RacForce Blog

bloodredorion:

lastsundaynight:

That is so cool.

Sweet.

(via joshdierickx)

I had to interview someone in the animation industry for an economics project. And since one of my classmates (bucketofcherries) already shared an interview she did, here’s the interview that I did with Chris Prynoski, the head of animation studio Titmouse, and creator of various awesome shows. My teacher wanted me to interview someone in graphic design, but since this dude’s studio has done commercials as well, I feel that it still counts.

What inspired you to go into the animation industry?

I love cartoons and drawing and movies. It seemed like a good idea. It’s kind of the sweet gooey center of where my interests lie.

It seems like you were able to get into animation pretty easily after graduating from SVA. How did your classmates fare?

Yeah, at the time there was an animation boom. I started at MTV animation the day I graduated. A lot of my classmates worked there too. Most of my classmates have done really well. I work with Jody Schaeffer every day at the studio. And George Krstic writes on everyone of my shows, and I direct on his. Anthony Lioi directed on King of the Hill and is now the Supervising Director on Cleveland at FOX.

What were your living conditions during your first few years of working?

I lived in an apartment in Sunset Park in Brooklyn with 4 other people and a dog. I didn’t need much. And it was cheap. My storyboard revisionist gig at MTV paid $300/week, which was more than my share of the rent for the month. So I was happy to have beer, food and subway money. I also stayed at my girlfriend’s pad a lot at the time. She was a performance artist on the Lower East Side.

What are your thoughts on the animation industry in New York City?

Do you think it will grow sometime in the near future? I think the industry in New York will always exist, because New York is full of the world’s most talented artists. It always grows and shrinks. We are doing our part trying to make it grow with Titmouse NYC. We are close to 90 employees in the NY studio right now. I’m psyched. It gives me a great reason to visit New York, too!

You’ve been in the business since I was born. What things have gotten easier over the years?

Computers! Technology has made our lives so much easier. Who needs paper? Now I can draw on a futuristic screen!

How did you end up creating your own animation studio? What talents were needed beyond making cool drawings?

I never really had a plan. I got my start in the mid 90’s at MTV in New York right after I graduated from SVA. I cut my teeth on Beavis and Butt-Head as a storyboard artist - and after directing on the B&B movie and Daria and creating a short lived show called Downtown, I felt like it was time to move out to LA. While I was directing at the studios out here, I had the idea to start an internet t-shirt company on the side. It was the early 2000’s and it seemed like a good time to try starting a business. I called the t-shirt company Titmouse. Anyways, I didn’t make a ton of t-shirts, but I kept getting freelance animation work. I had to hire a bunch of friends to help out. Before I knew it, we had a ton of employees and because I had filed the business paperwork for Titmouse, that became the name of the animation studio. I had to learn to be a business man against my will. I don’t think I could have started it on purpose. It just kind of happened.

What would you have done if entertainment didn’t pan out for you?

Probably a homeless guy.