Meet our alumni
Wesley Chandler - Animation Art & Design
Original program: Animation Art & Design
Alumni Information
School: LaSalle College Vancouver/Dubrulle Culinary Arts
Grad Year: 2008
Program of Study: Animation Art & Design
Degree: Diploma
Employment/Professional Information
Company Name: Sony Pictures Imageworks
Location: Vancouver
Job Title: Animator
Primary Responsibilities: Character and Creature FX Animation.
Describe a typical work day:
Taking a static rig and putting the illusion of life into it.
What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of?
I find I’m a technical animator. I always find ways to improve my work flow, such as scripting a simple script or creating a rig to simplify my work. And when the script or rig finally works, it’s one of my favourite accomplishments in my job.
In terms of my artistic work, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment after finishing a shot. I look back and see my character actually living and breathing and thinking on its own. When I create a believable character that I can relate to emotionally, I feel that I have achieved my goal. I have worked on Men in Black: 3 ; The Smurfs; Monster High; Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5; League of Super Evil and Storm Hawks. At present I am working on Oz: The Great and Powerful.
What are your creative inspirations or influences? Who are your heroes?
Movies! I love to watch movies! It’s inspiring to see other people’s work, be it animation, effects, storytelling or cinematics. I also find I draw my influences from people I’ve met and mannerisms I’ve noticed. I don’t have a hero per-say, but those who put out amazing work are those who I look up to.
What do you enjoy the most about your career?
The kind of lifestyle that the job entails and how every shot you work on is going to be a new and different challenge to overcome.
How did your education at LaSalle College Vancouver help prepare you for your career?
I found that when we had the opportunity to learn all the other aspects of 3D (modeling, rigging, texturing, etc) it helped me better understand my position as an Animator, as well as being able to creatively come up with solutions to solve a 3D problem. Also, some of the instructors were working full-time in the industry. For me, this was a big opportunity to break into the industry. School quarters with those instructors were pretty much my ‘job interview’.
What advice do you have for people beginning their careers in your profession?
Spend as much time as you can on your projects and demo reel! Constantly ask peers and instructors for feedback. Do well and show your instructors you mean it, because they can be your potential employers!
Your profession is constantly evolving, from the technology you use to new career opportunities that didn’t exist five years ago. What trends do you see on the horizon that will affect how you do your job or your profession at-large?
It is honestly too hard to tell which way technology will proceed. However, technological advances are made, and I believe there will always be a need for an artist to make use of the newest technology.
