Hi guys, guess who I just spoke to recently? Eddie Soriano, animator of those crazy cool cartoons we all grew to love. My personal favorite is CatDog--that one was insanely funny!
Hi, Eddie! How did you start in the animation industry?
It happened by accident. I was working with a group of artists (painters) way back late 80′s. I saw them preparing their resumes to apply for Fil-Cartoons: Hanna-Barbera (center-page ad in the paper). I totally had no clue of what that company was. I just went with the flow and did what others were doing. I applied, and of the number of people who applied (from our company), 2 were called in. I was one of the 2, was trained, and got the job.
Wow, that's a pretty cool story. What are your greatest achievement in animation?
Every show I've worked at is an achievement. But the greatest achievement of all is being recognized. Promotion from an ordinary animator into a full-fledged director of some globally known cartoon shows. Got a recognition award for working on "Arthur", winning an Emmy. One of the shows I directed won the Leo Awards for "Best animated TV series".
I'd say those are pretty big achievements in animation. Were there any obstacles?
The only obstacle I've experienced and I know that most animation artists are still experiencing, is work stability. Animation job just like any other showbiz gig--they're are mostly contractual. Worrying starts to happen when your contract is nearing it's end.
Shows you've done?
Oh, a few of them are the following:
- Disney's Jungle Cubs
- Mighty Ducks
- Atomic Betty
- Captain Flamingo
- Animaniacs
- Yvon of the Yukon
- D' Myna League
- Corduroy
- Savage Dragon
- Peter Rabbit
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Blaze
- Catdog
- Kid vs. Kat
- Voltron
- Rescue Bots
- 1001 Nights
That's cool. What can you say about the animation industry in the Philippines?
Animation industry in the Philippines is strong and can continue to become one of the world's leaders in animation. The Philippines is the birthplace of some world-class animators. The Philippines is also known for delivering quality animation. It is always the first choice of overseas studios looking to farm out work. English as a second language is an advantage.... we get the cartoon gags, communication is never an issue, Filipinos are hard-workers and of course, talented. While some animation studios have already engaged in locally produced projects, the government and local networks must continue to support the industry to boost it's animated productions with the goal of being self-reliance, not always leaning for service work from other western studios.
Wow, that's big. Do you have any advice for people who want to get into Animation?
Never give up things that you love doing. If you like animation, don’t stop practicing. I must admit, it’s hard to get in if you don’t have the connections and if you are not good enough. The trick is be good and always update your portfolio. Talk to the people in the industry. Browse studio websites and see what’s happening around you. Don’t be afraid to step forward and present yourself.
Thanks Eddie! Hope to talk to you again real soon!
If you guys want to check out Eddie at IMDB, here's the link: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4596707/
No comments:
Post a Comment