Working animator since 1997. Ten feature films and over a dozen video games Demo Reel: https://vimeo.com/161248812 PROOF: http://imgur.com/FwnCgdP IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2110662/

Comments: 451 • Responses: 71  • Date: 

AkashicRecorder198 karma

Wow, Atlantis: The Lost Empire* is one of my most favorite movies of all time!

Is anything about the movie that most people don't know about?

FelixBrownAnimation182 karma

It was a high concept film starting with the single image of the glowing Kida floating above the water

ErylisCha45 karma

This image obsessed me when I was like 9 years old. Good job.

meiuqer22 karma

can you link that?

ScottishRabbi100 karma

Hi! Happy Saturday. I've always assumed the voice actors record their part first then the animators sync the animation to the voice. Is that correct?

FelixBrownAnimation135 karma

Yes, we always animate to audio

JoshOliday83 karma

But the storyboards come first so that the voice actors know the general direction and flow of the scene, right?

FelixBrownAnimation95 karma

Exactly

MrMeltJr20 karma

So do you have a general scene drawn out and then add in faces to match audio, or is it not even started until you have the audio?

By the way, seems you worked on some of my favorite movies and games, so thanks a ton for your work and this AMA!

FelixBrownAnimation3 karma

Thanks! I may do simple poses to temp audio. But that's about it. It's a waste of time to do more beyond that because the final audio is always so different from the temp

lerouke90 karma

What is the most difficult to animate? Human body? Animals? Weather event?

FelixBrownAnimation181 karma

I find both human and animals difficult because we all know how they should move, making it easy to recognize when it's wrong.

Jest-err45 karma

Considering animals and humans are so difficult to animate what would some advice (asides the 12 principles) be when animating such characters?

FelixBrownAnimation74 karma

It's all about observations. Shooting a lot of video reference

liambrazier74 karma

What day to day software do you use now? Animate? Toon Boom? Other?

FelixBrownAnimation112 karma

Maya is all I use now

s3rila43 karma

You only do 3d or you use maya for 2d animation?

FelixBrownAnimation50 karma

It's all for 3d

DY357LX7 karma

Is there much difference between Maya and Max for animation?

FelixBrownAnimation8 karma

Just different controls mostly. But I haven't used max in a long time so I'm sure there's more to it

tetue51 karma

how do you feel about big-name movie actors doing voice work and taking voice actors' jobs?

FelixBrownAnimation114 karma

It's a shame when studios only want the big name actors because it looks good on a poster. But they're in it to make money so I understand the business reason

TheDragonrock46 karma

How much artistic knowledge/skill does an animator need today?

FelixBrownAnimation89 karma

Whether 2d or CG, The animation principles from the early days of Disney still apply today. It takes a lifetime to master.

Dapper-Rowlett41 karma

What did you do/use to practice animating, especially since the bio from your link stated that you had no formal training and you were able to meet someone who led you to this?

FelixBrownAnimation57 karma

I was given copied key poses to inbetween on a homemade desk. This was the entry level 2d position that got my foot in the door. always watch motion. How people walk, run etc. Whether live or on film. Sketches help as well to capture poses

Styvesant31 karma

Hello :)

I have a few questions, if you don't mind.

  1. What do you prefer to work on: movies or games?
  2. What is one piece of tech (software or hardware) that has made a significant impact on your design/workload?
  3. The Witcher 3 or Dragon Age: Inquisition?

Thank you!

EDIT: Some spelling errors, etc.

FelixBrownAnimation51 karma

  1. I enjoy the creative input of games
  2. Learning Maya saved my career when everything transitioned to CG
  3. I'm not familiar with either but have heard great things about Witcher, I'm looking to get it

carolathome31 karma

My child has a degree in Animation - loves 2D best and is proficient on Maya. Great artist blah, blah, blah. Why can't she get a job? Is there a secret? You said you had a friend on the inside. Is that what it will take for the newbies?

FelixBrownAnimation54 karma

Knowing someone will always help, no matter what industry you're getting into. I was fortunate to meet someone. Nowadays you can meet professionals on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn etc to show your work. If it's good someone will take notice, connect with you and help you when you apply. But the bottom line is the work has to be good. You also need to be willing to learn. Being able to toss out pieces from your reel if suggested. 2d jobs are almost non-existent sadly, I'd focus on getting good in Maya

carolathome30 karma

Thank you for the quick reply. She needs to beef up that Demo reel.

FelixBrownAnimation37 karma

Makes all the difference in the world

claytor2225 karma

What is your favorite project? What was the hardest to work on for you?

FelixBrownAnimation92 karma

I always go back to my first, The Prince of Egypt. It's my favorite and was most difficult

Increase_Vitality16 karma

Thanks for the AMA! What about The Prince of Egypt caused it to be the most difficult?

Also, what are you working on lately?

FelixBrownAnimation47 karma

Thanks. The level of detail in POE made it so difficult, plus it was the first thing I'd ever worked on! I'm starting on a fun unannounced project

Tortillaish17 karma

That movie is really beautiful. You guys did an amazing job on that.

FelixBrownAnimation3 karma

Thanks

-_ellipsis_-3 karma

PoE seemed like it was a pretty spiritually intensive project. Did it come across that way to you? The animation in it is great, but to the point where it really feels alive.

FelixBrownAnimation5 karma

I think a lot of people felt that way. It's an important story.

Tablesafety3 karma

Holy cow, I always thought that The Prince of Egypt was beautifully animated. My sister and I love it. Amazing to think that I could say this to someone that had a hand in bringing the characters to life.

FelixBrownAnimation4 karma

Thanks, that's very cool of you

Bazilthestoner2 karma

Don't really have a question, sorry. I just wanted to say that I love the prince of Egypt. One of my absolute favorites as a kid. Thank you, very much for what you do. Please continue to be awesome c:

FelixBrownAnimation3 karma

Thank you!

JellikCG20 karma

Have you ever worked with blender? If so, how does it fare with maya and how often do you use it?

FelixBrownAnimation19 karma

I've never used it. I went straight from 2d to Maya

happylittlelark20 karma

How different is animating for games vs films (if at all)?

FelixBrownAnimation48 karma

Game animation needs no anticipation for attacks or running. This allows it to be more responsive

MrFakhre18 karma

could you elaborate on this, I don't get it. I feel like the character in Assassin's Creed is attacked by a wolf or bear, he braces for attack. What am I missing?

Seantommy93 karma

What he means is that in any real action, be it running or swinging a fist, there is build up to the main action. You set your feet, pull your arm back, stuff like that. In most forms of animation, these "anticipation" moments help give an action impact and make it look natural. His comment refers to the fact that in games, when you press a button, you want the action to happen immediately instead of having a second of delay while your character winds up in a cinematic way. As a result, the "anticipation" motion is generally either skipped or cut way down. If you want a more detailed explanation, check out this link for a great explanation by a professional animator. It is a 20 minute video, just so you're warned!

FelixBrownAnimation28 karma

Perfect answer!

FetchFrosh19 karma

What are your thoughts on the shift from traditional animation to CGI that has taken place in major animated movies? Has it had much of an impact in the quality of the movies or the way studios approach them?

FelixBrownAnimation30 karma

IMO, I feel studios initially shifted to CG because it was something new that audiences were intrigued with. I believe they've continued with CG because they're more affordable to produce. Quality will always fluctuate whether it's 2d or CG depending on production time and level of talent

Sexymcsexalot18 karma

you sound like a bit of a character, wanna beer?

FelixBrownAnimation37 karma

It's too early. Maybe cheerios :-)

Sexymcsexalot3 karma

Walt would have had a beer.

FelixBrownAnimation2 karma

No doubt

TheMimicer16 karma

How would you recommend getting into the gaming industry? I'm more of a coder, but I would love to learn animation.

Also what's your favorite animated movie? Why?

FelixBrownAnimation22 karma

Check some of my answers below if you don't mind. I'm pretty lazy to write it all again! :-)

FelixBrownAnimation4 karma

See previous answers

SSSlyyy12 karma

What is your ultimate advice to an aspiring animator?

FelixBrownAnimation49 karma

If I had to do it all over today and just wanted to animate, I'd enroll in an online class. (AnimationMentor, iAnimate, Animschool etc) They're focused on animation alone, taught by professionals, you make great connections.

LKArtillery12 karma

Hm... What are the types of positions aspiring 2D/3D animators should be looking at if they're interested in getting into game art?

FelixBrownAnimation27 karma

Game development has many disciplines. Concept art, modeling, rigging, animation, FX, level design, environments. It's important to pick one and get really good at it. General knowledge of each is only good for small studios. Everywhere else will want you to only do one.

LKArtillery8 karma

Thanks for the answer. I'm really only interested in working in a smaller environment and on personal development projects, so I'd better get cracking on those multiple disciplines...! Haha...

FelixBrownAnimation11 karma

Good idea! Good luck!

Adamj110 karma

Is there rivalry between the character animators, the fx animators, the background animators, etc?

FelixBrownAnimation25 karma

None whatsoever. We all depend on each other to make our own work look good

PinkDohnuts10 karma

What do you think of the need of Higher education to get into digital arts related work? More and more people, be it for games or other media, start and learn by themselves, do you think a degree is that helpful for these fields of work?

FelixBrownAnimation15 karma

I can't speak for other disciplines, but for straight character animation, it comes down to what you can do. The degree is secondary. You can learn animation entirely on your own, make an awesome demo reel and land a job. It all depends on how well you animate.

Ringo0079 karma

Why aren't you working right now?!! get back to work slave.

Is that the office experience you get?

FelixBrownAnimation17 karma

It can get busy at times, but not always. I haven't worked on Saturday in a long time

Combusken237 karma

So, which project was your favourite?

FelixBrownAnimation20 karma

For nostalgic reasons, my first project, The Prince of Egypt.

ChadFuckingThunder6 karma

Do you do your own rigging, or you get everything ready for animation. Is there a rigging standard? What were your expectations before coming to animation, what were you right, and what we're you wrong about?

FelixBrownAnimation10 karma

Having only worked for large studios I've never had to do my own rigging. Departments are so specialized, they only want you to focus on one discipline.

HeyDudeKator5 karma

Do you know of any free sites/video series for learning Maya? You know, something comprehensive and effective.

FelixBrownAnimation8 karma

I believe Autodesk offers a free student edition

lerouke4 karma

Now that maya is a part of Autodesk, do you have a look on others products of the firm? If yes in which way it helps you to do your works?

FelixBrownAnimation6 karma

Not really. It's all maya for the most part

fuckmattdamon4 karma

Is hand-drawn feature animation really dead?

How much animation does 1 animator usually get done in 1 week in 2016?

FelixBrownAnimation9 karma

Aside from the great independent foreign films I don't see any major 2d animation movies coming anytime soon. I believe CG feature film animators average about 5-7 seconds of shot footage a week? I may be wrong

heartshaped-lips3 karma

do you think a character animator has to have CG animating skills in order to survive in the industry?

FelixBrownAnimation7 karma

Absolutely. Sadly, There's just not enough 2d to make a living

TerminallyCapriSun3 karma

I've heard about a number studios closing or moving out of the country over the past five years, which is worrying, but it's hard to tell what the state of things are from the outside. As an insider, what's your opinion of the current state of the industry?

FelixBrownAnimation11 karma

Things are always changing. Studios close, new ones open. I've managed to stay employed for the last 19 years, but there have been plenty of layoffs in between

littleanimator3 karma

Hi, you've done a lot of work that I have admired when I was young, Shark tale and Spyro especially!

I am currently studying animation (game and film) and love using 3DSmax and have been tempted to move over to Maya as I have heard most successful companies use Maya over max. I have been assured that there are jobs for max workers, but am unconvinced. Would learning Maya be beneficial?

Also, what do you think about the current speculation over the animators working conditions for 'Sausage Party'?

I hope you can answer :)

FelixBrownAnimation6 karma

Thanks. I'd say Maya is much more common when looking for work. Long working hours happens a lot unfortunately. It's not until artists speak up that it gets any attention

0rbitaldonkey3 karma

Animation student here.

1) How is the job market in the animation industry these days? I've heard some pretty grim things.

2) Do I need to go to CalArts or somewhere nearly as prestigious to be able to make a living in character animation?

FelixBrownAnimation8 karma

There's a lot of ups and downs. Staff jobs can be difficult to land . It's mostly contract work. But if you're good, you can always find something. No, CalArts is not required, a good demo reel is

jonzeyyy3 karma

Whaaaat?! You animated The Emperor's New Groove? Did you meet David Spade and John Goodman?

FelixBrownAnimation2 karma

I never did. You'd see them around the studio occasionally

Fenixius2 karma

Hello, Mr. Estrada. I am always a fan of animation; it can make real what live action simply cannot, and allows for artistic vision to flow more directly from artist to audience. Please continue to produce more animation!

My questions for you today: Do you enjoy watching the work of other animators? Do you have any animated works you hold in high regard?

FelixBrownAnimation12 karma

Thanks. I love watching other animator's work. It's both intimidating and inspiring. Tangled is probably my favorite right now. It's so good

Fenixius7 karma

Tangled is outrageously good for 3DCG animation. It looks like it's been a long time since you did any 2D work, but I'd like to share a resource with you - the sakugabooru.

FelixBrownAnimation4 karma

Thanks. I'll check it out

MrFakhre2 karma

When you were a kid, what were the things you liked to draw and what were the things you could never get right?

For me: I loved Super Heroes, Battle Scenes, Fantasy Genre.

I could never draw a horse that looked good for some reason. (I'm 40 and this came to my mind instantly.)

FelixBrownAnimation4 karma

I loved drawing Johnny Soko's Giant Robot! Drawing hands are still a challenge for me

kingpepsi102 karma

As a potential animator getting through school right now in a location that probably doesn't have the most career options for this line of work. Where would you say globally is a hot spot to go to ease a young paranoid mind?

FelixBrownAnimation4 karma

Los Angeles

froody952 karma

Hey there! Love your filmography! Treasure planet and Atlantis were a couple of my favourite movies growing up. I'm currently studying animation in Canada, I was just curious about a few things, seeing as you've been in the industry so long.

How has the industry evolved over your career? Is it still as lucrative? I know 2d is said to be dead and I've been focusing more on 3d these days, but is there a chance for a comeback?

Also how different is the film industry compared to television and videogames? Is it much harder to enter?

I'm kinda scared since I'll be graduating in two years and I don't know if I'm good enough or how to go about reaching higher in the industry. I've heard you've gotta be both good at what you do and have good people skills?

Also, does it ever start getting too tedious? I really like animating right now but I'd definitely like to expand into storyboard over time.

Cheers!

FelixBrownAnimation3 karma

I'm not sure when 2d will ever come back. Feature film is much harder to get into than games. People skills are just as equal as quality and quantity. All three must be balanced. It does get tedious at times, but when you realize you're doing what you love it makes it fun again

GothamCity-Siren2 karma

I'm currently watching The Emperor's New Groove so I love that you posted today! I've always thought this movie was so under-appreciated, and actually has some of my favorite character animation.

I know you animate to the voices, so I'm wondering the difference a good voice performance makes. As in, have there been certain performances that have provided you with more "inspiration" or were more rewarding to animate? I hope this question makes sense!

FelixBrownAnimation2 karma

It's all about performance. When you hear a great dialogue your mind starts thinking of all kinds of cool ideas!

Phated2 karma

What role does a Script Supervisor play in animated films? And is it during development or post production?

FelixBrownAnimation2 karma

I don't have an educated answer for that one, sorry

noface-knitting2 karma

My second cousin animated the Chief in El Dorado and the old Pharaoh in Prince of Egypt so my mom tells me, who did you animate in these films and what do you find most difficult as an animator?

FelixBrownAnimation3 karma

El Dorado I was on the Tulio team POE was Moses. As an assistant animator for both the most difficult thing was maintaining volumes, keeping the characters solid

FalconDarude2 karma

Could we see your current demo reel? Also when making a demo reel how big of a role does the soundtrack to a demo reel play?

getschwiftybitch2 karma

What was your favorite project and why is it emperor's new groove?

FelixBrownAnimation2 karma

Groove is still so funny!

nellicommaspi2 karma

Prince of Egypt is one of my favorite movies. Any helpful tips for an aspiring animator?

FelixBrownAnimation5 karma

Thanks! Check out my previous answers for aspiring animators

ArtemisXIII2 karma

Do you ever read a script or know about the story in advance, or are you animating "blind"? Thank you for your work!

FelixBrownAnimation6 karma

For the sake of context in your work, you usually have the script beforehand

omeletted1 karma

Hi Mr. Estrada! I'm an aspiring concept artist who was fortunate enough to meet one of the artists for Dreamworks (Sam Michlap), but I also love looking at animation and process. My question is: Do you feel that the animation industry has changed much over 19 years?

FelixBrownAnimation2 karma

Since moving to cg, not really. You land a job, hope for another, maybe get a staff position, then move on to the next. It can be difficult

flashmedallion1 karma

Are there any particular trends in animation that you're liking/disliking at the moment?

What's your take on the increase in mocap and how that intersects with work that animators would traditionally do?

FelixBrownAnimation2 karma

The short term contract work gets old. Studios hire 15 or more FX houses to do a film in just a couple months. I understand the need for mocap, especially for realistic humans. Gets stuff done so fast

ErylisCha1 karma

I don't know if you worked on it but I always found Eris hair in Sinbad to be beautifully animated. Is it because they put a lot of time and care for this part especially ?

FelixBrownAnimation2 karma

Exactly. As quoted in Toy Story 2, "you can't rush art!"

Ayyylien1 karma

You've had some amazing experiences from what I can tell! So far which ones have been your favorites and why? Are there any future projects you're excited about? :D

Also, I'm pretty good at doing voices, any idea where one can look for a job in that department?

FelixBrownAnimation2 karma

I love Prince of Egypt and Emperors New Groove. Nothing coming up that I can discuss yet. I'm not sure about voice acting, sorry

rushingkar1 karma

How useful have you found scripting in your career? I'm am animation student and I'm starting to get into scripting (mainly MEL, but everyone suggests python).

FelixBrownAnimation3 karma

They like to keep me away from scripting! Don't want to break anything. I don't know anything about it, sorry

letitgoelsa1 karma

Who's your favorite character from all of animated films or TV shows and why?

FelixBrownAnimation3 karma

There's just too many, I'm not sure. I love the design and animation of Ward Kimball's Jiminy Cricket

CaptainEightBall1 karma

Thanks fors doing this AMA!

A couple years ago I decided to go to school for VFX with the intent to transition more into character animation. I worked my ass off, but got burned out and didnt make the cut. I currently have a great career in landscape installation but my original dream is still calling. What advice would you give to someone like me, who wants to start back up again, but has concerns of it being "too late" to segue back into animation?

FelixBrownAnimation2 karma

It's always doable, just depends on how bad you want it. Look at the online schools, you'll learn just what you need

TonyKebell-12 karma

what was it like working on those trash Spyro games?

FelixBrownAnimation18 karma

I was happy to be employed