“Geeking Out” with Mike Eringis

In 1887, Thomas Edison started research into motion pictures; two years later he presented the kinetoscope that projected 50 feet of film in approximately 13 seconds. Since then there have been amazing strides in the rapid display of sequence images and thus the medium of art known as animation. From Paleolithic cave paintings, to cel animation, to the current world of computer-generated imagery (CGI): there is no doubt that this world has been transformed by the onslaught of new technology and animation is no exception.

This past Monday, I had the pleasure of meeting Mike Eringis, a creative artist who has worked in 3D computer animation for over 20 years. Until recently he was employed at the Academy Award winning Blue Sky Studios, a subsidiary of Fox.

Mike’s portfolio includes work on the Ice Age movies, Horton Hears a Who, Robots and Rio among others. I should have asked him if that crazy squirrel from Ice Age, “Scrat,” ever gets to chomp down on that troublesome acorn.

Check out this funny first look of Ice Age 4: The Continental Drift

Did you know that there are 24 frames per second in an animated feature film? Each frame is designed carefully and extensively, it is touched, viewed and studied by multiple contributors. As Mike spoke, I couldn’t help but think how daunting and time-consuming the production process is—we are talking more than 140,000 frames. Over and over my thoughts were, “unbelievable,” and “they don’t get enough kudos.” There are many talented and dedicated programmers, artists and designers who log countless hours to bring you these films, often studying and rendering seconds of the movie over weeks of effort. But I guess the principles of economy and business are always at play; these films are raking in big dollars at the box office and in home entertainment.

It was made clear that the right software is an advantage, obviously trained and creative people to run that software is also fundamental. Blue Sky Studios is notable for its proprietary Renderer CGI Studio software. Mike said, this is what happens “when rocket scientists want to make cartoons.” CGI Studio is notable for its use of ray tracing as opposed to scanline rendering prevalent throughout the CG industry. The studio is known for the ability to manage light sources, emulating and diffusing light can make an extreme difference in the aesthetics and authenticity of a scene right down to the ice cubes. Mike showed a still image from Ice Age and zoomed in on a droplet of water flying off a creature jumping out of the water. In the water droplet, was a reflected image of Manny the Mammoth who was standing directly across from the scene. The image was a millimeter in size and I am certain that no one, even if they were watching on the big screen, could catch this detail. Nevertheless the software was able to create it. I was stunned; it is truly impressive.

Blue Sky Studios employs less than 500 people. It doesn’t seem possible that they could pull of a full feature film in 6-8 months given the time spent on a single second. But they do and the vast majority of employees work directly on visual development, layout and modeling, animation, materials and lighting. Eringis calls the process of production the “pipeline.” The writing, art storyboards and editorial are completed by only 20-30 people in the very beginning, when it’s time to cross into the realm of 3D then on come 400+ helpers.

Mike’s main role in these films was managing what is called “materials.” After modeling and rigging a frame all the details must be dressed. Mike worked on applying textures to all aspects of the characters, scenery and other objects. Seriously, the details are detailed! He showed pictures of his field trip to a junkyard, citing that trips out and about are often helpful for getting things right. He closely studied and photographed rust to help with the film Robots. Look closely; the wear tear is where it should be. A lesson from Mike, details are important.

Mike roughly got me up to speed on animation; the new technology is certainly emergent media. I have new respect for the detailed labor, hearing about the difficulty of simulating fur or hair and splashes of water will have that effect. Mike recently resigned from Blue Sky Studios but I could tell it was an incredibly difficult decision. He loved the creative aspects of his role. He offered some advice for the creative process that I took to heart, knowing the stressful deadline battles he continually fought. Always “set a plan, know your resources, know yourself and continually monitor that plan.” Seems simple enough? It’s always simpler said than done. I think we are often scared to work under deadlines, but as Mike reminded me “our best work is often done under limitation.” This week I will put that to the test with a few projects.

Incorporating multiple ideas and utilizing more hands will lead to a better end result. This type of creative work requires teamwork. There is not one person who could pull off a box office worthy feature film on his or her own; no matter how badass you are, it can’t be done. Aside from the lesson in animation and the creative inspiration, Mike reminded me that our work blossoms with collaboration. Learning to incorporate each other’s ideas, having the ability compromise and the willingness to let go when you should are fundamental skills in teamwork. As Mike said and as he lived with his animated life, there is something so thrilling about “creating something bigger than yourself.”