Go With Your Gut

Here is a wonderful letter from PDI/ DreamWorks animator, Jeff Joe. Thank you so much Mr. Joe for taking the time to write this letter for this project. What an encouraging and inspiring story! Can you imagine a book packed full of amazing letters like this, all telling a different and unique story? Who will be the next animator to submit a letter? Will it be you?

Transcript


PDI/ DreamWorks

April 10, 2011

Dear Mr. Downs,

Thank you for this opportunity for me to tell my story on how I got started in the animation industry.

I currently work at PDI/ DreamWorks in Redwood City, CA. Each day as I sit down at my desk, I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. If you asked me 20 years ago what I would be doing, I would never have guessed I'd be making cartoons for a living and getting paid for it.

Having talked with my fellow co-workers, I realize that each one had a different way of breaking into the industry. I came to the conclusion that there is no cookie cutter way of doing it- the only thing is to follow your gut and never let go of that which really makes you happy.

Me? What really makes me happy is movies. Watching movies, making home movies, collecting movie-related things...and I also have always loved drawing. Not that I was ever good at either, but these two passions kept me thriving. But how do you make a living doing these things? Who knew that you could actually marry these two passions and get...animation?

I certainly had no clue. And I certainly didn't have the guts to tell my parents that I wanted to have a career out of either of these passions. For me, the career path was going to be...pre-law. Because law school was the "safe" choice. But if you ever met me, you'd quickly realize I'm anything BUT the litigating, lawyering type. I'm too much of a wiseguy to take any of that seriously. But I didn't tell my parents. For all they cared, I was a good boy, taking all the necessary pre-law, political courses that my college offered.

Then, in 1993, my Senior year, when I'm supposed to have started applying for law school, JURASSIC PARK came out. It blew my mind. It wouldn't surprise me if I actually cut class to see this (I cut class a lot in pre-law). CGI was in such an infantile stage at that point. But I knew THAT'S what I wanted to do for a living.

So I researched computer animation schools and found one, The School of Visual Arts (SVA), in New York City, that offered an M.F.A. (Masters of Fine Arts) in computer arts in two years. I swallowed hard and asked my parents if I could apply to this school. Just as long as I got into one law school. To my surprise, they let me go through with it.

I started this new path in 1994 and since then, I never looked back. My instructors at SVA were also animation supervisors and founders at Blue Sky Studios in New York, and they're the ones who gave me my first break.

My point is- go with your gut, 'cause you never know what life will bring you.

-Jeff Joe