Valerie Lettera

I'm Valerie Lettera of DreamWorks Interactive. I am a Computer Animator/Lead Artist. I have attended Siggraph five or six times over the past ten years. I have been employed eight years as a Computer Animator, and eleven years as an Instructor for Computer Animation. I have used computers as a visual media for thirteen years. I don't know how many women are employed in the field but the number is growing. At DreamWorks Interactive about a quarter of the computer Animators and Artists are women.

I didn't find being a woman made it any harder to enter the field of Computer Graphics and Animation. As a matter of fact, I was the first artist to be hired at the Interactive division of DreamWorks/SKG, and by Sony ImageSoft in Los Angeles for the development of the Playstation. Before those two positions, I free-lanced for six years. From my experiences, I have felt no discrimination from being a woman in a what is a predominately male industry.

I think the Interactive Game Industry will attract more women in the areas of creating and art directing games for young girls and women. As the business world comes to accept that women are a viable consumer, there will be a larger commitment for companies to provide for this almost untapped market.
 

I've always considered myself an Artist. I started drawing as a toddler and made my first animated film in high school. I attended Syracuse University on a volleyball scholarship and received my BFA in Fine Arts specializing in Sculpture. In my junior and senior years at Syracuse I took many film classes to prepare for graduate school. I was accepted into the masters program at UCLA where I attended the school of Theater, Film & Television. I specialized in animation, where I made a 3 minute traditional cel animated film "The End". This film won a number of awards and gave me the opportunity to travel to Europe where I attended Film Festivals and conferences.

After spending the two years to make the predominantly black and white film "The End," I became fascinated with color. The computer paint programs at the time were limited but the vibrance of the illuminated screen mesmerized me. I also liked the freedom to experiment with my artwork to see how an idea can be taken through a number of different directions with minimal time and effort. I enjoyed the challenge of maximizing what the computer can do well in addition to inventing new ways to create something unique.

One factor that steered me toward a career in computer animation was something I noticed while attending film school in the early 80's. My peers in computer animation almost always had work, while many in traditional animation experienced frequent layoffs. Desiring a more consistent and stable work environment, I concentrated on computer graphics.

I spent most of my time at Siggraph in the courses, and at the DreamWorks Hospitality booth answering questions. I got a lot out of the courses. In addition to the class on "The Making of Toy Story," I attended "Compositing for Computer Animation," "Lighting for Computer Animation," and "Procedural Animation and Artificial Evolution." I enjoyed all of those courses but the information shared in the class on "The Making of Toy Story" was the most applicable with my goals to continue developing as a computer animator.

I did not get a chance to attend the Artist and Animator sketches, but they sounded very worthwhile from the description . I see artists sharing production problems, and how they approach solving them, as invaluable information. Showing slides and video tapes of works in progress, mistakes, and the final finished piece help to give you insight into how problems were solved and which solutions worked in the end. I think that classes which encourage creative problem solving are the most valuable.

With computer animation, we are constantly trying new approaches. We are always needing to to integrate new software with the latest tools, and try to be creative and original, all within a tight production time-line. This is a full plate of challenges to attack each time a new assignment is presented to you. Computers with their tools, such as filters for graphic images and animation, look amazing, but will quickly appear dated within a short time. It's necessary for the artist to layer the computer tools into their work and integrate it with their individual preferences and observations for good design and art direction.

On my free time I like to collect illustrated children books and science fiction / fantasy art books. I love the out doors and I'm an amateur cloud watcher. I enjoy spending time with my boyfriend and also own two very large orange cats named Winnie and Pooh.

I would like to master Character Animation, Special Effects, and 3D environments; creating new looks and approaches to make my work unique. One dream is to create a short computer animated film for IMAX to be screened before their feature films. I would also like to design a computer animated film to be used with a motion ride simulator. I'm interested in creating and illustrating a children's book as well as interactive CD ROMs. So much to do, so little time.
 

My advice to women interested in the industry is to learn the software you're working with and become self sufficient. I taught for nine years at UCLA Extension, and am a visiting instructor at the UCLA Animation Workshop in the School of Theater, Film & Television. In my opinion the students that went the farthest were the ones who were very familiar with the software.

You might need to read the manual several times to fully understand the software and how to work around problems. If you are part of a class, this problem solving capability will come out in your work. Be prepared to share how you came up with the solution, as this will put you in a very positive light with your instructor and your peers. Make a good impression here, your instructor might provide you with a job referral. Also, you will be viewed as a person that can solve problems and that's what Computer Animation is all about. Things rarely fall into a routine solution.

Another area that is just as important is to study and understand traditional animation. I believe a person that has educated themselves in both traditional and computer animation techniques will have an advantage. If you can, try to create a computer or traditional animated short film or video of some type. This is an extra bonus and can make you shine in an interview.

Position yourself at a company where you gain professional experience. An internship is an excellent use of time and energy. A lot of people have found work after completing an internship. If you don't find work with the same company, you would at least have a good reference and some professional work to add to your portfolio. Take notes on what you learn; when you are faced with the same or similar situation you won't have to rediscover the solution.