“I’m guessing that all your little brothers and sister are wild about Disney. They probably can’t wait till “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” comes out on video this March. Why all this excitement over a bunch of cartoons? Because they are cool! It’s a lot more than kids’ stuff.
That’s what I learned from Sean Jimenez, who, at 20, is already working fulltime as a Disney animator. I met him one sunny afternoon and the Disney studios in Burbank. When we pulled in to the parking lot of the offices the first thing I noticed was the huge apprentice’s hat on top of the entrance to the building, reminding me of Mickey Mouse in “Fantasia.”
I was surprised at how young Sean was. In his black shirt, white jeans, and slicked-back hair, he looked like he was still in high school. On the way to his office I was fascinated by the movie posters for Hunchback, Lion King, and Fantasia in the hallways. His office had all these great drawings from “Hercules” on the walls. We weren’t allowed to photograph them though, since the movie hasn’t come out yet. I couldn’t help it, I felt so honored to be in the world of Disney.
Sean has worked as an “inbetweener” on the racoon Meeko in “Pocahontas” and the three gargoyles, Hugo, Lavern, and Victor in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” His favorite Disney movie is “The Little Mermaid” which he saw at 14.
He began his career at 18, right after he graduated from high school. While attending Bonita High, he went to an afterschool animation program at Roland Heights High. He worked so hard in the program and in his life drawing classes, Disney hired him. His passion for drawing started when he was a child. “My older brother was really good at drawing so I’d copy him,” he said.
Making an animated film can be very hard. One feature film requires a million drawings. Every second of the film requires 24 drawings. The production may take two to four years depending on the feature. Sean plays a tiny role in the huge job of creating these drawings. First, a scene is given to an animator to animate. After that it’s passed down to a key clean-up artist who cleans up the animation to make it look like one person drew it. It’s then handed off to breakdown artists and inbetweeners. That’s where Sean comes in. He and other inbetweeners finish off the animation by putting in the in-between drawings that express the emotion and action that makes the character seem real.
What is the goal of an animator? Sean explains, “You’re bringing life to the character. Sometimes we even forget that they’re drawings.” He told me how he truly admires Disney artist James Baxter’s rendering of Quasimodo in the “Sanctuary” scene. “If I could do something like that, I’d be happy. But the artist is saying that about someone else,” he added.
When asked about whether the job is difficult Sean replied, “Yeah, it can be difficult but you get used to it. The great thing about it is that you’re always learning something… The pluses are that it’s a wonderful job. I learn every single day and I’m paid to draw. The minus, you have to dedicate your life to the job.”
He told me that he’ll work six days a week during the crunch, the last three months before the deadline. It is during this time that he’ll spend less time with friends. But it’s worth it. “It’s a tremendous feeling to know that I’ve taken part in it.””
