May 31, 2004 - "I Knew Animation Was My Calling"

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"I Knew Animation Was My Calling"
By Kat (Kathy Lea) Moyou - The 90&9.com Interview
May 31, 2004

(Editor’s Note: ninetyandnine.com will be publishing periodic articles on Apostolics who are using their talents to pursue non-traditional channels to share the Gospel. If you know of anyone who is doing this, email us a short bio/description at editor@ninetyandnine.com.)

Besides editing ninetyandnine.com, I also edit the Youth (High School) Sunday school literature for Word Aflame Publications. As we’re always on the lookout for talented artists, I was intrigued to hear about a Canadian twentysomething working in Spain that another editor had stumbled across. When I saw her final drawings for one of my take home papers, I insisted we use her on a regular basis.

Of course, she didn’t make it easy on us. She returned to Canada, detoured into Uganda on an AIM (Associates in Missions) trip, then returned to Canada again. Finally, her drawings began to appear at the office. I was most pleased.

When I found out she had already worked for Disney Interactive and DreamWorks, I knew she would be a perfect ninetyandnine.com interview subject. I was correct. She was gracious and loquacious with her answers, happily submitting to follow-ups and the request for a picture and some rough sketches from Spain.

It’s exciting to see Christians applying their talents in highly competitive fields. It’s then thrilling to see how God will open career doors for those same Christians who pursue excellence for His kingdom despite the critics. Kat Moyou fits both those criteria.

This interview took place over February, March, and May, 2004.

90&9: So tell us a little about yourself.
KM: I grew up in Surrey, BC, Canada. Since I was roughly a year old my Mom and Dad came to the Lord, and we attended the Langley church, but later transferred to Maranatha Ministries, currently in Vancouver.

Unfortunately my Father backslid almost after he was saved, and now lives on the streets or under bridges, bound by drugs and life that comes with sin. My sister was greatly affected by the chains of events that occurred in our home with an abusive father who encouraged us not to live for God daily. Although today my sister is still backslidden, my mom and I believe she will return to God.

I was 11 years old when I was saved, although I struggled when I was 19, my faith in God has kept me going until this day. My Mom’s amazing faith in God and in me—wow!—had blessed me. If she had not found Jesus, seeing where my Dad and his whole family is, where would I be? If I could share her life story . . .

90&9: How did you know you wanted to be an animator?
KM: Well, it is silly really. I was so young, a toddler, I was in love with Dumbo . . .from that moment on I studied animation. I kid you not. I was the weirdest kid.

90&9: What did you do to pursue this ambition?
KM: My mom signed me up for cartooning and comic classes when I was in elementary school. In high school, I took art whenever possible. The summer before I went into Grade 12, I was accepted in a youth program at Emily Carr Insitute of Art and Design—four weeks of eight hours of intense study of painting, drawing, sculpture, and color theory advanced me beyond my expectations.

When I returned to my high school, I wanted to drop out of art; the classes were not providing me with challenges. My art teacher was horrified when I told her this. So the school made an exception, made my art class into a studio, my art on my time, on my terms. I, in turn, had to help instruct some classes.

90&9: From there, you went where?
KM: I went to Vancouver Film School after a year of Fine Arts in college. I was 19 years old when I started the 12-month intense program - that was back in 1998-99.

90&9: Did you get any flak from Apostolics about attending film school?
KM: I took flak all my life for wanting to do this. In fact, I think six months before I started school, everyone ragged on me to the point they said I would backslide, not last, and go to hell. I had no support from anyone. So I told God I would give this up in order to live for Him. I am almost in tears writing about this.

When I gave it up, I felt I lost my whole being and I did a soul search; but then I really don’t remember what happened, but something stirred within me and I knew without a shadow of a doubt this was my calling. Unable to finance my studies, I was given a full scholarship for roughly $12,000 (CAN) on a whim, totally out of character of the funding organization. I knew that was God’s doing. From that moment I did not care what others thought.

90&9: What was the best part of film school?
KM: The best part of film school was being around people who think like me, artistically speaking that is. Being daily broken down as an artist and pushed to the limits at times was harsh, but this was my highlight of my experience there.

Being pushed to the limits means when your peers tell you the hard truth of your work. Artists are only as good as the worst drawings. At times I do really bad stuff, and I would never want anyone to see my work. Deadlines are unrealistic, but if you don’t produce quality on time, it shows failure. Artists in general are moody. The highs and lows. Lows are great because they inspire us. We don’t think like everyone else and being told to produce when we have no inspiration on an hourly basis is pressure that artists don’t like working under and often can’t. That is what I mean by pushing the limits.

90&9: What was the worst part of film school?
KM: Ah, the daily Jesus-bashing the students would direct my way, and the lack of sleep. I remember it like yesterday.

90&9: I understand you’re more of a classical/hand-drawn animator? Aren’t those jobs drying up now?
KM: Ha ha, that is why I am back in school to learn MAYA (a 3D animation program), but I plan to return to classical, and use my MAYA as a back up! I entered the industry just after the golden age of 2D animation died. It is very sad for me to this day.

90&9: What’s the biggest difference between hand-drawn animation and computer animation?
KM: Computer animation lacks human/artistic touch that makes us forget and believe in the character. Although now more advanced technology is allowing the traditional artist to use it as another tool of expression. Everything we learn traditional is applied in within the computer.

90&9: Is learning the computer hard once you’ve begun mastering the hand-drawn aspects?
KM: Not really. I love the computer in the first place, just at times the lingo gets to me. Thank the Lord I can import my hand-drawn work into the program to aid me. Animation is a study of art, movement, and acting, it gives a lifeless object the illusion of life. If you understand this, it can be applied in all mediums of expression.

90&9: So didn’t you end up at Disney Interactive?
KM: Actually before I moved to Spain, I generally worked at Bardel, a Vancouver-based studio; here we get contract work from DreamWorks, and Disney Interactive among others. (DreamWorks is based in California, and Disney Interactive is based in Victoria, just a short fairy ride from Vancouver.)

90&9: What did you do there?
KM: I am a Character Assistant Animator, but I started as an in-between artist. Forgive my animation lingo. But in a nutshell I am a final line animator. Whereas I take the rough animation and redo them into the final line drawings, which requires a strong sense of animation and technical drawing skills. A rough animator is an artist that gives the character life and movement. Rough animation has a lot of lines and, at times, lacks detail. A good rough animator can do final line animation, and a good final line animator can do rough animation.

90&9: Anything you’re especially proud of accomplishing while there?
KM: I was just too happy to draw Disney characters when I worked at Bardel. I assisted on a CD-ROM game from Atlantis and Cinderella. One weekend they needed help to do a toy commercial with Mickey and Goofy. I learned a lot by error.

90&9: And did that lead to DreamWorks?
KM: My first job was on a DreamWorks direct-to-video Joseph King of Dreams, the prequel to Prince of Egypt. I worked on some of the main characters like Joseph, his wife, Potipher…I don’t even remember all the stuff I did. I was not even finished with film school when I started. My lucky break was they needed more people urgently.

After that, there was no work in Vancouver so I did cell painting (digitally) for Mercury Filmworks. There, a guy from Bardel came on board, and I was supervising his work. He was horrible, but I helped him out. He, being grateful, gave me a lead for another DreamWorks film being done at Bardel, but they where going to be picky who came on board. At first I didn’t get the placement, but I came on board to be supervised by the same guy for a Disney Interactive Atlantis game. Life’s funny turns! Then he begged the producer to look beyond my lack of experience and I got placed to work on DreamWorks’ Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

90&9: What did you do there?
KM: Basically in-betweening (the drawing in-between the keys), but they let me do keys. (Keys are the most important extreme drawings in a scene.) It was a great time there, our studio only got 10 percent of the movie, but we handled the major characters.

90&9: Anything you’re especially proud of accomplishing while there?
KM: I was super fast and not bad at what I did; my co-workers were a bit jealous I could take home more money in less time.

90&9: And how did you end up in Spain?
KM: I am not sure really, I think I applied for animation jobs here and there in Europe. Not thinking of it really because I was off to Uganda for an AIM trip. I got this e-mail to do a test for a studio in Spain. I purposely did a bad test and sent it back by snail mail. Not interested. But when I was in Uganda, I got a job offer in Italy and from the studio in Spain. This got me in a knot, and I prayed. I wanted to go to Italy . . . but God said Spain. I wanted to go to Italy because I had traveled there when I was 13, and never got to see my favorite artists’ works! At the time I have no idea why God sent me to Spain, but looking back it was a growing experience spiritually.

90&9: What did you do in Spain?
KM: Professionally I was an Assistant Animator, then quickly promoted to Lead Key Artist on the film called El Cid the Legend, a Spanish film. A lead key artist sets the standard quality of the final line.

Spiritually, my first three months in my city was without an UPC Church. (But there is another Full Truth church there that I learned about after my UPC church was formed.) Naturally, it was hard at first. My first service, I did not understand a word of Spanish, but the spirit speaks beyond language and it touched me. During my learning Spanish, I listened to preaching tapes my best friend Solange mailed me. I prayed and read the Bible a whole lot more! When Spanish became more fluent, I involved myself with outreach, and youth activities. I lived both in Madrid and Valencia and the churches are not perfect, but they have a love of God beyond my understanding, a love for souls, and God blesses their services with power.

90&9: Anything you’re especially proud of accomplishing while there?
KM: Just learning Spanish and really learning to trust in God when my company came 20-something days late with any form of payment.

90&9: Any freelancing opportunities you’ve been able to take advantage of?
KM: I have been doing freelance illustrating for Word Aflame, and some churches in Spain. I am not a trained illustrator but I am starting to enjoy it. I had always done art pieces for my local church as a teen without any confidence. I turned down an offer from a preacher from Puerto Rico due to lack of faith in my talent . . .but when I was with the Royers in Uganda something happened to my confidence and I took up these challenges.

Since I was a little girl I was obsessed with going to Africa on missions. I had the money to go; I didn’t need sponsorship, so I went.

90&9: And what was working in Uganda like?
KM: The Royers had me busy the whole time! It was great. I did a lot of graphic design, taught teen class, and helped them with preparing a conference. That doesn’t seem like much, but it was. I even got to teach an art class at a pre-college school. We traveled to Congo for eight days, where I tried to re-learn my French fast, ate gourmet bugs, got acid sprayed on my neck by a beetle. Funny enough, my full-time job there was avoiding marriage proposals! We did a lot of laughing over that!

90&9: Where do you see God taking you in this field?
KM: I have no idea. I will go wherever He leads me. All I know is there is a whole world of animators out there that need to hear about God’s love. They are angry with Him and are hurting. Many times the church forgets that the people in entertainment and the art industries are souls in search of the One True God. My greatest joy comes when I get to share the truth with them; although I have not seen anyone come to God yet, I have seen change in a better direction in some. God can take me around the world with this talent. I am not the best artist, and I not very successful in my eyes, but looking back and seeing where God has taken me, I am excited to where He will take me.

90&9: Any advice you’d give Christians trying to get into the animation business?
KM: Wow, I have never been asked that. I would have to say, stay strong to what you believe. Once at the Ink and Paint House I worked at they asked me to work on a Playboy cartoon, I stood my ground and said no, knowing well that I was breaching my contract and I would be fired for this. God came through for me, and I was allowed to continue on the kid’s show without losing my position.

Also, draw, draw, and draw...even if you want to pursue gaming, 3D, or whatever, without developed artistic skills the competition will crush you.

90&9: Finally, to your mind, what’s the best animated film ever done?
KM: Hands down, Snow White. Have you seen the animation? It is brilliant! This film birthed the feature film industry.

90&9: So why is it brilliant?
KM: The pure passion of Walt made it a passionate film. Disney poured $1,480,000 into a film that everyone believed would be nothing but a flop. He never gave up, even when the banks tried to shut him down. But in 1937 when it was premiered it was an instant classic. To this day its animation stands as being in the highest ranks of quality and beauty.

90&9: Do you have a favorite animated film?
KM: I don’t know if I have a favorite film. One day I will say Hercules is, the next Spirited Away, the next The Iron Giant, the list will go on, so I will stop.

ninetyandnine.com

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Executive Editor Kent d Curry loves interviewing the overlooked life-changers that God uses throughout His kingdom.