My work as an animator takes me between San Francisco and Hong Kong. I spend a lot of time in Hong Kong because
I work with local animation companies even though my company, PDI/Dreamworks, is located in Silicon Valley [California]. In the coming month, I will return to the United States, where I will continue working on the animation film Shrek 3.
I have been involved in various animation projects with Dreamworks, including Antz, Shrek and Shrek 2. I am directing Shrek 3, although I don't really want to say that because, until the film is released in 2006, anything can happen. Let's just say I am intensely involved in all phases of production for that movie.
My days in the US are routine. I get up about 7.30 in the morning because I have to commute from the Sunset district in San Francisco to Redwood City. It's a long drive because there is so much traffic in the morning. I live by myself so I make some instant oatmeal for breakfast before heading out. By the time I arrive at the office, it's about 9am.
There are about 40 animators working on Shrek 3 and, sometimes in the mornings, we have screening sessions. That's when all the animators put their storyboards on screen and we get an update on what everyone is doing. We are still in the preliminary stages and working out the storyline, which we are still changing. I can't give away much except it's going to be a happy, feel-good tale, and most of the characters from Shrek and Shrek 2 will be there, including the very popular Puss 'n' Boots. The year 2006 may seem a long way away, but we have so much work to do we are setting weekly production deadlines. When the storyboards and the animations are done, I look at them and give the animators my opinion.
I admit I am fickle; subtleties are so important in making a character come to life. For example, Shrek may be smiling because he's done something embarrassing and I may comment that his smile looks too smug, or that I am not sure what he's trying to express. That's the thing about working with computers, they allow us to do our work faster but in the end, it's still about human sensibilities. We do a rundown of the script and correct things as we go along. We may extend a pause, or change the dialogue, or certain actions look impossible for the characters to do. You don't often notice the problems because everyone works individually, so every week when we put every part together we see the big picture and do all the adjustments.
Thankfully, I've got a really good boss, Jeff Katzenberg of Dreamworks. Ever since they acquired the company I work for, PDI, they've allowed us to work creatively without too much interference. I no longer have to worry too much about all the administrative stuff, so it leaves me more time to be creative. But my lifestyle is still a world away from Hollywood. We don't travel in limousines and we don't stay at five-star hotels; it's motels much of the time - except for when we attend premieres. Then, Dreamworks puts us up at the W Hotel in Los Angeles and we get to ride in a limo.