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Step into the World of Animation with ‘Minions’ Director Kyle Balda

The animation industry is worth over billions, and rightly so seeing that the top 3 highest-grossing animated films – The Lion King, Frozen II and Frozen all raked in more than a billion dollars in box office each. Coupling a great storyline with compelling graphics which seems larger than life itself seems like the perfect recipe for stellar entertainment.

But what goes on behind the screens? What is life like for animators who put hundreds, sometimes thousands of hours of work to produce a film that runs for an average of 88 minutes?

Renowned BAFTA-nominated feature animations director Kyle Balda, best known for co-directing the films ‘The Lorax’, ‘Minions’ and working on the animation for ‘Jumanji’, ‘Toy Story 2’ and ‘Despicable Me’ shares the inside scoop on this multibillion-dollar industry during his session in the Virtual Masterclass organized by The One Academy.

The crucial trait to make it in the animation biz is to always be curious. “When you are talking about making films, you are talking about telling stories, and you know…you want to have some experience behind you, you want to have a lived life so that you can have something to say”, said Balda.

There was a time in the industry veteran’s life when he was not aware of the abundant opportunities in the animation scene. An avid fan of animation films from young, it was only after speaking to a family friend who was working as an animator at Disney Studios did he realise that he too could pursue his passion. “Until then, I wouldn’t even say it was a dream because it seemed so impossible, but I just got really lucky meeting the right person at the right time,” he added.

If you want to make it big in the world of animation, you need to have your own point of view on things, as this is what sets you apart from the millions of others. He went on to say that the beauty of animation is that you can have the same script handed out to several different directors, and each of them will have their own unique way of telling the story.

So how can one develop a strong sense of perspectives?

Simply by being open to new experiences, learning and never stop being curious about all that goes on around you. Always be excited about learning something new. Balda shared his own experience of attending a Masterclass conducted by the Head of Layout during his time in Pixar where they touched on the basics of staging, layout, cinematography and more. “It was so interesting to me and I had not thought about that side of things as much as performance, acting and such”, he said. Despite having garnered a significant amount of experience in the field, he was still very much excited to learn new things which ultimately benefited his career. Moving forward from then, he shared that he made it a point to include camera angles, layout, staging and such in his acting and animation lessons.

While it is not typical for an animator to learn the ropes of layout, staging and more, the fact that he went out of the way and did so greatly aided him when an opportunity to direct a film came about. Having that additional ‘language’ to back him up truly made the directing process smoother.

Inspiration is also a key ingredient in the secret of animation success. A good film pulls you in and gets you engaged in the experience of being immersed in it completely. So a good animator must be able to identify what inspires, touches and entertains the masses and even themselves. Balda added that when one knows what inspires them, it will help in deciding what kind of films, movies and stories they would like to create later on.

When asked if he has any films that have inspired him, he replied with 101 Dalmatians. He went on to say that as a 9 or 10-year-old watching it, he had been so impressed by the film that he returned home and tried to make a comic book of it so that he could keep living in the experience of it. It was also the movie that awakened his passion for animation.

While an animation production involves ideas, creativity, artistry and technological mastery; a strong grasp of art, imagination and effective storytelling skills are required to keep audiences engaged and entertained.

So what makes for an exceptional film in the eyes of an industry expert?

Balda shares that to him, truly amazing films are the ones that keep you coming back to it over and over. The experience does not just end when the credits roll in, rather it stays at the back of your mind and entices you to watch it a few more times. Those kinds of movies truly make the most lasting experiences.

All this begs the most important question. When is the right time to dive into the animation industry? The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our idea of essential services and the industries which were on top of their games a couple of years ago are now facing difficulties sustaining till the end of the year. Is the animation industry a safe bet to hedge on for a stable career in the years to come, what more a lucrative one?

The answer is now. Despite facing a global pandemic which saw to closure of cinemas, delays in movie premieres and many other challenges. The animation industry itself has become king in the time of Covid-19 following a boom in cartoons. While live action movies face their own set of challenges adapting to the unique work restrictions, it seems as if the animation industry was made to thrive as it was work as usual for many animators who continued churning out their best from remote locations.

There will always be a need for entertainment and a good story coupled with exciting animations, lovable characters and engaging graphics will never go out of style. So stop thinking on whether animation is the right fit for you and press play for an exciting, lucrative career.