Tell us a little about yourself....
I was born in San Francisco in '78 and lived in the Bay Area until I was 23. My first love is hand drawn animation, but with everything moving to computers, I figured I should learn it. I moved to Santa Barbara in 2001, where I took my first Maya Animation class. I was so new to computers that I didn’t even know how to turn it on! I struggled a lot my first year but learned quickly and began to feel more comfortable animating on the computer. After finishing with honors, I decided to move to Vancouver, Canada to continue my animation education. I went to Vancouver Film School and learned a lot more about the computer animation world. I had a great time living in Canada. I then moved back to San Francisco and went to school at the Academy of Arts University. I applied for a Pixar class which was taught by Pixar animators. I was accepted! It was an amazing and truly inspiring experience. Shortly after school at the Academy, I received an opportunity to go to Pixar Studios to be mentored by an awesome and talented animator, Michal Makarewicz. I had the best educational experience of my life! I really began to understand movement and character animation. My animation skills improved greatly while I was being mentored at Pixar. I’m still learning everyday and look forward to collaborating with other creative artists.
How did you get interested in art/ animation?
I've had a love for animation as long as I can remember. My mom told me that when I was a kid I was watching cartoons and asked how they did that. She took me to the library and showed me some How to Draw books. But I wanted to know how the cartoons were made. She then found me a book on animation. I made a few flip books and I was hooked! I was fascinated by animation and movement. I remember watching Roger Rabbit as a kid. I would pause the VCR and watch it frame by frame to try to understand the art of animation. I knew then that I wanted to learn how to animate and make my own animations!
Short term and long term goals?
My long term goal is to have a fun and diverse animation career spanning from AAA console games to mobile games and film. My short term goals are to work hard and learn as much as I can along the way. I want to meet people who love what they do. I want to make sure I take enough time to put work aside and experience life with my family too. I want to maintain a healthy work/life balance.
Current/past projects:
Currently, I'm looking for a new job. I'm looking for a position with a talented team of people who are passionate about creating a successful product (and have fun along the way). I'm a hard working person and I want to put my energy and passion for art and animation into a thriving team environment. I want to contribute to the success of a team project as well as be a positive member of the company. I consider myself to be a problem solver. I can multitask multiple projects as well as help others and be a leader.
3 things you love:
-People with a passion for what they do (and want to share their process).
-Learning new things about our universe.
-Experiencing life with my family and friends.
Hobbies?
- I love playing board games.
- Bike rides
- Family time outdoors
-Ryan Maesen
