Charlie Gavin. Does that name sound familiar to you? If you answered “yes” then don’t be surprised; after all, he certainly is the future of animation. In the near future, you’ll be hearing a lot about the currently Pitman-attending senior. For now though, you can find his truly exceptional artwork at banditmill.com. As unbelievable as it sounds, the Roaring Times received the chance to interview this modest guy and get some juicy info about him and his cartoon animation.
The Roaring Times: When did you first get into cartoon animation? Did it first start off as a pastime, as a hobby, or what?
Charlie Gavin: “Animation has been an interest of mine for about as long as I can remember. I’ve always been obsessed with Disney films and the like. I’ve also always been obsessed with drawing. Honestly, I have trouble explaining exactly how I got interested in animation – it’s just something that’s always been with me.”
The RT: There are people who don’t know much about cartoon animation, so how would you say you decided on this or how you actually acknowledged it as a potential? Was it sort of while you were watching TV or did you just love to draw animations or something?
Charlie Gavin: “I’m not sure if I can pinpoint an exact moment where I realized animation’s potential as a career. It’s just always been at the forefront of my interests. It’s always seemed like the natural career fit for me. I love drawing and I’m particularly fascinated by any form of sequential storytelling, which animation as a medium is a prime example of. After getting serious about pursuing animation as a career, I spent about a year putting together a portfolio for the Character Animation program at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).”
The RT: What actually inspired you to begin animation?
Charlie: “If I had to pick a film, it’d probably be Toy Story. I saw Toy Story in theaters back in November 1995. Frankly, I’ve been obsessed with the film ever since. Toy Story is actually quite an achievement in itself, being the first feature-length computer animated film. It’s still my favorite movie to this day, and that’s not just because of the nostalgia factor.”
The RT: As an artist would you say that this remarkable talent just came to you naturally or did you actually start off as a beginner and work your way to these amazing creations?
Charlie: “Ha, well, I wouldn’t call it a remarkable talent. I’m not exactly sure if I believe in the idea of natural talent, to be honest. I’ve been drawing obsessively for as long as I can remember. My first impulse when I pick up a pen is to doodle. I can’t imagine a life without drawing. Whatever skills I might have are a result of hours of obsessive practice!”
The RT: Was art a preferable thing for you as a child as well or did you realize your passion for art in an art class or somewhere else? If elsewhere, then how old were you and where?
Charlie: “Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve been drawing since earlier than I can recall. Formal art classes haven’t really been a big part of my life until relatively recently. However, there are definitely benefits to formal art lessons in and outside of high school. They’re a great environment to figure out basic (but important) skills like color theory and perspective.”
The RT: Who would you say you received the most encouragement from, your family, teachers, friends…?
Charlie: “I’ve been lucky enough to have a very encouraging family. Art actually runs in my family a bit – my grandmother is a watercolor painter and my uncle is an art director. I’ve always received an abundance of support from the home, which is pretty great considering how crazy animation is as a career pursuit!”
The RT: With school and everything, are you able to do some sketching everyday or is it in your free time or during the weekends or something?
Charlie: “When I was working on my CalArts portfolio, and frantically rushing to fill a sketchbook, I was definitely drawing every day. It can definitely be difficult finding time to draw when school gets especially hectic, but I’ve somehow found a way to manage thus far.”
The RT: Do you have a favorite little place to sit at and draw these? If so, then where would that be?
Charlie: “For observational drawing, any location with a lot of sedentary people is good. I’ve probably spent the most amount [of time] drawing in restaurants. I also spent a lot of time in the food court at the Merced Mall.”
The RT: What are some of your favorite animations you’ve made, of?
Charlie: “I’ve only had a few chances to actually sit down and animate. However, I did complete a short film this summer at the CSSSA program held at CalArts. It was an amazing experience and I’d definitely recommend checking it out if anybody’s interested in animation as a career.”
The RT : What do you do with your sketches, artwork, etc.?
Charlie: “Most of the sketching I’ve done in the last year was part of my CalArts portfolio effort. I’ve also done a bit of freelance illustration work throughout the years. I didn’t do much freelance work during the time I was working on my CalArts portfolio, but I’m slowly starting to get back into it.”
The RT: What is the name of the cartoonist that you are working with?
Charlie: “His name is Norm Scott. Anybody that’s read Electronic Gaming Magazine at any point in the last 10 years is probably familiar with his work. He did a comic called Hsu and Chan that ran in the back of the magazine. I’ve actually been a huge fan of his for at least six or so years, which makes working with him a little strange (but very cool!).”
The RT: Tell me about your project with the famous cartoonist, please.
Charlie: “Ha, I don’t know if I would flatter him so much with the term “famous”. Right now we’re working on two projects. Unfortunately, I can’t really talk about specifics until the projects are actually announced. I can say, though, that one is smaller-scale comic project (which I’m drawing and co-writing with Norm) and the other is a slightly larger-scale indie computer game project. You can find more info on both at Spookingtons.com.”
The RT: When did you decide to have cartoon animation as a career?
Charlie: “I’ve had a vague fantasy all my life of becoming an animator. However, the actual moment when I made the conscious decision to pursue animation as a career probably didn’t come until sometime early in my sophomore year. I knew I wanted to go to film school and I knew I wanted to do something with drawing. And, of course, I’m a total animation nerd.”
The RT: What are your plans for the future after high school? / How do you plan on further pursuing your cartoon animation?
Charlie: “Well, in a perfect world I’d be accepted to CalArts and enter their Character Animation program next year. However, I’m not going to find out whether or not I was admitted until next month at the earliest and, frankly, I’m not really counting on being accepted. I’m also applying to the animation program at the Sheridan Institute in Ontario (Canada).”
The RT: Is there anything else you want to add?
Charlie: “If I could offer any advice to aspiring artists, I’d tell them to
1) Draw from life and
2) Draw with a pen. Erasing is for the weak! ”