12/08/16
Michael O'Brien
Background Design
For my professional practice module in college we have to research and study the specific field of animation we would like to work in in the animation industry.
The ideal department for me to work in I think would to be a background designer, ever since I was a kid I always enjoyed watching cartoons with really detailed backgrounds such as Avatar The Last Airbender or The Simpsons. For this essay I researched a lot into background design and the steps in which a background designer takes to complete an animated tv show or movie. I started off by emailing some background designers in the industry with a few questions regarding the industry as a background designer and key roles in being a background designer, I was lucky enough to get replies from some of the biggest names in the animated background industry such as Javier Pineda who is the lead background designer on The Simpsons and has been for the past 17 years, and Martin Connolly who works for Boulder media designing background for Danger Mouse.
I started by researching what procedure is taken from the beginning sketches to the on screen completed backgrounds and what softwares are used most commonly by background artists in the industry. When designing background the artists will take a lot of photos or will reference paintings or other media styles to get reference images for example in Beauty and the Beast the background animators looked at a lot of classical paintings to get the correct old fashioned style they were working on. Depending on which style of animation they are going to be working on the next step would usually be sketching out the background with a lot of rough ideas laid out, usually more commonly these sketches are scanned into a computer and worked on using a software but not so commonly backgrounds are painted using gouache or acrylic paint. One of the questions I asked the background designers when I emailed them was what software do they most commonly use when doing their background for their shows? Javier Pineda said to me ''here at Fox we use Harmony (Scene Machine) combine with Photoshop and Maya for CG'' and Martin Connolly said to me ''For backgrounds, in the studio we work exclusively in Adobe Photoshop. It is the industry standard and the most convenient for a larger company, since there are no compatibility issues between it and the other Adobe software that the studio uses for compositing. It also allows artists to share brushes and tools so that we can achieve a uniform look for the backgrounds in the show''. So it seems like Photoshop is the most commonly used software used by key background designers.
I started then researching on background design teams and how many people would be working on an animation, ''we work as a team of 4 or 5 artist'' said Javier Pineda who is the head background designer on The Simpsons. As a background designer you have to be able to mimic other people's background styles so that all the backgrounds throughout the animation sync into each and blend together, ''Your work should not look obvious or out of place next to the backgrounds done by other members of the department, instead it should be relatively seamless'' said Martin Connolly, Martin Connolly also gave me a tip that when im putting together my portfolio I should try replicate some background styles of other background animators to show my ability to adapt to different animated styles of backgrounds.
The main thing I love about background design is the craftsmanship that goes into every piece of animation or even illustration. When reading comics or watching animated TV shows the last thing most people look at is the backgrounds, but I've always been the opposite, even as a child growing up I was intrigued by the detail in the background work done by the animators. When I started college and I started doing my layout class (which is solely focused on perspective and background design) I realized that background design is the field I would aspire to work in and since then have spent a lot of time working on backgrounds and building designs and less on character designs
''Digital can offer you things that just don’t exist in traditional media. Effects, layering, and the undo button" 'Interview with animation director and illustrator Peter Slattery' http://fridayillustrated.com/interview-animation-director-illustrator-peter-slattery/ (24/10/2014). When asked to compare the difference between traditional animated backgrounds and modern digital background, this was the response of Boulder media animation director Peter Slattery. I myself mix both types of animation, a lot of the time I would sketch out my background design on a sheet of paper then scan it into a computer and render it on a software such as Photoshop or Toon Boom Harmony. As of lately I have been just animating straight onto digital softwares cause I find it more efficient and less hassle as you don’t require a rubber as Peter Slatterly mentioned, the undo button is a great benefit. I feel digital media adds a more realistic feel to your illustrations or background designs as you can add shadowing and lighting effects to add more depth to your image than you would have gotten with a pen or pencil.
In the field of background design there is different jobs ranging from background designer to background painter or colour artist more commonly known. I myself would aspire to be a background designer to focus on the detailed more than the colour and effects, one because I loved the detail added into a buulding or structure from the bricks to the beams and secondly I myself am colour blind and have been since I was a child so colour art wouldn’t be my place of expertise.
"On the series we are currently working on, we generally complete the backgrounds for an episode within two weeks. This can vary depending on the art style of the show, for example backgrounds and layouts which include linework tend to have a longer turnaround than those without" said Martin Connolly when I asked What kind of deadlines would you have on your backgrounds?, Whilst in college we get used to deadlines in different modules and having to have work in on time so in a way I feel this has gotten me ready for the strict deadlines that would be set out in the industry. Two weeks feels like a very short amount of time to get a full background pan sequence completed but I feel if you only worked on one piece of art for two weeks it wouldn't be too difficult.
"We send our designs to the studio in Korea and they are the ones who animate It" 'Interview with Jevon Bue background designer on ATLA (Avatar The Last Airbender) https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/comments/zocns/iama_background_designer_who_worked_on_the_last/ (10/09/2012) This is a quote from background designer Jevon Bue, a background designer who worked on ATLA, The Cleveland Show and is currently working on Family Guy for Fox Studios, this quote is from 2012 and is shows how the introduction of different animated software studios has changed how the animation process is completed, nowadays studios no longer send their work to Korea to be animated or coloured nowadays with the introduction of cheaper, faster software all aspects of animation from background design to character design everything is done in the different departments of their studios. When The Simpsons was first created they would send their animations to Korea to be coloured.
I am currently working on my final year animation in college where I am focusing on background designs rather than charcater designs. My final year project consists of different atmosphers and scenes ranging from a graveyard backdrop to a city street backdrop, I have been putting together sketches of background ideas and have been using the advice I received from the various background artists, I was privileged enough to have answer my questions, some of the best advice I received was to make sure all my backgrounds blend into each other so that it seems flawless and doesn’t look like different people designed the backgrounds. I have also been putting together sketches of other artists background styles, another bit of advice I received, to show in my portfolio that I can adapt to other styles of animation whilst working on a TV show or movie as I will most of the time have to follow instructions and other artists designs. It was a privilege to receive feedback from such artists such as Javier Pineda who I have been following their artwork and career for years. This essay helped me received great insight into background departments in some of the best companies in the world by some of the best background artists in the world who have worked on some of my favorite animations in the world.
I received some great insight into my desired field of animation I aspire to work in and feel this essay helped me achieve greater knowledge of the department and studios I would one day love to work in
Bibliography
'Interview with animation director and illustrator Peter Slattery' http://fridayillustrated.com/interview-animation-director-illustrator-peter-slattery/ (24/10/2014)
'Interview with Jevon Bue background designer on ATLA (Avatar The Last Airbender) https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastAirbender/comments/zocns/iama_background_designer_who_worked_on_the_last/ (10/09/2012)
'Interview with Boulder Media Background Designer Martin Connolly by Michael O'Brien'
(21/11/2016)
How did you get into background animation industry?
Before I graduated, I applied for the Animation Bridge program run through the Skillnet courses. A number of animation studios were interested in taking on interns through the program, and after looking over my portfolio I was contacted and asked for an interview by one of the Irish studios. I also applied directly to a number of different studios, some of which I had the opportunity to meet during our graduate show. I completed a pencil test for Boulder Media after they contacted me, and they were happy to meet me for an interview. While they did not have any openings at the time, they told me that they would be hiring background artists in the near future and would contact me when they had work available.
What software do you mainly use for your backgrounds?
For backgrounds, in the studio we work exclusively in Adobe Photoshop. It is the industry standard and the most convenient for a larger company, since there are no compatibility issues between it and the other Adobe software that the studio uses for compositing. It also allows artists to share brushes and tools so that we can achieve a uniform look for the backgrounds in the show. For my personal work, I generally use Manga Studio from Smith Micro.
What was your favourite animated series to work on?
I have very much enjoyed working on the backgrounds for the Danger Mouse series. Part of that is because I used to watch it as a kid and now I get to actually make it, and also because we have a very talented art direction team here in the studio so there is a lot of variety in terms of locations and colour.
What kind of deadlines would you have for your backgrounds?
On the series we are currently working on, we generally complete the backgrounds for an episode within two weeks. This can vary depending on the art style of the show, for example backgrounds and layouts which include linework tend to have a longer turnaround than those without.
How much of a role does a degree play when applying for background animation jobs?
While a degree can help (particularly when applying for jobs outside of the country), it is not nearly as important as a portfolio of work which can show the studio that you are capable of actually completing work to a standard that they would expect. The ability to showcase a variety of visual styles in backgrounds is a big asset, since you will most likely be working in a variety of visual styles over your career as you work on different shows. The ability to adapt to the style used in the background is very important. You will rarely (if ever) be the only background artist working on a show, and so you need to be able to match the background keys you will be working from. Your work should not look obvious or out of place next to the backgrounds done by other members of the department, instead it should be relatively seamless.
A good way to show this off in your portfolio is to choose a number of animated shows that you enjoy the art style of and replicate their style in an original background you have designed.
'Interview with Fox Studios lead background designer for The Simpsons Javier Pineda by Michael O'Brien'
(21/11/2016)
Michael first of all thank you for your nice words, I'm glad you like my backgrounds. I got to work on the background animation after I finish working in the prime time industry at Sony Pictures (Dilbert), after I graduated at Cal-Arts I got 15 animation offers, back then in the early 90's animation was in a blooming, I was offer to work as an assistant for a new show called Dilbert, so I took the offer, It was a great position at that time.As an assistant at Sonny I was doing almost everything, character design, boards, character layout, background etc etc was then that I became very interested in doing bg's, so when Dilbert finished I took a position as a bg designer/layout for a new WB animation series called "Mission Hill" produced at Film Roman Studios, since then I been doing Bg's all the time, and I love it.
Programs: here at Fox we use Harmony (Scene Machine) combine with Photoshop and Maya for CG.
By far my favorite series to work on are "The Simpsons", great people, great artist, fantastic crew and overall a fantastic show that I hope goes on forever and ever.
About the deadlines TV is always a little bit crazy as bg artist we have about 2 months and a half to finish a show and we work as a team of 4 or 5 artist, I am the lead one so I have to work with the director to be sure that everything is coordinated and has no problems with continuity, speed and quality. Background will always be important for animation, the important thing when you work in animation, specially TV, is to find a balance between quality and speed, and that is always very, very difficult.
The amount of people working in backgrounds did not decreased at "The Simpsons", actually it increased because shows are more and more demanding and complicated.
Anyway Michael, hope I answer all your questions, good luck and wish you the best luck. Regards from the yellow factory here at LA (California), Javier Pineda.
