Drawing Inspiration: Highlights from Animated Directors Roundtable

From robots to cats to snails, this past year has had no shortage of incredible work in the animation industry. And at this year’s SCAD Savannah Film Festival, they did not go unappreciated. Alongside various screenings throughout the week, a panel led by Variety editor Clayton Davis took place with directors of notable animated films from the year, including Josh Cooley (“Transformers One”), Adam Elliot (“Memoir of a Snail”), Kelsey Mann (“Inside Out 2”), Morgan Neville (“Piece by Piece”), Chris Sanders (“The Wild Robot”), and Gints Zilbalodis (“Flow”).

This article will reflect on these talented artists’ discussion, and share some of the key valuable guidance and takeaways from the Q&A.

The panel opened with a discussion on finding inspiration— what drove the directors to make the films. From being asked by a studio, to personal stories of connecting with certain ideas or themes, the answers portrayed the uniqueness of reasons behind different films creations. It brought into perspective that a film’s origin does not have to define it.

Later on, the concept of the lack of recognition for animation in Hollywood arose, and the directors were asked to express how they may go about bringing more attention to it. “Flow” director Zilbalodis advocated for smaller films, while Elliot suggested breaking the mindset of animation being a child’s genre.

“I get emails from angry parents all the time telling me that your films are not for children. And I say “Of course, why are you taking your children to my R-rated movie?” Elliot jokes.

On the same subject, Mann mentioned the importance of seeing films on the big screen, where so many films are crafted for and intended to be seen.

Following this, Davis brought up a subject that resonates with many artists: diversity and inclusion in the industry. This prompted a variety of responses. Zilbalodis emphasized the importance of promoting more independent films, which are outlets for a diverse range of artists to tell their stories. Neville advocated for accessibility. Having come from a documentary background, he found that increasing accessibility to equipment for creating films has contributed to growing diversity in the field. “The keys to creativity are right there for so many more people”, said Neville. But a personal favorite quote of mine is from Mann:

“Exposure and experience… We are all up here because we were given an opportunity to learn”.

Personally, I find that a contributor to a lack of diversity is that underrepresented artists do not have the resources to grow, or are discouraged from doing so due to hardly seeing people like themselves in the field. By giving others opportunities to spread their wings, especially those who may not have even known they could fly in the first place, we grow the industry altogether.

“There have been so many people… that help us along the way… So you just try to make sure that you’re passing that on to other people on your crew”, continued Mann.

On the subject of uplifting other creative voices, Davis closed out the panel with a quirky yet insightful activity: After asking audience members to raise their hands if they believed they could direct the first Best Feature Oscar-winning animated film in the future, he picked a student from the crowd to join on the stage. From there, he had the directors give them advice on how to do so.

Some directors expressed the importance of story. Cooley advised making the story “personal to you”, while Elliot said, “An audience will always forgive bad lighting, bad editing, bad sound, bad acting, but they will never forgive a bad story”.

On the other hand, more emotional advice is given in regards to working with others, and yourself. Fitting to the subject, Mann said to “make sure Joy is at your console when you’re doing what you’re doing”. To address the other emotions, Neville mentioned the importance of embracing fear, while Sanders covered managing anxiety – not just from yourself, but from those you are collaborating with as well.

In all, this panel was an insightful look into the minds behind some of the biggest hits of the past year. In an industry with such a rich and ever-evolving history, learning by listening to those who’ve been through it is one of the best ways to shine a light on your own path.