Curtis Jobling has been a buzzing name in the Lit Fest crowd since the very first day this year. His hilarious panel discussions and interesting topics have been attracting people of all ages. The writer and illustrator conducted yet another interesting panel on the second day of the DLF which was titled ‘Animation for dummies’ where he discussed about his work with illustration and the film making industry. He also spoke about how his outlined vision helped him reach where he is now.
Opening the panel with power point slides having his own illustrations, Curtis immediately drew people’s attention. With that, he began telling his stories to the audience. He conveyed how since childhood, Curtis loved drawing, especially with crayons. Realizing his deep passion towards drawing, he was certain that he’d make a living out of what he sincerely loved. During this time, Curtis already dreamt of achieving something great that would make a huge impact. But in order to achieve what he wanted to become, he had to cross a few stages in life. “I loved drawing and I wanted to tell people stories with it. I wanted to become a story teller”, saying this Curtis explained why it was necessary for him to never take no for an answer. From working as toast distributer to illustrating arts for small to big book publications and films, Curtis made sure to “make the most of the opportunities.”
Curtis also mentioned that it was his persistence and planning that kept him going. The more he worked, the more he kept learning. During the panel, he shared one of the key concepts of the film industry, known as generative designing. He elaborated the concept saying that when all the characters have the similar body structures, you can tell that they all belong together. Pixar, for instance, uses this concept in order to give the viewers their fullest satisfaction while watching any film. Bob the builder where the scarecrow, cat and all the humanly characters look alike, makes sure to not create any confusion amongst its viewers. To give a more vivid idea, Curtis shared his take on Shrek, where he explained that all the characters in that animated movie look like they were drawn by 12 different people. Such movies may be fun to watch, but often confuse people regarding the essence of the movie.
There are simply no ends to Curtis’s work, which has attracted most readers and viewers. This surely tells how much he loves his work. The animated series, Raa Raa is one of those ideas that generated while spending time with his kids. Curtis ended the panel by saying “Keep your hobbies. You can surely make a living out of the thing you love the most.”
