Sit-down With Sue: Introducing Allen Laseter
We recently signed Nashville, Tennessee based animation director/illustrator Allen Laseter whose signature style is awash with texture, vibrant colours, original characters, and fluid action.
With numerous short films behind him for the likes of Lagunitas, TED-Ed, Coke, and Disney, and features in It’s Nice That and Motionographer, Allen brings a unique cinematic approach and a distinct 2D style to Jelly’s roster, and we’re delighted to have him.
To welcome him to the ranks, our Executive Producer Sue Loughlin sat down with him to find out just what goes on in that weird and wonderful mind of his, for our very first edition of ‘Sit-down with Sue’ – enjoy!
Sue Loughlin> What got you into animation?
Allen Laseter> My background is in live-action. I received a BFA in Film while in school and began working as a freelancer upon graduation, taking on small commercial and music video shoots as well as making personal shorts with fellow filmmaker friends.
One day an animation project dropped into my lap when a friend of a friend needed an opening for an event he was putting on. I had only dabbled in animation out of curiosity before this, but I took on the project and did a ton of learning on the job, and by the end of it I realised that animation seemed much more suited to my brain than live action. I began making the transition to animation immediately and within a year, that was all I was doing for work.
Sue> What software do you work with?
Allen> I primarily work with After Effects for both illustration and animation. Every now and then I’ll mix in Photoshop or Flash for more intensive frame by frame animation when needed.
Sue> What inspires you when you are thinking about creating a personal short?
Allen> I try to draw inspiration from all over the place, but I’m probably most inspired by cinema. Movies were my first real creative love and I’m endlessly fascinated with how directors can use composition (among plenty of other tools, but especially composition for me) to secretly influence the way viewers process information. How the story is told is as important to me as what the story is itself. And it goes way beyond making something look aesthetically pleasing.
Sue> Where did you study animation?
Allen> I didn’t formally study animation. I learned from a combination of trial and error and random online tutorials.
Sue> What is your all-time fave animated film?
Allen> It changes a lot, but right now I’d have to say ‘Only Yesterday’ by Isao Takahata
Sue> What comes first in creating a composition of a frame?
Allen> For me, the crucial first step is getting a solid grasp on what kind of feeling the shot needs to convey and how I would like for the viewer to feel. From there, it’s more instinctual and I just start filling in the frame with shapes until it feels right.
Sue> Do you work on the creative collaboratively?
Allen> I enjoy working collaboratively, but also know how to efficiently work solo when the project calls for it.
