By Elise Mackanych
If you’ve seen an animated movie in the past 25 years, chances are you’ve probably seen visual development artist John Nevarez’s work. With a portfolio including “Kim Possible,” “Monster’s University,” “Coco,” “Inside Out,” and this year’s “The Garfield Movie,” Nevarez has been a vital part of the animation process of many mainstream productions.
Nevarez, who received a B.A. from the University of California Santa Barbara, has been in the industry for 26 years, beginning his career at Disney Television as a storyboard artist. From there, he worked at DisneyToons, Imagi Studios, and Pixar, among other notable studios. Nevarez currently works at SpinMaster Studios as a visual developer and story moments artist.
On Thursday, October 17, Nevarez visited the School of Visual Development (VIS) at Academy of Art University to discuss his work, share case studies from film projects, and offer advice to aspiring visual development artists.
“John is a legend in the animation Industry and a guru in storytelling,” said VIS and 2D Animation Executive Director Nicolás Villarreal following the event and first met Nevarez while working together on “Tinkerbell.” “I encourage all our students to watch the recording of his lecture and to come to the future ones.”
VIS hosts various industry professionals every semester and encourages their students to attend. It’s an opportunity to not only hear from someone within their chosen field but also engage and ask questions.
“These are working professionals—highly successful in their fields—and the information they share is invaluable for us,” said Villarreal. “We do several events like this one, where we bring professionals in the industry to share their expertise and experience in the field. This is crucial for our department because not only does it keep us updated with industry trends, but our students are exposed to production timelines and how it is to work in a professional environment.”
Nevarez began the evening by diving into a case study of his recent work for “The Garfield Movie.” While sharing one of the storyboards from “Garfield,” Nevarez opened detailed aspects of his process. Regarding dimensions, he explained that multiple perspectives are necessary to ensure a realistic scene. While working on a “Garfield” scene, he drew the titular character next to a chicken coop in a sketch to ensure that the details, such as the doors and windows, were appropriately sized.
The story moments artist also touched on satisfying the director’s vision on projects and how it is important to remember that the work they’re producing needs to align with what the director wants. Also, to be aware that this part of the creative process may be out of one’s comfort zone and require a quick turnaround time.
“The first week, you’re roughing it out: doing your research, wrapping your head around design…The second week, you’re finessing and refining,” said Nevarez. “It’s all up to the director. You have to ask them, ‘What do you want to see?’”
While discussing the work he completed on “Coco,” Nevarez displayed various character sketches, such as supporting skeleton characters, and explained the movie’s sources of inspiration.
“Early on, the team went to a lot of parts of Mexico to get inspiration from Dia de los Muertos,” shared Nevarez. “Most inspiration [came] from Oaxaca.”
The team agreed that their skeleton designs would not be scary, that they would represent all ages and sexes, show expression, have facial hair and clothes, and that they must be original.
As a Mexican American, “Coco,” in particular, hit home for Nevarez. “[It is] important to me because it’s important to my family and my culture.”
Later, Nevarez presented a slideshow titled “What I Would Tell my Younger Self in All These Years: Advice from an Older You.” It highlighted Nevarez’s advice to aspiring animators, including job expectations, portfolio suggestions, and how to take care of yourself in the industry.
When looking for a job in animation, Nevarez advised always taking the opportunity to draw, even if the assignment isn’t something you’re familiar with.
“Ninety-nine percent [of the time], you don’t draw or design what you want. You draw or design what is asked,” explained Nevarez. “Do your research, get your reference, take the challenge, figure it out. Your job is [to be] a problem solver, you figure it out visually. You might go through a lot of mistakes or failings; they are just explorations and hits that get you to your target.”
Regarding students’ portfolios, Nevarez suggested creating one as soon as possible. He shared a few essential reminders when composing your portfolio. “Quality over quantity,” he asserted. “Strive for visual storytelling to show progression and contract—consider story beats. Try for multiple beats in one story.”
Nevarez acknowledged that it is easy to become stressed and overwhelmed as an animator. The job requires a lot of sitting, so he stressed the importance of being mindful of health. “Family and health should always be priority one,” Nevarez urged. “Jobs can be replaced—your health and family can’t. Get good sleep, do a strong eight hours, then pencil down. Have breaks during work and have breaks from work.”
Then, it was time for questions from the audience of students in attendance. Nevarez was first asked for his advice on how to improve now as a student. “Know your process,” answered Nevarez. “Show different angles. Start loose but clear. Draw rough without overdrawing. Do more and more of it.”
On how to best ask a colleague for a reference or a job, Nevarez said, “Be honest and straightforward. A lot of folks get their jobs from their friends.”
Nevarez’s success as a visual artist is credited to years of hard work and dedication. And following the golden rule.
“Don’t be an a–hole. Always challenge yourself. Stay modest. Don’t ever be scared to make mistakes. Don’t draw in fear; draw fearlessly,” he said. “Think like a filmmaker; think like a camera. Every day, go on YouTube. Try to see two to three scenes a day. Look at lighting, performance, turn the sound off. Look at something at least three times and ask yourself, ‘What are you feeling?’”
Watch the full video of Nevarez’s guest lecture.
Keep up with the latest events from VIS on Instagram: @aau_visualdevelopment