Jim Soper - Learn To Stand On The Shoulders Of Giants Before You Reach For The Stars (Animator)

I’ve been lucky enough to work as a character designer on the Looney Tunes Cartoons for Warner Brothers. I can’t begin to tell you how much that meant to me, having a chance to work on these iconic characters. 

1. Tell us about your background and journey. How and when did you realize your passion for digital media?

When I was a kid I loved to draw. I had a fascination with golden age cartoons that I would watch on VHS tapes they sold through Avon. But it wasn’t until my mother had signed me up for an animation summer class in 1997, that I began working digitally. 

My parents saved up and bought me a computer along with Adobe’s Flash 4. I loved it and used it constantly. As I got older I started using the program to animate traditionally, drawing each frame instead of using symbols and tweens. 

My parents would buy me books on the history of animation, and I would try and replicate what I saw in them by seeing how flash could be manipulated and used differently.


2. What would you say will be the future (or) next milestone of digital creation?

I think there’s a lot of space to develop content on a larger stage than the screen we are used to. The ongoing progression of virtual and augmented reality headsets in the market will undoubtedly carry visual media along with it. 

Much like how theatre in the round changes the way you stage a play, an infinite screen around you will change how we think about composition in animated shorts and features. 

There have already been some really big steps into this frontier using Quill theatre, and I would expect to see more in the upcoming future as stand-alone VR headsets become more of a household item.


3. What are the basic software that one must be aware of in your field?

I know a lot of people in the business use Harmony for animation, but I’ve gotten so used to working in Photoshop and how the program reads the stylus that I do most of my work on there, from designing to animation utilizing its extensions.


4. Share one of your favourite experiences as a digital creator with us.

I’ve been lucky enough to work as a character designer on the Looney Tunes Cartoons for Warner Brothers. I can’t begin to tell you how much that meant to me, having a chance to work on these iconic characters. They were a huge part of my childhood and hold a special place in my memories-- being a kid and watching them on the floor of the living room with my father. 

Getting to work alongside the other artists on the show has been an absolute honour and a highlight in my career. My drafting skills have improved tenfold working with them these past few years on this project. I owe Sam Register and Pete Browngardt the world for bringing me on board for this project.


5. What has been the biggest learning from your job?

The ability to get paid to study and draw characters from the golden age of animation has helped my personal work grow so much. This project has been such an amazing learning experience for me. 

From getting to speak at length with veteran animators like Dan Haskett and Bob McKnight, to having Alex Kirwan’s detailed notes and guiding hand to double as a weekly drafting class for me. I can’t begin to thank them for what they’ve been able to impart to me.


6. Describe your favourite visual effect from a movie or any of your projects. Why do you like it?

I love the Xerography technique that was used in Disney films from the early 60s to the late 80s. The technique keeps the pencilling in the final image and gives it a bit of a grungy look, but it also keeps the energy of the drawings intact during the final stage. 

You can sometimes see glimpses of structure lines pop in and out too, which adds a bit more dimension to the characters on screen. These are discarded when inking is done over pencils. 

I think there has been an obsession over cleaned lines in digital animation, but with higher resolution screens and the advancement of brushes in different programs, I think the natural progression for finished looks in animation will turn to styles that are more detail and roughness.


7. Which is one piece of advice that you would give to aspiring visual artists?

Learn to stand on the shoulders of giants before you reach for the stars. It makes the endeavour less of a headache, and it gives you a better footing when coming up with your unique voice. 

Personal style can easily be confused with the path of least resistance. Style is comprised of a series of choices that reflect the artist’s point of view, and that perspective is expanded exponentially the more techniques the artist learns from what came before.


- Jim Soper (Animator & Character Designer)

I am a Boston based animator and illustrator. I graduated from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University with a BFA in animation and am in the process of obtaining an MFA. I have worked as a designer and animator for Warner Brothers, Nickelodeon, Netflix and numerous commercial studios in the Boston area. 

I am very passionate about my work. I believe strongly in combining traditional animation principles with current technology to produce work at a fast pace without sacrificing quality.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimsoper85/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JimSoper4


Interviewed By Akshaya Rathinavadivel