Mon 9th Mar 2015, by Mike Hepburn | Peoplestudios
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Oka Free Run with Sound. This was a test for work for a potential project – took about a week to animate
Kyle Kenworthy is an animator who currently works at Schell Games in Pittsburgh PA. He has worked on numerous projects including Pixar’s Toy Story Midway Mania, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, & Disney’s Toontown. He also has his Body Mechanics CGWorkshop coming up. CGSociety was lucky to take some time out of his busy schedule to have a chat …
Please describe what you do.
I’m an animator! In short, I bring characters and objects to life. I currently work at Schell Games where I’m the lead animator and have been here for a little over 8 years now.
Where are you from? Where are you now? How did the animation bug bite you?
I’m originally from Pratt Kansas, a pretty small town, but decent size for Kansas. I’m now currently in Pittsburgh PA. From a young age I was always really into art, but it wasn’t until seeing Jurassic Park that I was exposed to this idea of combining computers with art. After high school I attended the Art Institute of Phoenix where I majored in Animation. While there, I had the opportunity to intern at Fat Cat Animation in the ink and paint department. Shortly after graduating I was hired at Schell Games and have been here ever since.
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Battle Ball Reel Facebook game created for the Dallas Mavericks – responsible for all animation
What are some of the projects you have worked on / clients or studios you’ve worked with?
I’ve have the amazing opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects. I’ve worked with Disney & Pixar on the Disney theme park attraction Toy Story Midway Mania. I’ve also worked on The Sum of all Thrills, another Disney installation at EPCOT. Other projects include; Dallas Mavericks Facebook game, Race for the Beach, Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Disney’s Toontown online, and Mechatars.
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Pixar Toy Story Midway Mania! is an interactive 4-D theme park attraction, currently located at three Disney theme parks. Kyle worked closely with supervisors at Disney and PIXAR to create rendered and in game animation
What’s the most indispensable tool in your software arsenal?
I would probably say my camera. I’m a big reference person and when possible will film myself or colleagues to study and analyze the movement for my shot. As animators, we’re all actors, so it’s always fun to get in front of the camera and explore various possibilities.
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Hysterical Blindness Process video for animation test Kyle did with Mery Rig
Is there something you are currently working on, or are excited about starting, that you can tell us about?
At Schell Games we’re currently working on an educational tablet game for schools called The World of Lexica. It’s a really exciting project to be working on. Students have the ability to explore vast 3D environments, create their own stories, and interact with famous literary characters including, Frankenstein’s Monster, Tom Sawyer, Maid Marian, and more! It’s been really fun getting to bring these famous characters to life! You can get a bit more info on the game on our website here.
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The World of Lexica™
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World of Lexica Animation Reel
When not creating world beating animations, what do you like to do? What are you currently reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work?
I enjoy relaxing with my wife, hanging out with friends and family, taking our dog for walks. I enjoy photography – always on the look out for a good picture. I’m a huge movie buff, love watching all types. I like to workout/stay in shape – sitting in front of a computer for the majority of the day is not the best on the body.
Music: I’m a big movie score fan – John Williams, Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, Ennio Morricone, James Horner, Michael Giacchino, and the list goes on and on.
I love watching other people’s animation for inspiration. The first part of my work day involves drinking some coffee and checking various animation sites, getting inspired by all of the amazing artist out there.
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“SeaWorld Race for the Beach” is a motion-controlled multi-player interactive experience that allows SeaWorld guests to experience a sea turtle’s journey from the deep sea to the warm shallow waters of its nesting habitat. Players must avoid obstacles and pick up food along the way. Kyle was responsible for all animations in the game.
What would be your #1 advice to other artists?
Don’t procrastinate! If you want to break into the industry, move up the ladder, change jobs, whatever it may be, get out there and do it! Nothing is handed to you for free; you got to put in the time and effort to get the results you want. The first step in doing this is to stop thinking about doing it and do it!
Do you have a motto?
I have two quotes that I really like…
“Try not, do, or do not…there is no try” – Yoda I”m a huuugge Star Wars fan, so obviously I love this quote. And, it’s really great advice. If you go into anything without the confidence to succeed, you’re probably going to fail. I approach my animation and art by “doing” not “trying”
“Slow is smooth and smooth is fast” – Bruce Lee. This one applies to so many things in life and art. Sometimes we like to speed our way through things, but more often than not, the slow, planned out route is the quickest. Working in games often means quicker turnaround and less time to work on shots. When speeding up my workflow, I make sure my plan is as solid as possible, as smooth as possible and in turn I’ll achieve quicker results.
What is one secret technical tip that you can give us?
Hot keys! I love using hot keys and am amazed by how much of a time saver they are. If you find yourself repeating an action on the computer over and over again, set up a hot key for it. The seconds you save here and there, add up to more than you would imagine.
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Kyle Kenworthy’s CGWorkshop: Body Mechanics
What do you cover in your CGWorkshop?
We’re covering human biped body mechanics. In short, how to create appealing and interesting movement. In the 8 week course we’ll be animating 2 shots (4 weeks per shot). I’ll be going over my process step by step, and also talking about various topics to help create a strong foundation for animating body mechanic shots.
What do you most hope that people will get from your class?
The importance of planning. In my class we spend a whole week per shot on planning, gathering reference, analyzing it, learning as much as we can before opening Maya. We all want to jump into Maya and start making things move, but if you don’t have a solid game plan before hand, you’re doomed to fail.
Thanks for talking to us, Kyle!
Links
CGWorkshop: http://training.cgsociety.org/course/body-mechanics
Kyle’s blog: http://kylekenworthy.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kyle_kenworthy
CGPortfolio: http://kyleg.cgsociety.org/
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