Ed Hooks

Ed Hooks

Now is the time

This talk was from the actor and acting instructor for many animation companies who is very passionate about his work and the acting industry and how it fits into the world of animation, here is what he had to say!

Adult animation

"people are going to look back at today and say, this is when things changed"

Disney and other big animation companies that are controlling the output of successful animations, but this is all about to change. this is Ed's explanation:

"Animation has been successfully commercialised, animation has been co-opted for children. home theatre is in ascendency because you have to reserve seats, pay for the ticket, pay for over priced snacks in a public cinema and due to these prices and how the cinema takes money from the tickets sold. a film that has a budget of 200 Million pounds would need to make close to 1 Billion pounds to make a profit. what kind of business model is that?!" 

Home cinema is justifying low budget animations and it would mean you don't have to have hundreds of people to work on them and in turn making the expenses a fraction of that of high budget animations.

"most of the exciting things happening in animation isn't happening in the US"

"I would give up the idea of working for one company, like actors attach themselves to projects they like."

"Walt Disney did what he did because he was dancing to his inner song!"

"There is nobody to follow, it may seem like there is with toy story etc. but there isn't!"

He went on in amazement how you can use kickstarter to raise millions of dollars, all you need is an idea!

He was very adamant that he didn't choose who he wanted to work for, but rather, who he wants to work with. this is a valuable concept as if you strive to work 'for' someone then you will always be that step beneath where you want to be in your career.

The one main thing that resonated with me the most is as follows:

Start slow, rather than trying to be what you think everybody wants you to be, instead show the world how it will be with you in it! and it doesn't start with your ability to draw, it starts with your ability to think! The animation industry is in a state of change today, you are going to have to step up and be a leader.

This is something I will keep referring to in my animation career as it is very inspiring and shows a lot of truth in what he says!

I will leave you with a very true saying that Ed came up with,which I do agree with, but needs to be taken with a pinch of salt:

"we need more animators animating for the magic. there is no point animating something that can just be shot in live action"