month, Cabanac - who did character animation on the sneering ferryman Mogens - published a lesson he'd learned while working on the film. He then compiled the 31 lessons into a PDF, which can be accessed HERE.

The document is packed with insightful pointers. In some cases, the Montreal, Canada-based Cabanac cites familiar tips - work hard, be true to your vision, don't worry about failing, work as a team, know your audience - and elaborates on them with references to his experience on Klaus. In others, he gives more targeted technical and creative advice to animators and artists. He also incorporates advice he heard on the film from director Sergio Pablos and animator James Baxter.

Here are some particularly useful tips:

Aside from Klaus, Cabanac's credits include Warner Bros.'s Netflix series Green Eggs and Hams and the Looney Tunes short Dynamite Dance, both of which he worked on at Montreal's Tonic DNA. Check out his Vimeo page here.