Artists On Twitter Share The Worst Animation Advice They’ve Ever Received

Is working in animation supposed to be fun?

Not according to Michael Woodside’s acquaintance. Woodside, a veteran Disney animator who was an animation supervisor on Frozen 2, shared this curious tip on Twitter. He took the chance to solicit other examples of bad animation advice:

Animators! What’s the worst Animation Advice you have ever been given? I’ll go first:

“If you’re having fun, you’re doing it wrong.” pic.twitter.com/phTxrMtPmJ

— Michael Woodside (@AnimWoodsy) August 9, 2020

People inside and outside the industry were quick to respond. The resulting discussion is a goldmine of interesting tips — after all, rejecting advice is a way of giving advice. It’s also a tribute to the diversity of artists out there: one person’s golden rule can be another’s red line. The one definitive tip we can take away from this: when it comes to doing animation, one size does not fit all.

We’ve collected some of the most striking and/or typical responses below…

Ashley Nichols, animator (Hazbin Hotel):

"Never EVER look at other people's work. That way everything you do is 100% you."

This one still dumbfounds me. Same person would have a meltdown for days if they saw someone do better than them. It was exhausting. https://t.co/M3JvbPbvPj

— Ashley Nichols Art 🐰 (@AshNicholsArt) August 11, 2020

Geddy Kay, art director (unannounced series for Disney Jr.):

“Children’s animation doesn’t need to be high quality. Kids don’t understand what looks good anyway” 🤦🏼‍♀️ https://t.co/qCTPZN7pZO

— Geddy Kay (@GeddyKay) August 11, 2020

Trey Buongiorno, storyboard artist (Big Hero 6: The Series):

When I was startin out, I was almost bullied out of the industry for drawing stuff that had anime vibes. And these weren't professors. These were professionals. Years later, I see stuff where some shots are ripped wholesale from anime. So I say… draw what you like. https://t.co/hXNC3eNU13

— Trey Buongiorno (@TreyBuongiorno) August 11, 2020

Kiernan Sjursen-Lien, story artist and designer (The Nine Lives of Claw):

I’ve always found “be friends with everyone” to be a piece of advice that promotes the silencing of abuse within the industry. Getting along with coworkers rocks but you don’t have to be besties with everyone. Plus, we’re human! We don’t have to vibe with everyone ever! It’s ok! https://t.co/p83t7TeInt

— Kiernan Sjursen-Lien (@zakeno) August 10, 2020

Nikki A, illustrator and animator:

When I was in college, one of my professors said that you should animate in complete silence?? It was something Richard williams mentioned in the animators survivor’s guide or something 😒

— Nikki A (@NikkiAArt) August 10, 2020

Jorge Gutierrez, director (The Book of Life):

Teacher said, “Look around you. Only 1/5 of you will make a living with your art.” There were only 4 people in the class! https://t.co/3HK748qGxM

— Jorge R. Gutierrez (@mexopolis) August 11, 2020