Richard Williams was a perfectionist. And a creative genius. He still is. I identify with this because you cannot become a high caliber 3d animation artist without vision and passion, the two marks of a truly creative personality.

Vision is how you “see” the project unfolding, how you are going to tell the “story” that communicates the idea behind the work, before the work has even begun. Passion is what fuels the work, keeps you at it, day after day, late at night, and through the dark times when the completed project seems like some distant mirage.

Most creative endeavors are really not all that glamorous. Passion and determination are the things that will get you to the finish line. Every project has its burst of inspiration, but perspiration brings it to fruition. Those that aspire to create, but have never really produced anything probably don’t realize this. They envy the artists, the dancers, the actors whom they believe are quietly practicing their craft, churning out fantastic work surrounded by rays of light from the gods of creativity.

The reality is, artists are sweating it out, just like everyone else, putting in grueling, long hours, failing, and trying again. It’s a journey and in some cases a very long one.

While I cannot claim to be a creative genius, I am very passionate about the work of creating 3d for television. Creating anything in 3d presents a continual set of challenges, coaxing software to produce something specific. It doesn’t always work the first time out. You must tweak, and switch and re-think things again and again until it looks exactly right. It’s about creative problem solving, on a very tight deadline.

So, believe me I know that your clock is ticking. That’s why we work to get it out the door, looking fantastic, first time.

Read more here about a film by Kevin Schreck called “Persistence of Vision“. This documentary tells the story of Richard Williams, an extraordinary animator known for his iconic work in the Pink Panther films, and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.”

“Persistence of Vision“